A deeper understanding of baselines
The baseline is a critical concept in Project Management – specifically under the discipline of configuration management. A baseline is the reference point on which all project performance measurements are based. At a minimum, the scope, cost, and schedule are to be baselined for any project. In practice, this means the documents holding the approved scope, cost, and schedule are saved with a version control tool.
Once a document has been version controlled, such documents can only be changed through a formal process known in the PMBOK as the Perform Integrated Change Control Process. Version-controlled documents can be both physical and digital. In the PMBOK, baselining is categorized within the Project Integration Management knowledge area.
The need for baselines
Baselines are needed to evaluate the variance of actual versus planned parameters. Only with the aid of such evaluation is it possible to manage performance. When you enter...
