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The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

July 12th, 2009

The WBS is a deliverable focused hierarchical grouping of project components that identifies and defines the work that needs to be performed in the project.

The WBS allows you to breakdown the project into manageable chunks that can be estimated and tracked by the project manager.

Depending on the size of the project the WBS can either be broken down to the work package (larger projects) or activity levels (smaller projects). A good rule of thumb is to decompose activities to an 8-80 hour limit. The person performing the work can further breakdown the activity or work package to smaller pieces called tasks, which is the lowest level of effort in a project.

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The Project Charter

The Project Charter formally recognizes the existence of a project. It is critical that a project have a project charter since it not only serves to recognize the project, but it also legitimizes the project manager and gives them the authority and the responsibility to do the things required to manage the project.

Ideally the project sponsor prepares the charter, but in reality the project manager prepares it for the sponsor’s approval and signature.

Here are some key components of the project charter:

• Names the project manager and gives them the authority and responsibility to manage the project
• The business need the project will address
• Goals and objectives of the project
• High level scope statement

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Posted in Project Management, Work Breakdown Structure

The Project Plan

July 11th, 2009

The project plan allows the project manager to communicate, control and manage the project and it is probably the most important thing a project manager can do to ensure the success of their project.

According to the PMBOK, a project plan is a formal approved document used to guide both project execution and project control. The primary uses of the project plan are to document planning assumptions and decisions, facilitate communication among stakeholders, and document approved scope, cost, and schedule baselines.

The detail of the project plan and its supporting documentation depends on the size of the project.

The project plan is a living document that changes as more information becomes available about the project, but the project baselines should only change when there has been an approved scope change.

A project plan typically includes the following:

• Project Charter
• Scope statement
• WBS
• Cost estimates
• Schedule (including the schedule baseline)
• Responsibility assignments
• Major milestones
• Required resources and their expected cost and / or effort
• Pending issues
• Risk management plan (key risks, constraints, assumptions, contingencies)
• Subsidiary management plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, staffing, communication, procurement and risk management plans)
• Technical documentation
• Standards
• Assumptions