Setting baselines in MS Project

Microsoft Project is a robust tool designed for expert project planning and management, featuring a wide array of functionalities. A standout feature is the ability to establish baselines, essential for monitoring progress and keeping projects on track with their goals. Here, we’ll explore this feature and discuss how to maximize its potential.

What is Baseline?

Let’s start by explaining the concept of a baseline for those new to the term. In project management, a baseline is essentially a snapshot of the original plan. It records the project’s scope, timeline, and cost at a specific moment. Therefore, it may serve as a vital reference point. This snapshot is crucial because it allows for comparison between the current project status and the original plan.

Baselines are incredibly important as they help project managers spot deviations early on and make necessary adjustments to keep the project on track. Unlike a project plan, which can change and adapt over time as the project faces new challenges or opportunities, a baseline is fixed.

It provides a benchmark that does not change and holds the original goals and parameters steady. This fixed nature of baselines versus the dynamic nature of project plans is exactly what helps to measure progress and make projects meet their original objectives.

How to create a Baseline in MS Project?

Creating a baseline in MS Project is quite a straightforward process, yet it requires attention to detail to ensure accuracy and relevance. The visualization may not be the best when comparing to some progressive alternatives to Microsoft Project, but you will still reap the benefits of this feature. Here is a short plan to configure it.

1. Make sure you have a finalized plan

A final plan is essential to establish a project baseline because it serves as the reference point for all project activities. Without a final plan, there is ambiguity, which can lead to misunderstandings and project delays. It also facilitates effective monitoring and control by offering a bar against which actual progress can be compared.

2. Configure the baseline

To configure your baseline in MS Project, navigate to the ‘Project’ tab and then select ‘Set Baseline’ from the options within the ‘Schedule’ group. Microsoft Project allows for snapshots at various stages of your project with multiple baselines (11 max).

For your initial baseline setup, choose ‘Baseline.’ In subsequent instances, opt for an appropriate label such as ‘Baseline 1’ or ‘Revised Baseline’ to capture distinct planning stages or major revisions.

You can set the baseline for the entire project to capture a comprehensive snapshot, or selectively for specific tasks if you’re focusing on particular aspects of the project.

3. Review the baseline

The purpose of the baseline is to show progress. So, you will have to view it from time to time to see if the plan is developing as anticipated or not. By default, MS Project doesn’t show baseline information. You have to enable it to view, and most often, you’ll see the baseline on the Gantt Chart.

Baseline on a Gantt chart

To access the baseline for your project, follow these steps:

• Navigate to the “View” tab situated in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
• Within the “Data” group, locate the “Baseline” option in the dropdown menu and click on it.

Within the “Baseline” dropdown menu, you can choose from the baselines you’ve saved (Baseline, Baseline1, Baseline2, Baseline3, Baseline4, or Baseline5). Upon selection, the baseline tasks and bars will be visible on the Gantt Chart alongside the current project schedule.

For enhanced clarity, adjust the timescale on the Gantt Chart. Utilize the timescale options in the “View” tab or adjust the timescale slider at the top of the Gantt Chart to zoom in or out.

To conduct a comparison between the baseline and the actual progress of your project, add the “Baseline” and “Actual” columns to your table. Right-click on the table header, choose “Insert Column,” and select “Baseline” and “Actual” from the available columns.

For a detailed examination of specific baseline tasks, double-click on them in the Gantt Chart. This action opens the “Task Information” dialog, providing insights into baseline start and finish dates, among other details.”

Baseline in reports

In addition to the Gantt chart, a comprehensive statistical summary in Microsoft Project also shows the baseline data. To access this information, follow these steps:

• Navigate to the ‘Project Information’ dialog box.
• Within this dialog box, locate and select the ‘Statistics’ button.

Upon accessing the ‘Statistics’ section, carefully analyze variances in start and end dates, duration, work, and cost columns. This provides a detailed insight into the disparities between the planned and actual project metrics.

How and when to update baselines?

Perspectives on whether updating baselines is advisable vary. Some argue it diminishes its significance, while others disagree. However, in practical scenarios, there are situations where a project manager may find it necessary to revise the baseline. This often occurs in instances of significant project scope expansion, reallocation of major resources, or a complete overhaul of the project timeline.

It’s essential to recognize that the decision to update a baseline is a weighty one and should be approached with caution. You should only ‘re-baseline’ your project plan, to reflect major changes in the project’s scope, timeline, or budget that render the original baseline obsolete.

To execute a baseline update in MS Project, follow a process similar to setting the initial baseline, but choose the appropriate baseline number for updating. Crucially, document the rationale behind any baseline update, ensuring that stakeholders are well-informed and aligned with the proposed changes.