Best Practices Checklist: Maintaining a Baseline Schedule

• A baseline schedule

  • is set promptly after the program begins;
  • is the basis for measuring performance;
  • represents the original configuration of the program plan and signifies the consensus of all stakeholders regarding the required sequence of events, resource assignments, and acceptable dates for key deliverables;
  • is compared to the current schedule to track variances from the plan.

• The as-built version of the schedule is planned to be archived and will

  • represent the plan as executed to completion;
  • be compared to the original plan for an assessment of lessons learned;
  • become a valuable basis of estimate input for schedule estimates of future analogous projects;
  • become the basis for creating and validating fragnets where possible.

• A schedule basis document is a single document that

  • defines the organization of the IMS;
  • describes the logic of the network;
  • describes the basic approach to managing resources;
  • provides a basis for all parameters used to calculate dates;
  • describes the general approach to the project;
  • defines how to use the schedule file;
  • describes the schedule’s unique features;
  • describes the schedule change management process;
  • contains a dictionary of acronyms and custom fields;
  • gives an overview of the assumptions and ground rules, including justification for
    • calendars,
    • lags,
    • date constraints,
    • long activity durations, and
    • calendars and working times;
  • describes the use and assignments of resources within the schedule in appropriate detail;
  • describes the critical risks prioritized in a schedule risk analysis as well as schedule contingency;
  • discusses the derivation of the critical paths, longest path, and total float for the program;
  • is considered a living document that reflects updates to the baseline schedule.

• Changes to the baseline schedule are reviewed and approved according to the change control process.

• Schedule variances that exceed predetermined thresholds are reported to management, along with the cause and any corrective actions.

• Negative schedule variances are investigated to see if the associated effort is on the critical path.

• Schedule measures, such as the number of activities that have started or finished early, on time, or later than planned, are analyzed for the effect of any variances.

• Trend analysis is conducted regularly to examine measures such as decreasing float and schedule contingency erosion.

• The focus of any schedule recovery or acceleration techniques is on critical activities.