PJM6005 – Project Scope Management

Week 4 – Work Breakdown Structure

(WBS)
Ammar Aamer, Ph.D., PMP®, CSSBB
Lecture Topics
• Scope Statement to WBS
• Overview of the WBS
• Developing the WBS and WBSD
• The WBS and project baselines

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Project Scope Statement to WBS!
Project Scope Statement and the WBS
• The project scope statement describes the project scope and its major
deliverables, assumptions, and constraints
• The WBS elaborates on this description by defining, and hierarchically
organizing, the total scope of the project.
• The WBS represents the entirety of the work specified in the current approved
project scope.
• In predictive life cycles, the scope baseline for the project is the approved
version of the project scope statement, WBS, and its associated WBS
dictionary.
• A baseline changes only through formal change control procedures and serves
as a basis for comparison during project implementation.

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI) 5
Overview of the WBS
 What is a Work Breakdown Structure
(WBS)?
• Defines the scope of the project (Contains 100% of the work defined by the scope) – Total Scope
• Work refers to outputs, work products, or deliverables that are the results of effort, not the
effort itself.
• Hierarchical subdivision of the total scope of work to be performed by the project team to accomplish
the project objectives and create the required deliverables
• Subdivides major project deliverables into more manageable components(decomposition)
• Each descending level represents increasingly detailed definition of a project’s deliverables
• Provides a graphical, textual or tabular breakdown of the project scope
• foundation used to create estimates for costs and resources, the network diagram to sequence work and
the project schedule
• WBS is NOT
• The schedule – it does not include the timeline
• The estimate – it does not contain resources 7
Hierarchical Breakdown of the WBS

* This breakdown groups work packages by type of work

within a deliverable and allows assignment of
responsibility to an organizational unit. This extra step
facilitates a system for monitoring project progress
(discussed in Chapter 13).

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Work Breakdown Structure Example

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The WBS as a Critical Success Factor
• Project failures, however, can often be traced to a poorly developed or
nonexistent WBS.
• A poorly constructed WBS can result in:
• ongoing project extensions
• unclear work assignments, goals, objectives, or deliverables
• scope creep or unmanageable, frequently changing scope
• budget overrun, missed deadlines
• unusable new products or features,
• failure to deliver some elements of project scope

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Types of Decomposition
 Approaches to Creating a WBS

• Regardless of the type of decomposition, the first level of the WBS represents the project name, product
name, or initiative name.
• These types of decomposition apply to predictive, iterative, incremental, and agile life cycles or a hybrid
approach.
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Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
 Product-Oriented WBS

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Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
 Backlog-Oriented and Phase-Oriented WBS

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Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
Developing the WBS and WBSD
Overview for Developing the WBS

Inputs Outputs
Process
• WBS
• WBSD
• Analyze scope statement • Detailed Project Scope
• Choose format & type of WBS • “Contract” with Team
• Decompose scope of project Members
• Decide on different levels of
detail
• Verify WBS includes all work
within the project
• Code WBS
 Converting Requirements Into Tasks/Activities
• A WBS is not built from scratch.
• A WBS draws directly from all the scope-
related documentation.
• Previous deliverables, such as the
business case, requirements
documentation, and the scope statement
focus on clearly stating the “problem to
be solved” and identifying high-level
solution features. None of these
deliverables are task oriented, nor should
they be.
• Teams don’t complete requirements; they
complete tasks that lead to satisfied
requirements
WBS – Deliverable vs Activity
• The evolution from activity-orientation to a deliverable orientation
supports that decomposition of project deliverables (nouns), ensures
complete scope definition and control
• The WBS may be broken into activities (noun-verb) - 100% rule still
applies
• WBS Best Practice:
• Deliverable = noun
• Activity = verb + noun

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Deliverables Nomenclature

• Data Flow Diagram

• Risk Management Plan a re
bl es un!
• Training Manual Outline era n o
l i v s a
• De en a
Test Plan r i tt
w
Activity Definition

