Node A6 · Acronym decoder
LOE
Level of Effort
What it actually means
Work scoped as sustained effort over time rather than discrete completable products — program management, sustaining engineering, lab support. In earned value it's the category that earns value simply by time passing, which is honest for true support work and a favorite hiding place for work that should have been measurable.
Where you'll meet it
Statements of work, EVM planning, and arguments about how much of a contract should be LOE.