Abbott Project Management Playbook

Elements/Process/Details

Schedule Baseline is a specific version of the Project schedule, accepted and approved according to the Project Management Plan. It is the basis against which schedule performance is measured and reported. With the Scope and Cost Baselines, it governs Detailed Design and Project execution.

Typically, the Schedule Baseline can only be changed through a formal change process documented in the Integrated Change Management Plan. It is a criterion used for evaluating change requests and to focus limited resources on critical tasks. An important part of controlling schedule is identifying the source of variances to determine if project management preventative and/or corrective actions are required. The Project Team should report potential schedule variances (changes to the Schedule Baseline) to the Project Manager to avoid adversely impacting the successful completion of the project. Approved and potential schedule variances should be reported to stakeholders in accordance with the Communication Plan. Schedule performance is measured using a systematic process called Earned Value Management (EVM). EVM is performed throughout the project lifecycle as necessary to ensure project objectives are achieved. The schedule baseline is the reference for EVM calculations.

The project team should document in the ScheduleManagement Plan the performance metrics to be used for the project, the process for gathering data, and the minimum frequency metrics will be calculated.

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