• Start with the lowest level in the WBS, called

the Work Package.
• Decompose the Work Packages into smaller
components called activities.
• Documenting the specific activities that must
be performed provides a basis for estimating,
scheduling, executing, and monitoring &
controlling the work package.
Activities List

Major Deliverables (level 2)

May not be needed for small
Deliverables or medium projects, probably
>1 level for large projects

Use Work Package Lowest level for control

20/80 Deliverables
Rule
Activities Steps needed to create
the deliverable
Activity Examples
Prepare Report Analyze Samples
Build Wall Develop Specs
Test Software Procure Equipment
Transmit Data Design Piping

Activities should always use an

active verb-noun combination
100% Rule

• 100% of the project

scope is captured by
the WBS (including
project management)
• 100% of the work in
the child level must
equal 100% of work at
the parent level

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Coding the WBS for the Information System
• WBS Coding System
• Defines:
• Levels and elements of the WBS
• Organization elements
• Work packages
• Budget and cost information
• Allows reports to be consolidated at any
level in the organization structure

4–30
Coding the WBS

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Who Creates the WBS?
• It depends…
• Project Manager creates top level
• Project team may create mid-levels
• Smaller teams with help of SME may create lowest level
• Project manager should not create it all

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WBS Example
CREATING THE WBS
• Choosing a Framework
• There is no single correct framework to
use. So long as the WBS captures all
project work to be completed and is
able to be clearly understood and
monitored by those working on the
project, then the WBS is “correct.”

• Code of Accounts & Decomposition

• Assign each WBS component a unique
numeric identifier so that the
component can be referred to easily.
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE:
LEVEL 1 1
• Level 1
• The overall project is
represented at the top of the
chart, and then all the work
associated with completing
that project is next broken into
large, general categories.
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE:
LEVEL 2
• Level 2
• Next, each general work
category is further broken
down into smaller amounts of
work. The idea to is continue
identifying increasing smaller
amounts of work until the
specific duration, resources
needed, and cost associated
with the work can be reliably
estimated.
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE:
LEVEL 3
• Level 3
• The lowest level of a WBS –
that smallest piece of work
that has a defined duration
and cost – is referred to as a
“work package”.
• Note: projects might have
different levels under each
deliverable.
WBS Dictionary

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WBS Dictionary
• Accompanies WBS
• Detail's components of WBS. You need to provide more detail than just the Work
Package title to be able to plan the work
• WBS Dictionary Item describes who, how, when
• Generally, includes the following about each element
• Detailed description of work
• Deliverables, milestones
• Charge / Account number
• Other references (specs, blueprints, etc.)

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 WBS
Dictionary

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
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The WBS and Project Baseline
Scope Baseline
• Scope Baseline: The approved version of a scope
statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), and its
associated WBS dictionary that can be changed using
formal change control procedures and is used as a basis
for comparison to actual results

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI) 42
 Scope Baseline and Project Life Cycle
• In predictive life cycles, the scope baseline for the project is the
approved version of the project scope statement, WBS, and its associated
WBS dictionary.
• In iterative life cycles, the scope baseline for the project is the approved
version of the project scope statement, WBS, and its associated WBS
dictionary elaborated throughout the project life cycle.
• In incremental life cycles, the scope baseline for the project is the
approved version of the project scope statement, WBS, and its associated
WBS dictionary for a specific iteration.
• In agile life cycle projects, the WBS evolves as requirements evolve,
which means that the WBS baseline does not occur at the start of the
project. The final version of the WBS is known only at project
completion
Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition, by the Project Management Institute (PMI) 43
In Class Team Activity
• For the Project Scope Statement (PSS) you developed in
the week 3 class activity:
1) Discuss and create your project WBS:
a) Decompose into a WBS level 3.
b) Question: Do they adhere to effective WBS development & naming
Best Practices?
2) Identify work packages, tasks, and milestones.
3) Be Prepared to discuss your Team’s WBS with the entire Class (5-7
minutes per team)

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Thank You