ReBaselining

Rebaselining is a project management concept referring to the formal act of establishing a new baseline for a project's scope, schedule, and cost, typically after significant changes or deviations from the approved baseline. The baseline serves as the reference point against which project performance is measured; rebaselining creates an updated reference that reflects current expectations and approvals.

A rebaseline is not routine; it occurs when approved changes alter the project trajectory beyond what the current baselines can reasonably accommodate. Triggers include substantial scope growth, major schedule delays, cost overruns, or shifts in objectives due to external factors or stakeholder decisions. The process involves change-control, impact analysis, governance approval, and documentation.

Process steps: confirm and document the variance; assess impact on schedule, cost, resources, and risk; obtain formal approval to adjust baselines; update planning documents, schedules, budgets, and performance measures; notify stakeholders and update forecasts; adjust risk and contingency plans.

Implications: rebaselining modifies performance metrics like earned value, and may affect contracts and reporting. It should restore a realistic path to project completion and may require resource reallocation. Critically, it should be used to reflect approved scope changes rather than to mask performance issues; ongoing monitoring remains essential.

In practice, rebaselining is a governance mechanism in many organizations, including software development, construction, and government projects, and is defined differently across methodologies.