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Lessons Learned with Microsoft Project (Part 6)
Dr. Andrew Makar is an IT program manager and is the author of the Microsoft Project Made Easy series. For more project management advice, visit the website TacticalProjectManagement.com.
Lesson Learned #6: Baseline the Project Plan
The project baseline is the original approved set of final estimates in terms of scope, time and resources. The baseline project plan remains the same during project execution and is used to compare it with the actual project progress. The project manager's job is to ensure the actual project schedule meets the baseline project schedule. If there are gaps or a scope change, the project manager needs to take action. I once read a quote from Gallup Management Journal that said: "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." In order to manage the project's progress, the project manager needs to measure the variances between actual and planned dates.
Baselining the project plan is the critical step in monitoring and controlling the plan. If the project doesn't have a baseline, there is no record of the original plan. Think of the project baseline as the original road map. As the project is executed, the team may drift from the original road map, take short cuts and experience delays. However, the project manager is responsible for reaching the destination even if the path has changed.
To create a project baseline in MS-Project:
- Select Tools – Tracking – Save Baseline.
- The Save Baseline Dialog box appears and select the Save Baseline radio button
- Select the Entire Project radio button to baseline the …
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