Baseline Integrity
Is the programme technically credible?
What it is
The baseline is the accepted, logic-linked programme every measurement is made against. Baseline integrity is whether that programme is technically sound enough to trust before its dates carry any weight.
Why it matters
If the baseline is weak, everything downstream — progress, forecast, delay analysis, entitlement — inherits the weakness. You cannot measure delay against a programme that was never sound.
What to check
- Is it formally accepted, not just issued?
- Is it fully logic-linked, with no open ends or dangling activities?
- Are hard constraints minimal and justified?
- Are durations, calendars and resourcing realistic?
- Does the critical path make engineering sense?
Common warning signs
- Open ends and dangling logic
- Hard constraints driving the completion date
- A critical path running through improbable activities
- Durations that don’t match the resource assumption
- A baseline never formally accepted
Practical approach
Test the baseline against a defined standard — logic, constraints, float, durations, critical path — before it is accepted. The 100-point assurance engine automates exactly these checks so “good” is objective, not a monthly argument.