🚧Project Management: Baseline (Definitions)

 "The original approved plan for work such as a project. Usually used with a modifier, e.g., cost baseline, schedule baseline, performance measurement baseline." (Margaret Y Chu, "Blissful Data ", 2004)

"An approved plan for a project, plus or minus approved changes. It is compared to actual performance to determine if performance is within acceptable variance thresholds. Generally refers to the current baseline, but may refer to the original or some other baseline. Usually used with a modifier (e.g., cost performance baseline, schedule baseline, performance measurement baseline, technical baseline)." (Project Management Institute, "Practice Standard for Project Estimating", 2010)

"The approved version of a work product that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison." (For Dummies, "PMP Certification All-in-One For Dummies" 2nd Ed., 2013)

"The original approved plan for a project, including approved changes. It usually includes baseline budget and baseline schedule. It is used as a benchmark for comparison with actual performance. See Project Control." (Peter Oakander et al, "CPM Scheduling for Construction: Best Practices and Guidelines", 2014)

🔦Process Management: Baseline (Definitions)

"A documented characterization of the actual results achieved by following a process, which is used as a benchmark for comparing actual process performance against expected process performance." (Sandy Shrum et al, "CMMI: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement", 2003)

"A range of expected results that would normally be achieved by following a defined process. Often expressed in terms of the process control limits defined by the discipline of statistical process control." (Richard D Stutzke, "Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes", 2005)

"Documented process performance values used as a reference to compare actual and expected process performance." (Richard D Stutzke, "Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes", 2005)

"A documented characterization of the range of expected results that would normally be achieved by following a specific process under typical circumstances." (Sally A Miller et al, "People CMM: A Framework for Human Capital Management" 2nd Ed., 2009)

"A documented characterization of the results achieved by following a process that is used as a benchmark for comparing actual process performance against expected process performance." (Sally A Miller et al, "People CMM: A Framework for Human Capital Management" 2nd Ed., 2009)

[capability baseline:] "A statistically based description of the performance or results of a process that has been performed repeatedly. Capability baselines can quantify attributes of the process (e.g., effort or duration) or of the product produced by the process (e.g., amount or quality). Control charts used in statistical process control are one form of capability baseline. However, other statistical representations may be more appropriate, depending on the nature of the data being characterized. The purpose of a capability baseline is to predict outcomes and to interpret the results of process performance." (Sally A Miller et al, "People CMM: A Framework for Human Capital Management" 2nd Ed., 2009)

🚧Project Management: Performance [Measurement] Baseline (Definitions)

"The original approved plan for work such as a project. Usually used with a modifier, e.g., cost baseline, schedule baseline, performance measurement baseline." (Margaret Y Chu, "Blissful Data ", 2004)

"An approved integrated scope-schedule-cost plan for the project work against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance. Technical and quality parameters may also be included." (Cynthia Stackpole, "PMP® Certification All-in-One For Dummies®", 2011)

"An approved plan for a project, plus or minus approved changes. It is compared to actual performance to determine if performance is within acceptable variance thresholds. Generally refers to the current baseline, but may refer to the original or some other baseline. Usually used with a modifier (e.g., cost performance baseline, schedule baseline, performance measurement baseline, technical baseline). |" (Cynthia Stackpole, "PMP Certification All-in-One For Dummies", 2011)

"An approved, integrated scope-schedule-cost plan for the project work against which project execution is compared to measure and manage performance. The PMB includes contingency reserve, but excludes management reserve." (For Dummies, "PMP Certification All-in-One For Dummies" 2nd Ed., 2013)

"Integrated scope, schedule, and cost baselines used for comparison to manage, measure, and control project execution." (Project Management Institute, "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)", 2017)

"Integrated scope, schedule, and cost baselines used for comparison to manage, measure, and control project execution." (Project Management Institute, "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)" 6th Ed., 2017)

"An approved set of integrated plans for the project’s Scope, Schedule, and Budget against which project execution will be compared to measure and manage performance. They include 'contingency reserve' but not 'management reserve' allocations." (H James Harrington & William S Ruggles, "Project Management for Performance Improvement Teams", 2018)

"The approved version of a work product that can be changed using formal change control procedures, and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results." (Project Management Institute, "Practice Standard for Scheduling" 3rd Ed., 2019)

🛢DBMS: Performance Baseline (Definitions)

 "A set of metrics gathered during a performance analysis process that forms the basis of a performance tuning methodology." (Marilyn Miller-White et al, "MCITP Administrator: Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 Optimization and Maintenance 70-444", 2007)

"A baseline is a known starting point for something. In the context of the MCITP Database Developer certification, it's a known starting point for a server. For example, when creating a performance baseline, we would measure the four core resources of a system: CPU, memory, disk, and network. A performance baseline would take a snapshot of the resources (perhaps every 30 minutes) over a period of about a week. Six months later, another counter log could be created, and by comparing it to the baseline, an administrator can identify what has changed." (Darril Gibson, "MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Developer All-in-One Exam Guide", 2008)

"A baseline measurement is taken to serve as a point of comparison for subsequent measurement." (Laura Sebastian-Coleman, "Measuring Data Quality for Ongoing Improvement", 2012)

"In the context of AWR, the interval between two AWR snapshots that represent the database operating at an optimal level." (Oracle, "Database SQL Tuning Guide Glossary", 2013)

"The beginning point, based on an evaluation of output over a period of time, used to determine the process parameters prior to any improvement effort; the basis against which change is measured." (ASQ)

"Benchmark used as a reference point" (ITIL)

🌁Software Engineering: Baseline (Definitions)

"A set of specifications or work products that has been formally reviewed and agreed on, which thereafter serves as the basis for further development, and which can be changed only through change control procedures capability evaluation An appraisal by a trained team of professionals used as a discriminator to select suppliers, for contract monitoring, or for incentives. Evaluations are used to help decision makers make better acquisition decisions, improve subcontractor performance, and provide insight to a purchasing organization." (Sandy Shrum et al, "CMMI®: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement", 2003)

"In configuration management, the initial approved technical data package (including, for software, the source code listing) defining a configuration item during the production, operation, maintenance, and logistic support of its life cycle." (Sandy Shrum et al, "CMMI®: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement", 2003)

"A set of configuration items (software documents and software components) that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, that thereafter serves as the basis for future development, and that can be changed only through formal change control procedures." (Richard D Stutzke, "Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes", 2005)

"(1) A specification, document, software element, hardware item, or product that has been formally reviewed and approved by designated stakeholders at a specific time during the configuration item’s life cycle. Thereafter, it serves as the basis for further development and can be changed only through formal change control procedures. (2) The action of placing any product under formal configuration control." (Richard D Stutzke, "Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes", 2005)

"The approved documentation describing all the functional and physical characteristics of a product, and those functional and physical characteristics selected for its acceptance testing." (Richard D Stutzke, "Estimating Software-Intensive Systems: Projects, Products, and Processes", 2005)

"A set of data or information about an aspect of a business (or product) that provides a point of perspective from which future options can be evaluated. A baseline analysis during the product strategy formulation process allows a product manager to assess the past and current business and market environment for a product, so that future strategic options can be considered." (Steven Haines, "The Product Manager's Desk Reference", 2008)

"A configuration describing a particular development level (e.g., a requirements baseline, design baseline, or baseline related to the production of releases). Associated and related configuration items are 'preserved' when forming a baseline, i.e., they are protected against changes." (Lars Dittmann et al, "Automotive SPICE in Practice", 2008)

"Benchmark used as a reference point" (ITIL)

[configuration baseline] "Baseline of a configuration that has been formally agreed and is managed through the Change Management process." (ITIL)