What does it mean to create a baseline? How does this relate to the concept of validation?

How does establishing a baseline contribute to Phase II of the research method outlined for operations analysis efforts?

Estimate the costs of a team of four professionals establishing a baseline with another company in their industry if the team travels and stays on location for a period of $6$ months. Type out your basic math and show your assumptions, calculations, sub$-$totals, and final total clearly. Double check your work to ensure your estimate is current and realistic. Complete this task to close out your original post.