📌 How to Change Baseline in Microsoft Project
A Baseline is a snapshot of your approved project schedule. It stores the planned Start, Finish, Duration, Work, and Cost so you can compare them against actual project performance.
🎯 Method 1: Change the Entire Project Baseline
Use this when the entire schedule has been revised.
Steps
Go to Project tab.
Click Set Baseline.
Select Set Baseline.
Choose Baseline (or Baseline 1–10).
Select Entire Project.
Click OK.
⚠️ Warning: This will overwrite the selected baseline.
🎯 Method 2: Change Baseline for Selected Tasks Only
Use this when only certain activities have changed.
Steps
Select the tasks to update.
Go to Project → Set Baseline.
Select Set Baseline.
Choose the desired baseline.
Select Selected Tasks.
Enable:
✅ Roll up baselines to all summary tasks
✅ From subtasks into selected summary tasks (if needed)
Click OK.
Benefits
Updates only affected tasks.
Keeps the rest of the project baseline unchanged.
Useful for change orders and approved variations.
🎯 Method 3: Preserve the Original Baseline
Microsoft Project provides multiple baseline slots:
Baseline
Baseline 1
Baseline 2
Baseline 3
...
Baseline 10
Example
| Baseline | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Baseline | Original approved schedule |
| Baseline 1 | Revision #1 |
| Baseline 2 | Revision #2 |
| Baseline 3 | Revision #3 |
Steps
Go to Project → Set Baseline.
Choose Baseline 1 (or another available baseline).
Select Entire Project.
Click OK.
✅ This preserves the original project commitment while tracking revisions.
📊 How to View Baseline Information
Insert Baseline Columns
Right-click a column header.
Select Insert Column.
Add:
Baseline Start
Baseline Finish
Start Variance
Finish Variance
What They Show
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Baseline Start | Original planned start date |
| Baseline Finish | Original planned finish date |
| Start Variance | Difference between planned and current start |
| Finish Variance | Difference between planned and current finish |
🏗️ Construction Best Practice
✅ Set Baseline After Approval
Only set the baseline after:
Scope is finalized.
Schedule is reviewed.
Client approval is received.
✅ Keep Original Baseline
Avoid overwriting the original baseline whenever possible.
✅ Use Additional Baselines for Revisions
When schedule changes occur:
Original Schedule → Baseline
Revision 1 → Baseline 1
Revision 2 → Baseline 2
Revision 3 → Baseline 3
✅ Monitor Schedule Performance
Compare:
Baseline Dates
Current Dates
Actual Progress
This helps identify:
Delays
Schedule recovery
Impact of changes
Project performance
💡 Simple Way to Remember
📸 Baseline = Original Plan
📅 Current Schedule = Today's Plan
📊 Variance = Difference Between Them
Without a baseline, you cannot accurately measure whether your project is ahead, behind, or on schedule.