Baseline
EVM Terms
Reviewed by forProject Technology - updated Sep 2026
Quick definition: In EVMS, "Baseline" refers to the approved plan — cost, schedule, and technical scope together — against which a project's cost and schedule performance is measured throughout its life.
"Baseline" is the approved reference plan a project is measured against. It's shorthand for two more formal terms: the Baseline Plan (the approved cost, schedule, and scope plan) and the Performance Measurement Baseline, or PMB (the same idea made precise for EVMS reporting — the time-phased budget used for formal performance measurement).
Why it matters
Without an approved, stable baseline, there's nothing to measure performance against. That's why baseline changes go through a controlled process rather than being made casually. Cost and schedule performance metrics such as SV, CV, SPI, CPI, and VAC all depend upon a reasonable, stable baseline.
Also known as
Baseline Plan; Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) is the formal EVMS-specific version
Used in
Every core EVM variance and index calculation ultimately compares actual or earned performance back to the baseline (BCWS is the baseline's time-phased budget; BAC is its total value)
See also
FAQ
What's the difference between "Baseline" and "Baseline Schedule"?
Baseline (or Baseline Plan / PMB) covers the full approved plan — cost, schedule, and technical scope together. Baseline Schedule is specifically the approved schedule piece of that plan.
Can the baseline change once a project starts?
Yes, but only through a controlled, formal process (see Baseline Change Control and Baseline Change Request). It's not done casually, and usually only happens after a negotiated change to the contract's scope or an approved internal change.
Definition maintained by forProject Technology.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
