Baseline programme
A baseline programme may be prepared by a contractor at the beginning of a project. This is a detailed view of how they will divide the works into activities, the duration of those activities, and logic links to preceding and succeeding activities. This programme should be practicable and realistic, showing when the contractor intends to carry out each part of the works and identifying the resources they intend to use.
Under NEC3 contracts, the contractor’s programme is then submitted to the project manager, and if the project manager accepts it, it becomes the ‘accepted programme’ identified in the contract data.
The contractor’s programme is likely to be updated throughout the course of the works and when accepted by the project manager, that updated programme becomes the new accepted programme.
NEC4 introduces the new concept of ‘treated acceptance’, by which the project manager has a specified period of time to notify the contractor whether their programme has been accepted or not. If they fail to notify the contractor within this period, the programme is deemed to be accepted.
NB The CIOB Planning Protocol 2021 (CIOB PP21), a technical information sheet published by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in February 2021, defines a baseline programme as: ‘A programme typically prepared prior to the commencement of a project, representing a contractor’s planned intention for sequencing the works. This programme is later used as a baseline for measuring the contractor’s actual progress and performance.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
A detailed description fron the experts at Cornish Lime.
IHBC planning for growth with corporate plan development
Grow with the Institute by volunteering and CP25 consultation.
Connecting ambition and action for designers and specifiers.
Electrical skills gap deepens as apprenticeship starts fall despite surging demand says ECA.
Built environment bodies deepen joint action on EDI
B.E.Inclusive initiative agree next phase of joint equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan.
Recognising culture as key to sustainable economic growth
Creative UK Provocation paper: Culture as Growth Infrastructure.
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.