Total Allocated Budget (TAB)
EVM Terms
Reviewed by forProject Technology - updated Sep 2026
Quick definition: The Total Allocated Budget (TAB) is the sum of all budget allocated to a contract, made up of the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) plus Management Reserve (MR).
Unless an Over Target Baseline (OTB) has been established, TAB is exactly equal to the Contract Budget Base (CBB). TAB represents the full budget a contractor has been given to accomplish authorized work, split between the baseline used to measure performance and reserve held back for unforeseen risk.
Why it matters
TAB is a key reconciliation point in EVM -- if TAB doesn't equal PMB plus MR, or doesn't tie to the CBB absent an OTB, that's a signal the budget isn't being tracked correctly. It's one of the checks used to confirm a program's overall budget integrity.
Also known as
TAB
Used in
Master Budget Log; Contract Budget Base
See also
FAQ
What two things make up TAB?
Total Allocated Budget equals the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) plus Management Reserve (MR).
When would TAB not equal the CBB?
Only when an Over Target Baseline (OTB) has been established -- otherwise TAB and the Contract Budget Base should be equal.
Definition maintained by forProject Technology.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
