Project plan

A project baseline is an approved reference point: stored schedule dates and budget amounts against which the current state of the project is compared. Every approval saves a new baseline; the first baseline and the current one (the last approved) are then visible as baseline values and differences. Baselines are on the project’s Baseline tab (the tab must be ticked in the project menu, Functionalities; see Project functionalities). The first baseline is called Baseline, the following ones Change request.

The baseline list has the Name (with a colored status dot), Approval (when the organization has the Approvals module), Decision date, Submitter, Project end date and Project costs columns, with the currency. The Columns button hides and shows columns; the browser remembers the choice. When at least two baselines with schedule or budget are approved, the Show chart (Hide chart) button shows charts of changes to the project end date and project costs.

The dot shows the status: grey — Pending, blue — Awaiting approval, green — Approved, red — Rejected, orange — Needs work. The tab is visible to users with the Baseline project permission (View or Admin). The New plan button and editing need the Admin permission (see Project permissions).

Schedule baseline values

Baselines with the Schedule switch on save the schedule baseline. After approval every schedule item gets a baseline start and end date, and the project a baseline end date. The state saved is the one from the moment the baseline was sent for approval, not from the moment of the decision (a baseline approved with no path saves the state at the moment of approval). Later changes in the schedule do not change the baseline, only the difference from it.

A newly approved baseline replaces the current one. The first baseline is saved only once, at the first approval, and stays as the reference point. Earlier baselines are available in the baseline window, on the Schedule tab.

Baseline values are visible:

• in the schedule list, in the Baseline start, Baseline end and Baseline duration columns,
• in the schedule item panel, in the Baseline dates section,
• on the Gantt chart after switching on Baseline in the settings,
• in portfolios, in the columns with the baseline project end date, and in reports,
• in project charters, in the baseline fields and differences (current and initial baseline).

Budget baseline values

Baselines with the Budget switch on save the budget baseline (the switch is available when the Budget module is on). After approval every budget item gets a baseline amount, and the project baseline costs and revenue. As with the schedule, the state saved is the one from the moment of sending for approval, a new baseline replaces the current one, and the first baseline stays as the reference point. Earlier baselines are in the baseline window, on the Budget tab.

Baseline values are visible:

• in the budget list, in the Baseline and Diff columns,
• in the budget item panel, in the baseline section,
• on the budget timeline after switching on the difference in the settings,
• in portfolios, in the columns with the baseline budget and difference, and in reports,
• in project charters, in the baseline fields and differences (current and initial baseline).

For budget items, see Budget items.

Approving a project charter

A baseline can contain one or several project charters. The Project charter switch on the baseline’s Information tab (visible when the Project charters module is on and there are charters to attach) unlocks the list of charters. Only charters that do not belong to another baseline can be attached.

A charter sent for approval from its own screen (see Approving a project charter) creates such a baseline automatically, named after the charter and with the Schedule and Budget switches on. Approving the charter therefore also saves the schedule and budget baseline, unless one of the switches is turned off in the Approval window.

Charters attached to a baseline change status together with it, and in the baseline window each has its own tab with the content as of the moment of sending for approval. An approved charter can be viewed also after later changes to the project: it shows the data from the moment of sending (the project’s Project charter tab).

Changing the project baseline

1. Open the Baseline tab in the project.
2. Click New plan. The Baseline window opens. The label next to the name field is Baseline (for later baselines Change request).
3. Enter the baseline name (required, up to 256 characters).
4. Set the Schedule, Budget and Project charter switches, that is, what the baseline saves. With Schedule and Budget on, the window shows the baseline and requested project end date and the baseline and requested budget with the difference.
5. Fill in the descriptions (optional): Description (for later baselines Description and change explanation), Project scope (Project scope change) and Available alternatives (for changes only), a comment and attachments.
6. Click Save. The baseline is saved as Pending and the window closes.

The baseline window has the Information, Schedule and Budget tabs (when the matching switch is on), one tab for each attached charter, and Approval (after sending for approval). The Schedule and Budget tabs show the values the baseline will save (the current ones for a pending baseline, and those from the moment of sending for the others).

