A realistic program baseline will help you keep track of whether your program is progressing toward meeting your goals, objectives, and expectations. It's the linchpin of a disciplined, structured planning process that's critical to evaluating the performance of your program. The baseline gives you an essential starting point to help you determine whether you're getting the returns you're looking for in the investments you're making in contractor support as well as within your own organization. It also provides a crucial reference point for managing change throughout the life of the program.

Establishing a sound program baseline will help you measure the effectiveness of your program from several key vantage points:

• Customer expectations -- objective needs that must be met, quantifying the end user's view of the program and its ability to deliver quality services effectively
• Financial goals -- program budget, projected costs, incentives
• Requirements satisfaction -- embodying the technical scope, schedule, and cost of the program
• Contractor performance -- at or above acceptable quality levels, functionally effective and efficient, on time, within budget
• Internal organizational performance -- alignment and staffing of work units consistent with and supportive of mission needs, customer expectations, financial goals, and requirements satisfaction