Last Updated: May 30, 2026
Executing Phase
After planning the project, the next step is to start work and manage its performance. In the Project MAP (Model, Activities & Phases) framework, the Executing Phase focuses on preparing the organization, establishing performance measures, sharing expectations, and managing the project as work progresses.
The Executing Phase is where the Master Project becomes a management tool rather than a planning artifact.
The Executing Phase has four main activities: Acquire Project Team, Create Compliance Plan, Baseline Project, and Update Project. These Activities turn the project plan into an actively managed project. The team is brought together, stakeholders get ready, the plan is set as the baseline, and real performance is tracked and reviewed.
New to the MS Project Master Class?
If you found this page through a search engine or external link, use the “Start Here” button below to learn how the Master Class, Workspaces, exercises, and Master Project are organized.
Executing Phase in the Project MAP structured workflow model for building a technically sound Master Project in Microsoft Project.
Evaluate Risk < Executing Phase > Acquire Project Team
Activity 10: Acquire Project Team
In Activity 10, Acquire Project Team, the project manager secures the people and resources needed to perform the work.
This step involves replacing generic resources with real people, estimating costs, resolving any resource availability issues, reviewing workloads, and ensuring the team is ready to start. Assignments become more accurate and show the actual people, skills, availability, and costs needed for the project.
Even if a project plan is well made, success depends on having the right people, with the right skills and responsibilities, available when needed.
Activity 11: Create Compliance Plan
In Activity 11, Create Compliance Plan, the team creates a clear plan to help stakeholders understand, support, and follow the project plan.
Many projects run into problems not because the schedule is wrong, but because people do not follow the plan. Team members might not complete tasks, managers might not provide the necessary resources, stakeholders might resist change, or some groups might not know their roles. A good project plan only works if everyone understands, supports, and follows it.
That is why the Compliance Plan is made like a communication campaign. The team identifies who needs to hear the messages, decides what to say, selects the best ways to communicate, carries out the plan, and sets up checks to see if it is working.
The goal is not just to share information. It is to help people understand, accept, take part in, and follow the project plan. When stakeholders know their tasks, responsibilities, and expectations, the Compliance Plan makes it more likely that the project will succeed.
Activity 12: Baseline Project
In Activity 12, Baseline Project, the team officially approves and saves the project plan so future results can be compared to it.
Before setting the baseline, the team reviews the project plan one last time to make sure everything is complete and makes sense, including the scope, estimates, resources, schedule, risks, and communications. The baseline then records the approved schedule, work, and costs, which will be used as a reference for managing the project later.
This step is also a key milestone in the Project MAP framework. During the Initiating Phase, Planning Phase, and early Executing Phase, the Project Charter evolves as new information emerges. Goals may be updated, limits clarified, stakeholders listed, risks checked, and decisions recorded.
After the baseline is approved, the Project Charter is finished. Now, the project's goals, limits, assumptions, rules, and plan are all in agreement. The project can move forward with a clear idea of what is approved, what will be measured, and how success will be judged.
In Microsoft Project, setting the baseline is a key turning point in the project. The project shifts from planning to measuring performance, making forecasts, and managing the project.
Activity 13: Update Project
In Activity 13, Update Project, the project manager tracks real progress and uses Microsoft Project to compare it to the baseline.
This step covers setting reporting frequency, choosing how to update, checking project status, and reviewing progress. As real dates, work, costs, and completion details are added, Microsoft Project updates the schedule and helps the manager spot differences, make forecasts, and decide on any needed changes.
Updating the project turns the Master Project from just a plan into a real management tool. The plan is no longer just a guess of what should happen. It becomes a record of what has happened, what is happening now, and what might happen next.
Why the MS Project Master Class Includes the Executing Phase
The MS Project Master Class covers the Executing Phase because Microsoft Project does more than just scheduling. It is also used for project management, forecasting, and control.
The steps in this phase help students see how a project goes from planning to doing. Resources become real people and teams. Stakeholders get ready to support and follow the plan. The plan is set as the baseline. Real results are tracked. Differences are checked. Forecasts are updated.
