Project Baseline

A project baseline is a saved snapshot of the planned project schedule — capturing each task's approved start date, finish date, and duration at a specific point in time, typically when the plan is approved and work is about to begin. Once set, the baseline remains frozen while the live schedule continues to change. The difference between baseline values and current values is called schedule variance, and it shows exactly where the project has drifted from its original plan.

What the Baseline Records

Three values are stored per task when the baseline is set:

• Baseline Start — the planned start date at the time of baselining
• Baseline Finish — the planned finish date at the time of baselining
• Baseline Duration — the planned duration in days

These values do not change as the project executes. The live schedule updates with actuals; the baseline holds the original plan.

Reading Schedule Variance

Schedule variance is the difference between a task's baseline finish and its current finish. A negative variance — current finish later than baseline finish — means the task is behind plan. A positive variance means it finished early.

On the Gantt chart, baseline values appear as ghost bars directly behind the current task bars. When a task has slipped to the right of its baseline, the ghost bar is visible to the left of the current bar — an immediate visual signal of schedule drift that requires no arithmetic to see.

Project Baseline in Maverick

Maverick stores a baseline per project. Setting it takes one click. Ghost bars appear on the Gantt chart automatically. You can re-baseline individual tasks when a change is formally approved without resetting the entire project baseline. You can also clear and reset the full baseline if the project plan is recast from scratch.

For the full baseline workflow — including when to set, re-baseline, and restore — see: Project Baselines in Maverick.

Related Terms

Project Schedule  ·  Earned Value Management  ·  Float  ·  Critical Path  ·  Gantt Chart