Work Variance: Difference between the current ‘Work’ value and the baseline ‘Work’ value for a task . In Microsoft Project, this is a read-only column.
There are a lot of variance fields in Microsoft Project, and they all relate to baselines. Baselines are a way to compare your current values with original estimates. A baseline captures all task values, including ‘Work.’ Weeks or months after capturing a baseline, you can compare those original estimates with current numbers.
To save a baseline in Microsoft Project, choose Tools, Tracking, Save Baseline. To view all the baseline values, choose View, Table, Variance. This changes the columns in the current view to show variances to the baseline.
–ray