PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Baselining Your Schedule January 6, 2009

Agenda Overview Baseline Checklist Reviewing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Sample Schedule Addressing Common Concerns Reporting against it Baselining new tasks Re-baselining

Baselining Overview A baselined schedule provides a snapshot of the schedule at a point in time that all progress will be measured against. It helps ensure that everyone knows what is required to deliver the project successfully and also who is responsible for each deliverable. The baseline schedule serves as a basis for communicating to all stakeholders.

Baselining Checklist Has spell checker been run? Use a checklist to help ensure that the schedule is a properly built. Has spell checker been run? Have holidays been entered (including extra time for Christmas)? Have all constraints (e.g., Start No Sooner Than) been removed? Have all deliverable review and update tasks been identified? Does every task have at least one successor? Have estimating techniques and assumptions been documented? Are detail task durations within the reporting period? Are detail tasks at a level that conveys what needs to happen without going into too much detail?

Baselining Checklist (Continued) Are milestones identified for every deliverable and key event? Are the milestones properly labeled (e.g., training completed)? Do all tasks have at least one generic (e.g., Business Analyst) or specific resource (e.g., Joe Smith) assigned? Do the specific resources follow a naming convention? Has the schedule been resource “leveled”? Have all key stakeholders reviewed the schedule? Has the appropriate amount of management reserve been added? Does it pass the common sense test?

Review Work Breakdown Structure Prior to baselining the schedule ensure that it contains the entire scope of the project and it identifies all the appropriate work packages and deliverables.

Sample Detail Tasks The following represents a sample of the types of tasks that should be identified in support of each deliverable. Detail tasks will vary based on the type of deliverable. Ensure that there are Review and Update tasks for every deliverable. The last task associated with a deliverable should be a milestone.

Common Concerns Below are some ways on how to address common baselining concerns: I don't have enough details for the later stages of the project. Focus primarily on the first 3-6 months of the project Document assumptions and estimation techniques Apply management reserve Report only high-level milestones I don't know what all the near term deliverables or milestones are. See #1 I don't have all the resources named Use generic resources (e.g., Developer1, Developer2)

Baseline Your Schedule Baselining the schedule should be only done once the schedule has gone through the complete review process. 1 2 Select Tools, Tracking, Save Baseline Select OK

Baseline Your Schedule - Cont. The baselined version will populate Baseline start, Baseline finish, Baseline duration, Baseline work and Baseline cost fields using the Planned values

Baseline Reporting The stop light is most commonly used metaphor for displaying progress relative to baseline.

Baseline Reporting – Continued Tracking Gantt view can be used to display progress relative to baseline. Task 1 is completed as scheduled Task 2 is completed ahead of baseline Task 3 has not yet started Task 4 is 100% complete and moved back to show completion as of the status date Task 5 is only 20% complete. Remaining duration is moved to after status date Task 6 is dependent on Task 5 and moved out accordingly Project Completed is dependent on Task 6 and moved out accordingly

Baseline Reporting - Continued A Baselined Schedule is necessary calculating Planned Value for Earned Value Analysis.

Baselining New Tasks The easiest way to do this is to copy the Start and Finish fields into the Baselined values.

Re-Baselining Checklist The following are criteria for re-baselining the schedule: Changes in scope that impact key phases or the overall schedule Unforeseen event that impacts the delivery of the project Accelerating (e.g., crashing) the schedule cannot bring it back in The following are not criteria for re-baselining the schedule: A task or deliverable is past due A task is added that does not impact key milestones A task is deleted that does not impact the key milestones Task resources are changed without impacting key milestones

Re-baselining Your Schedule Re-baselining schedules should be part of a formal change control process. 2 1 3 Select Tools, Tracking, Save Baseline Select Baseline (n) OK