WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE WBS The WBS is the

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS) “The WBS is the starting place for planning. . . It is a technique based on dividing a project into steps, or units of work to be completed in a sequence (or concurrently). Because all elements required to complete the project are identified, the WBS reduces the chances of neglecting or overlooking an essential step.

continued… A WBS is typically configured with two or three levels of detail, although more levels may be required for very complex projects. Start by identifying logical subdivisions of the project, and then break each of these down, keep in mind that the goal is to identify distinct units of work that will advance the project toward its completion. ” Project Management, 3 rd Edition, Marion E. Hayes.

Think of the WBS simply as an outline of the work in the project and a tool to help approach the planning and scheduling one organized bite at a time. Adapted from Effective Work Breakdown Structures. Gregory Haugan. Management Concepts, Vienna, Virginia. 2002.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES The 100% Rule • The sum of the elements at each level represents 100 percent of the work of the next higher level. (The sum of the Level 2 items is 100 percent of the project work or cost. ) • Each WBS element should represent a discrete element of work that can be described in a WBS dictionary.

Guidelines … continued • The WBS should be Baselined after approval by the team and stakeholders (which means it could be changed!). • The lowest level should be the level above the actual work. • The lowest level should permit adequate control and visibility for project management.

WBS Checklist q Have the project team and other stakeholders participated in the development of the WBS? Have the functional experts been involved? q Is it clear from the descriptions of each element "what" work is to be done? q Are all end products or deliverables identified clearly in the WBS? q Does the sum of the work represented by all the Level 2 elements add up to 100% of the work on the project (i. e. 100% of the scope)?

Checklist - continued q Does the sum of the work represented by all the child elements under each parent element add up to 100% of the work of the parent? q Have integrative elements been added where necessary to account for "assembly-type" of work? q Do the work packages appear to be reasonable in size (identified by the lowest level elements)? q Is the name of each element understandable in terms of what it represents or is a WBS dictionary required?

WBS – time management For each “assignable” task Team member of members assigned Scope of work (should be 1 week, no more than 2 weeks) Schedule: Start time – End time What “inputs” are needed Is consultation with sponsor needed (a meeting) What specifically is expected as an end product The “deliverable” Level of quality needed Include team review of work submitted in WBS Agreement on status reporting – to identify difficulties early

CSc 233 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)