Purpose
The purpose of this SOP is to provide Memorres Project Managers with a standardized process for developing and approving project schedules, and for establishing schedule baselines. For lean PM teams (1–3 members), a disciplined approach to scheduling ensures that effort estimates, resources, and dependencies are translated into realistic timelines that can be monitored and controlled.
Projects often fail not because of technical challenges but due to unrealistic or poorly structured schedules. This SOP prevents that risk by mandating a structured workflow: converting WBS work packages into activities, sequencing them logically, assigning durations and resources, and identifying milestones. Once developed, the schedule baseline is approved and serves as the official benchmark for progress tracking, variance monitoring, and forecasting.
By enforcing baseline discipline, this SOP ensures sponsors, stakeholders, and delivery teams operate on a shared timeline, preventing scope creep and last-minute surprises. For Memorres, where projects run on lean resources and parallel engagements, such governance is critical for transparency, accountability, and credibility with clients.
Scope
This SOP applies to all projects managed by the Memorres Project Management Department and is mandatory during the Planning phase after the WBS & Dictionary, Effort & Duration Estimation Sheet, and Resource Plan are approved. It governs both initial schedule development and any formal baseline resets during the project lifecycle.
The scope includes:
- Translating WBS elements into activities.
- Sequencing activities with dependencies.
- Assigning durations, effort, and resources.
- Identifying milestones and critical path.
- Securing approvals for the baseline schedule.
- Archiving the schedule baseline in MIC.
The SOP excludes detailed task-level planning for individual contributors, which belongs to delivery teams. The Project Manager is responsible for creating and maintaining the schedule, with stakeholders providing input on sequencing and dependencies. Sponsors approve the baseline, while the PMO validates compliance with MIC standards and variance policies.
Main Section
Table 1: RACI – Schedule Development & Baseline Activities
| Activity | Project Manager | Sponsor | Stakeholders | PMO | Example |
| Draft activity list from WBS | R | I | C | I | Break WBS work packages into tasks |
| Sequence activities | R | I | C | I | Define dependencies between design and dev |
| Assign durations & resources | R | I | C | C | Map hours from estimation sheet |
| Identify milestones & critical path | R | I | C | C | Highlight UI sign-off milestone |
| Prepare baseline schedule | R | I | C | C | Draft Gantt in MS Project |
| Review & refine with stakeholders | R | I | A | C | Workshop feedback incorporated |
| Approve baseline | C | A | C | R | Sponsor signs baseline, PMO records |
Table 2: Workflow – Schedule Development & Baseline
| Step | Inputs | PM Activities | Outputs | Gate Criteria | Example |
| 1 | WBS & Dictionary | Break down work packages into activities | Activity list | All WBS items represented | Req Spec → Workshops |
| 2 | Effort & Duration Estimation Sheet | Assign durations and effort to activities | Activity duration table | Estimates align with WBS | 32 hrs for wireframes |
| 3 | Resource Plan & Skill Map | Allocate resources to activities | Resource-loaded schedule | Resource conflicts resolved | Design Lead confirmed |
| 4 | Dependencies & constraints | Sequence activities logically | Network diagram | No missing links | Dev starts after UI sign-off |
| 5 | Draft activity list & dependencies | Develop Gantt chart | Draft timeline | Milestones visible | Milestone: UAT start 01-Nov-2025 |
| 6 | Draft schedule | Validate with stakeholders | Reviewed timeline | No critical conflicts | SME review complete |
| 7 | Reviewed schedule | Present to Sponsor/PMO | Approved baseline schedule | Sign-off recorded | Baseline v1.0 signed 25-Sep-2025 |
Table 3: Quality Checklist
| Criterion | Test | Evidence | Example |
| Completeness | All WBS work packages represented as activities | Cross-check WBS vs schedule | WP-01 → Activity list |
| Logical sequencing | Dependencies correctly modeled | Network diagram validated | Design before development |
| Realism | Durations align with estimates & resource availability | Estimation sheet cross-check | 32 hrs matches design capacity |
| Critical path clarity | Critical path identified and documented | Highlighted in Gantt | Critical path runs through UI tasks |
| Approval | Sponsor sign-off recorded | Signed baseline in MIC | Baseline v1.0 signed 25-Sep-2025 |
Closing Note & Cross-References
The Schedule Development & Baseline SOP ensures Memorres projects operate with realistic, approved, and auditable schedules. It provides lean PM teams with a disciplined method for converting scope into timelines, validating assumptions, and creating a benchmark for monitoring and forecasting. Once approved, the baseline must be archived in MIC and referenced throughout execution.