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14 MARCH 2008 PRINT

Quick QuizBy Barbee Davis, MA, PHR, PMP

I know about baselining time and schedule, but it seems like there is other important project information, too. What

should be baselined?

A. The only important constraints are time and schedule. Baseline them.

B. Baselining is not necessary if the key information is captured by software.

C. Every knowledge area has its own baseline. Capture them all.

D. There are four project baselines; two are often computerized, two prepared manually.

Answer: D. There are four project baselines; two are often computerized, two prepared manually.

Capturing a clear picture of the starting goals for a project baselining is the foundation for monitoring and

controlling a project. For time and cost it is easy. Computed value earned from the work performed and actual cost

numbers are compared to the original schedule baseline through earned value calculations. This is to judge whether the

project is on schedule and on budget. Most project managers document the original time and cost baselines, since it is

so convenient to do with automated project management software.

However, there are also two important manual baselines to document at the projects start, and to which the work of the

project should also be compared throughout the execution of the project.

1. Project scope baseline. Most project managers define scope in the scope statement and have key stakeholders sign

off on these parameters. The project scope statement, the work breakdown structure (WBS) and the WBS dictionary

form the scope baseline, which is referred to throughout the project to keep us on track.

When looking for variances from plan during scope control processes, the current situation is compared to the scopebaseline. Should the change control board increase or decrease the work of the project as a result of these findings, the

scope baseline must be updated.

Scope verification, the process of getting stakeholders approval on the work we are doing, is based on comparing what

we have done to the scope baseline. We consult with the customer or stakeholder to see that the deliverables we

created are acceptable. In addition, the formal acceptance of all project deliverables in the contract closure procedure

also relies on measurements taken against the scope baseline.

2. Project quality baseline. An often forgotten output of the quality planning process is the quality baseline. Quality

goals for the project have been researched and chosen during the quality planning process and they should be

documented for use in measuring the performance of the team.

The quality control monitoring of the project results, as the work of the project progresses, should result in updates to the

quality baseline if differences are discovered. It is the same as looking for variances in time and cost to make necessary

adjustments to the project schedule baseline.

To increase your skills as a project manager, you must clearly understand the roles of the scope and quality baselines.

Knowing about these two less obvious baselines may help you add other related, but often overlooked, project

management processes to your project toolkit.

Barbee Davis, MA, PHR, PMP, is a reviewer for the global PMI Registered Education Provider

Review Team. She owns Davis Consulting and is a published author, speaker, writer of training

materials and an innovator in presentation skill workshops for corporate trainers. She holds a

Black Belt in MS Project and teaches at the university level. Ms. Davis encourages your

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