Activity Module 2  Project Design
PROJECT DESIGN
PROJECT NAME: __________________________________
Version:
__________
Date:
__________
Activity Module 2  Project Design
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 PRELIMINARY DESIGN ....................................................................................................... 3
Part I - Generating Design Options ......................................................................................... 3
Part II - Evaluating Design Options......................................................................................... 5
2 DETAILED DESIGN ............................................................................................................... 8
Part I – Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ............................................................................ 8
Part II – Apportionment ......................................................................................................... 12
3 APPROVALS .......................................................................................................................... 15
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Activity Module 2  Project Design
1 PRELIMINARY DESIGN
PART I - GENERATING DESIGN OPTIONS
Summary of Key Concepts
Generating Design Options
Identifies all ways the project objective could be achieved. Methods to generate options:
 Referencing previous solutions used in similar projects
 Review of literature
 Structured analysis of best methods to achieve idea
 Benchmarking how other organizations implemented the idea
 Expert advice
 Survey
 Brainstorming
 Others…
Brainstorming Method: Five-Step Process
1. Review and project objective. Ask how will we achieve this?
2. Project team member gives idea or passes clockwise
3. Write every idea down (Key to success: No criticism or evaluation)
4. Stop after everyone passes
5. Review the list for clarity and duplicates
MIP Case Study
Project
Objective:
“To minimize the risk of measles for children under five years of age by
increasing immunization rates for one-year old children using bottom-up
and top-down strategic principles applied to clinical operations of local
immunization providers”
Methods:
Brainstorming & Literature Review
Design Options
Generated:







Enhance accessibility
Improve enabling technology
Provide parental education and counselling
Strengthen partnerships
Strengthen provider training and education
Strengthen public education and awareness
Strengthen research and evaluation
Page 3 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
Generate design options for your project using the Brainstorming Method.
Project
Objective:
Method:
Brainstorming
Design
Options:
(continue on back if needed)
Page 4 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
PART II - EVALUATING DESIGN OPTIONS
Summary of Key Concepts
Evaluating Design Options
Determines what solutions work best within the project’s constraints.
Recall the Triple Constraint:
 Increased Scope / Quality of outcomes = increased time + increased resources
 Tight on Time = increased resources + reduced scope / quality
 Tight on Resources = increased time + reduced scope / quality
MIP Case Study
Project
Constraints:
Scope
 Clinical operations – includes non-clinical processes (i.e. procurement,
storage, etc.) under control of clinic manager
 Local immunization providers - not including in-home providers, other
non-clinic providers
Time
 6 months
Resources
 Budget = 46,000,000 TZS (50,000 USD)
 Staffing – Project team, clinic managers
Evaluation of
Design Options:
 Enhance accessibility
o Yes. Local clinic managers have indicated that vaccines are
occasionally of stock and there are cold-chain supply breaks.
Healthcare providers are not always available to administer the
vaccine and there is a lack of volunteers to provide added
support. This fits within our scope of “clinical operations” as
described above and improvements could be made within time
and resource constraints.
 Improve enabling technology
o No. There is doubt this will achieve the project objective. In
addition, the six-month timeline that we have is also a
constraint that eliminates this option. Our budget would not
support widespread technology enhancements. Therefore
“improving enabling technology” will not be part of our
solution design.
 Provide parental education and counselling
o Yes. There is some discussion among the project team as to
whether there is sufficient time to mount a social marketing
campaign. However the team agrees to include it in the
preliminary design and reassess during the detailed design step.
Page 5 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
 Strengthen partnerships
o Yes. There is some debate on the project team whether this
goes beyond our scope of working with local immunization
providers only. However agreement is made that invitations
will be made to partners who may join the Measles
Immunization Project. However the project will not include
MIP joining the agenda of other programs. There is a
realization that this could create some political difficulties.
 Strengthen provider training and education
o No. This is not included as part of the design since it is seen as
a subset of “provide parental education and counselling”. That
is, the provider training and education most needed concerns
parental education
 Strengthen public education and awareness
o No. This strategy is seen to be beyond the scope of this project
since it works with more than “clinical operations” and “local
immunization providers”. It is also beyond our time and
resource constraints. It is therefore not included in the design.
 Strengthen research and evaluation
o No. Again time and resource constraints do not appear consistent
with this design option. It is therefore not included.
Outcomes of
Preliminary
Design:
(Project
Deliverables)







Enhance accessibility
Improve enabling technology
Provide parental education and counselling
Strengthen partnerships
Strengthen provider training and education
Strengthen public education and awareness
Strengthen research and evaluation
Page 6 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
Evaluate each of your project design options against your project constraints
(scope/quality, time, resources).
Project
Constraints:
Evaluate
Design
Options:
(Provide
explanations)
(continue on if needed)
Outcomes of
Preliminary
Design:
(Project
Deliverables)
Page 7 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
2 DETAILED DESIGN
PART I – WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)
Summary of Key Concepts
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
WBS is a project management method that takes all the work required in a project and breaks
it down into manageable tasks using a logical hierarchy. Its key characteristics include:




