Activity Activity Definition identifying and documenting specific activities

Activity • Activity Definition: identifying and documenting specific activities to produce project deliverables identified in the WBS • Must be defined to meet the project objectives

Activity Definition Inputs • • • WBS – primary input Scope Statement – project justification & project objectives Historical Information Constraints Assumptions

Activity Definition Tools & Techniques • Decomposition – outputs are expressed as activities rather than deliverables • Templates – reuse from previous projects

Activity Definition Outputs • Activity List – all to be performed; extension to the WBS and includes description to ensure team members understand work to be performed • Supporting Detail – organized as needed and include all assumptions and constraints • WBS Updates – identify missing deliverables and clarify deliverable descriptions. WBS updates often called refinements; more likely using new technologies in project

Activity Sequencing • Activity Sequencing – identifying and documenting interactive dependencies among activities. Support later development of a realistic schedule • Project Management software often used

Activity Sequencing Inputs: • Activity List • Product Description – product characteristics often affect activity sequencing • Mandatory Sequencing – physical limitations, hard logic, prototypes needed; inherent in nature of work being done • Discretionary Dependencies – defined by project management team; “best practices” or unusual aspects of project – soft logic, preferred logic, preferential logic • External Dependencies – relationship between project activities and non-project activities (company policies, procurement, etc. ) • Constraints • Assumptions

Network Diagram • Network Diagrams • Shows how the project tasks will flow from beginning to end • Proves how long the project will take to complete • Takes project tasks from low levels of WBS and placing them into their order of completion (beginning to end)

Activity Sequencing Tools & Techniques • Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) – constructing network diagram using nodes to represent activities and arrows to indicate dependencies; also called Activity On Node (AON)

Activity Sequencing Tools & Techniques (continued) • Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) – uses arrows to represent activities and connecting at nodes to illustrate dependencies • Also called Activity On Arrow (AOA) • Only uses finish to start dependencies • PERT and CPM only can be drawn using AOA

Activity Sequencing Tools & Techniques (continued) • Conditional diagramming methods • GERT (Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique) • System Dynamic Models • Allow for non-sequential activities (loops) or conditional branches – not provided by PDM or ADM methods

Activity Sequencing Tools & Techniques (continued) • Network Templates – standardized networks can be used. Composed of subnets, or fragnets • Subnets are several nearly identical portions of a network (floors on a building, clinical trials, program modules) • Useful for several identical processes (clinical trials, programming modules).

Activity Sequencing Outputs: • Project Network Diagram – schematic display of project activities and relationships (dependencies). Should be accompanied by a summary narrative that describes the diagram approach • Activity List Updates

Activity Duration Estimating • Involves assessing number of work periods needed to complete identified activities • Requires consideration of elapsed time, calendars, weekends, and day of week work starts

Activity Duration Estimating Inputs: Activity Lists Constraints Assumptions Resource Requirements – amount of labor assigned to activity • Resource Capabilities – human and material resources, expertise • Historical Information • • • Project Files, or records of previous project results • Commercial Duration Estimates – useful when durations are not driven by actual work (approval periods, material resources) • Project Team Knowledge

Activity Duration Estimating Tools & Techniques • Expert Judgment – guided by historical information should be used whenever possible; high risk without expertise avail. • Simulation – using different sets of assumptions (Monte Carlo Analysis) to drive multiple durations • Analogous Estimating – “top down estimating” – use actual, similar, previous known durations as basis for future activity duration. Used when limited knowledge is available. Form of expert judgment

Activity Duration Outputs: • Activity Duration Estimates – quantitative assessments of work periods to complete an activity. Should indicate a range +/- of possible results • Basis of Estimates – all assumptions should be documented • Activity List Updates