Schedule Baseline
Formalise the approved schedule model, lock target dates, and establish the metric against which all project performance will be measured.
§1 Purpose of the Schedule Baseline
The Schedule Baseline is the approved version of the schedule model. Once signed, it can be changed only through formal change-control procedures.
A schedule is highly fluid during the planning phase. Activities are added, durations are debated, and logic is rearranged. However, before execution begins, the Project Manager must draw a line in the sand. The Schedule Baseline formalises the agreement between the project team and the sponsor regarding when work will be completed.
It acts as the yardstick for performance measurement. If a milestone is missed, the delay is calculated as a variance directly against the dates established in this baseline document.
§2 Blank Template
A standardized sign-off framework consolidating the planning outputs into a single approved agreement.
SCHEDULE BASELINE
Purpose
Schedule Baseline Components
The Schedule Baseline encompasses the following approved artifacts:
- Activity List - defined activities derived from the WBS work packages.
- Activity Attributes - detailed attributes and dependencies for each activity.
- Duration Estimates - approved duration calculations for each activity.
- Milestone List - key project milestones with target dates.
- Project Schedule Network Diagram - sequenced activities with logical dependencies.
- Project Schedule - calendar-based schedule (Gantt) with start and finish dates.
- Project Calendar - working and non-working days governing the schedule calculation.
Baseline Key Dates
| Milestone | Approved Target Date |
|---|---|
| [Milestone 1 Name] | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| [Milestone 2 Name] | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| [Final Delivery Milestone] | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
Baseline Approval
§3 Worked Example: Mary's Consulting
A completed example demonstrating the formal lock-in of an 8-month digital implementation project timeline.
Notice that the baseline summarizes the key dates, but explicitly references the underlying documentation (like the Activity Attributes) as part of the total locked package. Approval by the Sponsor transitions the schedule from a planning draft to an executable baseline.
SCHEDULE BASELINE
Purpose
Schedule Baseline Components
The Schedule Baseline consists of:
- Activity List - defined activities derived from the WBS work packages.
- Activity Attributes - detailed attributes for each activity.
- Duration Estimates - approved duration for each activity.
- Milestone List - key project milestones with target dates.
- Project Schedule Network Diagram - sequenced activities with dependencies.
- Project Schedule - calendar-based schedule with start and finish dates.
- Project Calendar - working/non-working days governing the schedule.
Baseline Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Project Start (Charter approved) | May 08, 2026 |
| Planning Complete; Baselines Locked | Jun 08, 2026 |
| Requirements Approved | Jul 02, 2026 |
| Design Approved | Aug 07, 2026 |
| Build Complete | Oct 09, 2026 |
| UAT Sign-off | Nov 19, 2026 |
| Production Go-Live | Nov 24, 2026 |
| Hypercare Complete | Dec 10, 2026 |
| Operations Handoff | Dec 15, 2026 |
| Project Closeout | Dec 29, 2026 |
Baseline Approval
Formal Change Control
Once both parties sign this document (on Jun 08), the dates cannot be changed simply by updating a Gantt chart. Any future shift to these dates requires an approved Change Request.
Variance Tracking
This document is the "control" state. If the actual UAT Sign-off occurs on Nov 21, the project manager will report a 2-day negative schedule variance against this baseline.
The Package Deal
The sponsor isn't just approving a list of dates. By signing the baseline, they are implicitly approving the logical dependencies (Network Diagram) and effort calculations (Estimates) that generated those dates.