Project Scope and Time Management Unit 3

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

To schedule tasks and allocate resources

To estimate the project budget

To define accountability and reporting mechanisms (correct)

To assign tasks to team members

What is the characteristic of a well-structured WBS?

It assigns tasks to specific team members

It is a graphical representation of the project schedule

It breaks down the work into discrete tasks and groups them into hierarchies (correct)

It focuses on when the tasks will be done

What should be avoided when creating a WBS?

Involving team members in the process

Creating a comprehensive WBS

Breaking down tasks into smaller work packages

Including tasks that are not essential to the project (correct)

What determines the number of levels in a WBS?

The level of detail, risk, control, estimated accuracy, and work package value Signup and view all the answers

What is the top-level element in a WBS?

Project name Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the numbering system in a WBS?

To uniquely identify all the work packages Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the WBS?

What work needs to be done Signup and view all the answers

What is the recommended number of levels in a WBS?

Three or four Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the benefits of using post-it notes on the wall to create a work breakdown structure?

It helps create buy-in within the project team Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the WBS dictionary?

To describe the actual tasks in detail Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of using mind mapping to create a work breakdown structure?

It increases participation and morale Signup and view all the answers

According to the PMBOK, what is the work breakdown structure defined as?

A deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of combining the approved project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary?

The scope baseline Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a well-structured WBS?

It is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential application of mind mapping in creating a WBS?

To create a mind map for each major deliverable and merge them into one large diagram Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of using a visual tool like mind mapping or post-it notes to create a WBS?

It helps to identify logical groupings of tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the Work Breakdown Structure?

To provide a basis for defining accountability and reporting mechanisms Signup and view all the answers

What is the lowest level of decomposition in the Work Breakdown Structure?

Work package Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of the Work Breakdown Structure in terms of cost estimation?

It helps to reduce the possibility of overlaps and underlaps Signup and view all the answers

What is an advantage of using the analogy approach to develop a Work Breakdown Structure?

It saves a lot of time in developing the WBS Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the top-down approach to developing a Work Breakdown Structure?

To break down the top-level items into subordinate items and refine them into greater amounts of detail Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of the Work Breakdown Structure in terms of project management?

It facilitates the evaluation of cost, time, and technical performance of the organisation on a project Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the work package in the Work Breakdown Structure?

To represent the work the project manager must monitor and control Signup and view all the answers

What is an advantage of using guidelines to develop a Work Breakdown Structure?

It provides a standardised approach to developing the WBS Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the bottom-up approach to developing a Work Breakdown Structure?

To identify as many specific tasks related to the project as possible Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the Work Breakdown Structure and the Organisation Breakdown Structure?

The WBS provides a basis for developing the OBS Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) divides a project into tasks, which are subdivided into more detailed components, activities, and their related costs.
It is a deliverable-oriented grouping of work involved, defining the total scope of the project, and breaking all the work required into discrete tasks and grouping them into hierarchies.
Tasks in the WBS represent work required to complete a project, and provide a basis for defining accountability and reporting mechanisms.
A comprehensive WBS is essential, as experts believe work should not be done if it is not included in the WBS.

Creating the WBS

A WBS is a foundation document providing the basis for planning, managing costs, schedules, resources, and changes.
It is often graphical, like an organizational chart, with the project name at the top (Level 1) and main groupings for work listed in the second tier (Level 2).
The organizing must occur around project products, phases, or other logical groupings.
A numbering system (e.g., 2.1.3) uniquely identifies all work packages.

Benefits of the WBS

The WBS offers a top-down subdivision of work, allowing for a "bottom-up roll-up of project costs," reducing the possibility of overlaps and underlaps.
Budgets can therefore be more accurately established.
The WBS helps to ensure that the full scope of work is included, particularly on fixed-price contracts.
It facilitates evaluation of cost, time, and technical performance of the organization on a project.
It provides management with information appropriate to each organizational level.
It helps in the development of the organization breakdown structure (OBS), which assigns project responsibilities to organizational units and individuals.
It helps manage plan, schedule, and budget.
It defines communication channels and assists in coordinating the various project elements.

Approaches to the WBS

Guideline Approach: Follow organizational guidelines for the project, if they exist.
Analogy Approach: Use similar projects' WBS as a starting point, but ensure it addresses the unique characteristics of the project at hand.
Top-Down Approach: Start with the largest items and break them down into subordinate items, refining down into greater amounts of detail.
Bottom-Up Approach: Identify specific tasks related to the project and aggregate them into summary activities or higher levels of the WBS.
Mind Mapping: Use branches that radiate out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas, unlocking creativity and increasing participation and morale.

Creating the WBS Dictionary

A WBS dictionary is a document that describes the actual tasks in detail, with the format differing according to project needs.
It helps ensure everyone has the same level of understanding of each task.
The approved project scope statement, WBS, and dictionary form the scope baseline, which helps review performance in meeting project scope goals.

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Description

Learn about the Work Breakdown Structure, a deliverable-orientated grouping of work that divides a project into tasks and defines the total scope of the project. Understand how it breaks down work into discrete tasks and groups them into hierarchies.