Switches, descriptions, charters and attachments can be changed only in a Pending baseline. The window menu (the menu icon in the header) has the Copy link and Delete options. The baseline shows the submission date, the decision date and the submitter.

Approving a baseline change

Approving with no path

1. Click Approval in the baseline window (for a Pending or Needs work baseline).
2. In the Approval window, leave the Empty option in the Approval path list. The window shows the message No approval path chosen. Approving will result in automatic baseline approval. This operation is irreversible. Are you sure you want to approve the baseline?
3. Click Approve baseline. The baseline gets the Approved status and the baseline values are saved.

The Empty option is in the list only when the organization does not require an approval path (see Required approval path).

Sending for approval

1. Click Approval in the baseline window.
2. Choose an approval path from the list. The list shows paths assigned to the project’s workspaces (see Workspaces and approval paths); under the chosen path you see its stages and approvers, and people who cannot become approvers are marked with a red exclamation mark with an explanation (for example no project manager, or an inactive user). With such an error, sending is blocked.
3. Click Send for approval. The baseline gets the Awaiting approval status.

Effects of sending: a snapshot of the project from that moment is saved, and people on the first stage of the path get a notification in the application and an email (when their Awaiting approval notification is on). They get access to the project for the duration of the approval.

An approver’s decision

1. Open the Approval tab of the baseline — from the Baseline tab, from the list in Approvals, or from the link in the email.
2. Enter a comment (optional) in the My approval field and choose one of: Approve, Needs work, Reject.
3. Confirm in the window asking Are you sure that you want to submit this decision? Your choice cannot be changed later on.

Stages are passed in order. A stage ends according to the path setting: it needs the decision of all approvers or of any one of them. Approve opens the next stage, and after the last one the baseline gets the Approved status and the baseline values are saved. Reject ends the approval with the Rejected status. Needs work ends it with the Needs work status: the baseline and attached charters return for correction and the snapshot is removed. A person giving an opinion (the Opinion role) comments but does not close a stage. The submitter is notified of the result (and gets an email when their Approval finished notification is on).

Withdrawing and resending

An approval in progress is withdrawn with the Withdraw from approval button in the baseline window: the path goes to the history, the baseline returns to Pending and the snapshot is removed. A Needs work baseline is sent again like a new one, with the Approval button. Earlier courses stay in the Approval tab as history.

For details of the course, see Approvals and Approval paths.

Deleting an approved baseline

1. Open the baseline on the Baseline tab.
2. Choose Delete in the window menu (the menu icon in the header).
3. Confirm the message Delete operation can be permanent. Do you want to continue?

The effect depends on the baseline you delete:

• the only approved baseline — the project loses its current and first baseline; baseline columns and differences in the schedule and budget stay empty until the next baseline is approved,
• the last approved baseline — the previous approved baseline becomes the current one again,
• the first approved baseline — the next approved baseline becomes the first one; the current baseline does not change,
• an intermediate baseline — baseline values do not change.

Deleting also removes the project snapshot, the baseline’s approval path and its attachments. Attached project charters stay, return to the Draft status and can be sent again.

Note: a rejected baseline and a baseline approved through an approval path (its course stays with the baseline) cannot be deleted. You can delete baselines approved with no path, baselines imported from MS Project, and baselines that are pending, awaiting approval or needing work. The option needs the Admin permission for the baseline.

Importing baselines from MS Project

When you create a project from a Microsoft Project file (see Adding a project from a Microsoft Project file), the application also brings over the baselines saved in the file: the main baseline and baselines 1 to 10, if they are filled in. Each of them appears on the Baseline tab as a separate, already approved baseline named Microsoft Project [number] (the main baseline has number 0). The decision date comes from the file, or is the moment of import if the file has none. Nothing needs to be selected.

Note: only dates and durations of tasks and milestones are carried over from the baselines, so these baselines have the Schedule part only. Costs and work from MS Project baselines are not imported.