Set Baseline

Explanation

Perform this activity to create a baseline for the project. A baseline is a plan against which project execution is compared and differences are measured for the purpose of project performance analysis and control. It is possible to create any number of baselines per project, whenever it is necessary due to approved changes in scope, schedule or cost. When setting a new baseline, the Earned Value Method is selected, this will determine if the Earned Value and Scheduled Work project indicators should be calculated based on baseline values or planned values.

Prerequisites

• The project must be in the status Approved or Started.
• The project needs to have at least one activity connected to it.

System Effects

Each time you set a base line:

• A new baseline revision is created for the project.
• The current values for planned hours and cost, and the early start and finish dates are copied to the corresponding baseline fields.
• Earned Value and scheduled work will either be calculated based on baseline values or planned values, which is determined by the selected Earned Value Method when setting the baseline.
• Activities that have been changed or added since the setting of the last baseline, will have the new baseline revision number.
• A record of the project before the new baseline changes came into effect is saved in the history logging table.
• The new baseline plan is saved in the history logging table.
• The activities that are created and modified after the baseline is set will be marked by the Activity Changed check box being selected.
• An object that contributes to the current baseline can be removed anytime. This will remove the object connection and the planned values of the object but the baseline values will remain as it is until the next baseline is created.
• Only an activity that does not have any baseline values can be deleted after creating a baseline.

Window

Projects
Project
Project Navigator

Related Window Descriptions

Projects
Project Navigator
Project/General
Project/Project History

Procedure

From the Projects or the Project window:

1. Open the Projects or the Project window.
2. Populate or query for the project you need to set the base line.
3. Right-click and then click Set Baseline. The Set Baseline dialogue box will appear. If you have populated the Projects window, select the appropriate project line and then right- click on it.
4. Select the desired earned value method from the Earned Value Method list box.
5. Optionally you can add a comment in the User Comment text field.
6. Click OK.

From the Project Navigator window:

1. Open the Project Navigator window.
2. Populate or query for the project you need to set the baseline.
3. Select the highest level in the project navigator. Right-click and then click Set Baseline. The Set Baseline dialogue box will appear.
4. Select the desired earn value method from the Earned Value Method list box.
5. Optionally you can add a comment in the User Comment text field.