Defines total scope of the project – if work is not in the WBS it doesn’t get done
Organizes project work in a logical hierarchy
Breaks project work into work packages which have a duration equal to the smallest
amount of time you want to schedule
Work packages are the lowest level of the WBS. Only work packages are executed
during the project. All other tasks in the WBS are summary tasks
Step 1: Begin at the top
 Level 0 - project name
 Level 1 – Project Deliverables from your Preliminary Design
(include project management activities)
Step 2: Break tasks down in a hierarchy to a manageable size
 Break each Level into smaller tasks, each with verb (activity) and noun (product).
(e.g. conduct survey, educate parents).
Step 3: Organize the WBS
 Create summary tasks as necessary
 If needed reorganize entire WBS by project tasks (preferred) or process
Page 8 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
MIP Case Study
Work Breakdown Structure
Outline Form:
Level 0
Level 1
Measles Immunization Project - WBS
1.1 Project Management
1.1.1 Monitor progress
1.1.2 Communicate status
1.2 Strengthen Partnerships
1.2.1 Identify partners
1.2.2 Draft and sign agreement
1.3 Enhance Accessibility
1.3.1 Secure vaccine supply
1.3.1.1 Review agreements
1.3.1.2 Analyze deficiencies
1.3.1.3 Develop contracts
1.3.1.4 Sign contracts
1.3.2 Resolve cold-chain
Level 2
1.3.2.1 Perform root-cause analysis
1.3.2.2 Improve process
Level 3
1.3.2.3 Communicate process
1.3.2.4 Evaluate process
1.4 Provide Education
1.4.1 Survey population
1.4.1.1 Design survey
1.4.1.2 Conduct survey
1.4.2 Develop program
1.4.3 Deliver program
1.4.3.1 Recruit volunteers
1.4.3.2 Provide education
1.4.4 Evaluate program
Page 9 of 15
Work Packages
Review
agreements
Monitor
progress
Page 10 of 15
Analyze
deficiencies
Secure
vaccine supply
Communicate
status
Project
Management
Graphical Form:
Develop
Contracts
Identify
partners
Enhance
Accessibility
Sign
contracts
Perform
root-cause
analysis
Work Packages
Draft and sign
agreement
Strengthen
Partnerships
Resolve
cold-chain
Improve process
Measles
Immunization
Project
Communicate
process
Design survey
Evaluate process
Conduct survey
Survey
population
Develop
program
Recruit
volunteers
Provide
education
Deliver program
Provide
Education
Level 3
Level 2
Evaluate
program
Level 1
Level 0
Activity Module 2  Project Design
Activity Module 2  Project Design
Build a Work Breakdown Structure for your project. You can use either the
Outline or Graphical form. Your WBS must not exceed 4 Levels (Levels 0 - 3)
and should have a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 work packages.
Work Breakdown Structure:
(continue on back if needed)
Page 11 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
PART II – APPORTIONMENT
Summary of Key Concepts
Apportionment
Apportionment or Top-Down Estimation starts with the total project estimate for time and
resources. Moving from the top of the WBS downwards, time and resources are assigned to
each summary task and work package. Each level of the WBS must add up to the estimate for
the level above.


It is an iterative process that is continued until time and resources are exhausted and
“balanced” across the WBS
If the triple constraint cannot be reasonably met, the preliminary design options must
be re-examined
MIP Case Study
Apportionment
Red numbers in brackets are (months, TZS, FTEs) respectively. Time is rounded to the nearest
0.25 of a month (1 week)
Time
 6 months
Resources
 Budget = 46,000,000 TZS (50,000 USD)
 Staffing – 6 FTEs
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Activity Module 2  Project Design
Page 13 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
Apply the technique of Apportionment to your Work Breakdown Structure.
You can continue to use either the Outline or Graphical form for your WBS.
Project
Constraints:
Work Breakdown Structure with Apportionment:
(continue on back if needed)
Page 14 of 15
Activity Module 2  Project Design
3 APPROVALS
Obtain Approvals for your Project Design:
The Project Design is another major component of the Project Management Plan and requires
explicit or implicit approval before moving ahead in the project life cycle. Signatures on the
Project Design are a custom that indicates approval and gives the project team the right to begin
work on the project. Decide in your local cultural context if signatures would be appropriate. If
appropriate, then the instructor will sign as Project Sponsor and the team Project Manager will
also sign. If not appropriate, discuss why and explain how you will be assured that the Project
Stakeholders are committed to undertake the project.
The undersigned acknowledge they have reviewed and agree with the Project Design for
[Project Name] ___________________________________________
Sponsor:
Name:
Title:
Signature ______________________________________
Date:___________________
Project Manager:
Name:
Title:
Signature ______________________________________
Date:___________________
Client:
Name:
Title:
Signature ______________________________________
Date:___________________
Owner:
Name:
Title:
Signature ______________________________________
Page 15 of 15
Date:___________________