These Activities demonstrate how Microsoft Project supports day-to-day project management and decision-making after planning is complete.
Why the Executing Phase Matters in Microsoft Project
Many teams spend a lot of time making project plans but much less time getting ready to manage them during execution. Even with a good Work Breakdown Structure, realistic estimates, solid schedule logic, and the right resources, a project can still fail if stakeholders are not on board, resources are missing, the baseline is not set, or progress is not updated correctly.
The Executing Phase helps avoid these problems by making sure the team develops:
The resource structure needed to perform the work.
Stakeholder understanding and compliance with the project plan.
An approved baseline for performance measurement.
A reliable process for updating and analyzing project progress.
When work starts, Microsoft Project is no longer just a planning tool. It becomes a system for measuring performance, checking forecasts, analyzing differences, and helping manage the project until it is finished.
First Activity in the Executing Phase: Acquire Project Team
The first step in the Executing Phase is to acquire a project team. Before starting work, the project manager needs to make sure the right resources are available, assigned, and ready. Activity 10 is about moving from planning to forming a real team that can execute the schedule and help complete the Master Project successfully.
Executing Phase FAQs
What Is the Purpose of the Executing Phase?
The Executing Phase is about getting the project ready to start and making sure everything runs smoothly as work gets done. In this phase, you secure resources, prepare stakeholders to support the plan, set the project baseline, and track progress.
Which Activities Are Included in the Executing Phase?
There are four main activities in the Executing Phase:
Activity 10: Acquire Project Team.
Activity 11: Create Compliance Plan.
Activity 12: Baseline Project.
Activity 13: Update Project.
These activities work together to turn your project plan into a project that is actively managed.
Why Is the Executing Phase Important?
A project plan gives you direction, but you need to put it into action for the project to succeed. The Executing Phase makes sure resources are ready, everyone knows their role, performance is measured, and progress is managed well.
What Is a Compliance Plan?
A Compliance Plan is a way to help everyone involved understand, support, and follow the project plan.
A Compliance Plan works a lot like a communication campaign. It identifies who needs to be reached, creates key messages, chooses how to communicate, and checks if it works. The goal is to help everyone understand, take part, and meet their project responsibilities and expectations.
Why Do Projects Need a Compliance Plan?
Projects often run into problems not because of bad planning, but because people don’t follow the plan. Team members might miss assignments, managers might not provide the necessary resources, or stakeholders might resist change. A Compliance Plan helps everyone understand, accept, and take part in the project.
What Is a Project Baseline?
A project baseline is the approved version of your project plan that you use to measure future performance. It includes the agreed schedule, work, and costs, and acts as your main reference for tracking changes, making forecasts, and controlling the project.
Why Is Baseline Project an Important Activity?
Without a baseline, you can’t reliably tell if your project is ahead or behind schedule, over or under budget, or meeting expectations. The baseline gives you a solid starting point for measuring performance and keeping the project on track.
When Is the Project Charter Finalized?
The Project Charter changes as you move through the Initiating, Planning, and early Executing Phases. Once the baseline is approved, the Charter is finalized because all objectives, constraints, assumptions, governance, and the plan are now in agreement.
Finalizing the Project Charter is a key milestone in the Project MAP framework.
Why Is Updating the Project Important?
Updating the project lets the manager compare real progress to the baseline. As you enter updates, Microsoft Project recalculates forecasts, spots differences, and gives you the information you need to make decisions and take action.
How Does the Executing Phase Support the Master Project?
The Executing Phase turns the Master Project from just a plan into a real management tool. Resources are set, stakeholders are involved, the baseline is in place, and progress is tracked. The Master Project then becomes your primary means of measuring performance, forecasting results, and managing the work.
Why Does the MS Project Master Class Include the Executing Phase?
Most Microsoft Project courses, classes, workshops, seminars, and online training mainly cover how to build a schedule. The MS Project Master Class goes further by showing how to use Microsoft Project during execution to set baselines, update progress, analyze performance, forecast results, and keep the project under control.
Suggestions and Corrections
Please help us make this MS Project Master Class Book and the Master Class Learning Portal better. Click on the Comments button below to send us suggestions and corrections.