Submit gate G4 to lock the baseline

Gate G4 closes the project setup. Approving it locks the baseline budget and moves the project to the Engineering phase. The project's Gates tab lists each condition with a tick or a cross, and says what is missing.

Before you start

• You need Process - Submit Gates to submit, and Process - View Gates to see the tab.

• Accept the handover first if your company asks for it. See Accept a project handover.

What G4 checks

• A baseline budget is drafted, on the Budget tab. See Lock the project budget and change it by version.

• The budget equals the awarded cost, or the difference is explained. A difference of up to half a percent is accepted; above that, write the reason on the Budget tab.

• Every billing milestone is mapped to a task: in the Billing plan card of the Overview tab, choose the task whose completion makes each milestone due.

• The tasks behind the milestones have start and finish dates, on the Tasks tab.

• A project manager is assigned: the project's manager, or a team member with the role Project manager.

• The risk register is opened: at least one risk on the Team & risks tab. See Set up the project team and risk register.

Submit and approve

1. Open the project's Gates tab. When every condition has a tick, select Submit for approval.

2. The gate goes to the General Manager role (or to holders of Process - Approve Gates when your company has no route for it). They open the same tab, add a comment if they wish, and select Approve or Reject. A rejection needs a comment.

3. On approval the baseline is Locked and the phase shows Engineering. On rejection the baseline goes back to draft for you to correct, and you can submit again.

Nobody approves a gate they submitted.

Common questions

The gate is waiting and nobody approves it. The General Manager role has nobody in it. See Approval roles.

Can the baseline change after G4? Only through a new budget version: a transfer, an approved increase or a change order.