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Baseline Execution Index

Baseline Execution Index (BEI)

Scheduling Terms Reviewed by forProject Technology - updated Oct 2026
Quick definition: The Baseline Execution Index (BEI) is the ratio of tasks actually completed to tasks the baseline schedule says should have been completed by now. It measures how well the project is keeping pace with its plan.

BEI = cumulative tasks completed ÷ cumulative tasks with a baseline finish on or before the status date. A value of 1.0 means tasks are being completed at the planned pace; above 1.0 is better than plan, below 1.0 is behind. In the DCMA 14-Point Assessment, summary tasks, milestones and Level of Effort tasks are excluded from BEI, as they are from all 14 metrics. Excluding LOE keeps time-based tasks from masking the real pace of the work. Some organizations include milestones in their own BEI. The DCMA 14-Point Assessment flags a BEI below 0.95. BEI works like the Schedule Performance Index (SPI), but counts tasks instead of weighting them by budget.

What this means for you

Because it counts finished tasks, BEI involves no judgment about partial progress, so it gives an early, objective warning when execution is falling behind the plan.

Also known as
N/A
Used in
DCMA 14-Point Assessment; schedule health analysis

FAQ

How is BEI different from SPI?
BEI gives every task equal weight, so a small task counts as much as a large one. SPI weights work by its budget. The two are useful side by side.
Why does BEI drift toward 1.0 late in a project?
As the project nears completion, nearly all tasks become both due and finished, so BEI converges on 1.0 regardless of how late the work was. SPI does the same.
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