Final answer:
Maurice creates a project schedule baseline to compare the actual progress with the plan, allowing him to track the project's performance and make necessary adjustments. The correct option is (A).
Step-by-step explanation:
Maurice creates a baseline for his project schedule in order to compare actual progress to what was planned. Establishing a baseline is a vital part of project management that allows for monitoring progress and identifying variances from the original plan. It serves as a reference point throughout the project's lifecycle. When you have a baseline, you can look at the timeline after the project has started to see if the work is aligning with the expectations set at the beginning.
A baseline helps you to draw conclusions about the project's progress. With it, you can analyze if your results support your estimated times and discuss any unexpected outcomes. For instance, if certain tasks are taking longer than anticipated, you can pinpoint which events or stages contributed to these delays and make necessary adjustments. Conversely, if tasks are completed sooner than expected, this could indicate a chance to allocate resources elsewhere or identify best practices for future projects.
For example, let's say Maurice planned to complete a certain task within a week. If he compares the actual progress to his planned schedule, he can determine if the task is on track, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule. If it's behind schedule, he can allocate more resources or adjust the timeline to ensure timely completion.
Calculating the critical path, identifying change requests, and resolving initial problems with the schedule are also important aspects of project management, but they are not directly related to why Maurice creates a baseline.