Project Management guide · Planning and scope
What Is a Project Baseline? Scope, Schedule and Cost
A baseline is the approved version of a plan, frozen so that actual performance can be compared against it. Projects usually have three: scope, schedule and cost.
Key takeaways
- Baselines are approved plans used to measure performance.
- Projects have scope, schedule and cost baselines.
- Change them only through change control.
The three baselines
| Baseline | Contents |
|---|---|
| Scope baseline | Scope statement, WBS and WBS dictionary |
| Schedule baseline | Approved start and finish dates for activities and milestones |
| Cost baseline | Time-phased budget, excluding management reserve |
Together they form the performance measurement baseline, used for earned value management.
Setting a baseline
- Complete planning and get the plan approved.
- Save the baseline in your scheduling tool.
- Communicate it to the team and stakeholders.
Using the baseline
- Compare actual progress with baseline dates.
- Calculate schedule and cost variance; see schedule variance and cost variance.
- Show baseline bars on Gantt charts.
- Plot planned vs actual on an S-curve.
Re-baselining
Change the baseline only through formal change control, for example after a major approved scope change. Keep earlier baselines so the history remains visible.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a baseline in project management?
The approved version of the scope, schedule or cost plan used to measure performance.
Why is a project baseline important?
Without it you cannot measure variance or progress objectively.
When is the project baseline set?
At the end of planning, once the plan is approved.
What does re-baselining mean for a project baseline?
Formally changing the project baseline after an approved change.
Should you change the project baseline often?
No. Frequent re-baselining hides performance problems.
How does the performance measurement baseline relate to the project baseline?
It is the integrated scope, schedule and cost baselines, the part of the project baseline used to measure performance.
Is management reserve part of the project baseline?
No. It sits outside the cost baseline, in the overall budget.
How is a project baseline shown on a Gantt chart?
As a second, usually grey, bar beneath each task.
Do Agile projects use a project baseline?
Not in the classic sense; release plans and burnup charts play a similar role.
What tools support project baselines?
Most scheduling tools such as Wrike, Smartsheet and Microsoft Planner premium plans.