Z26 Project Management
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Graham Collins, UCL
graham.collins@ucl.ac.uk
Why Plan?
•Control and optimize processes
•Process forces thinking about tasks and dependencies
•Scheduling of scarce resources
•Plan allows divergence to be tracked
•Properly thought through plan is a defence against unreasonable requests
•Breaking down a project into tasks allows effective delegation
•Individual tasks allow people to focus
•Plan becomes a communication tool
•Without a plan, things will be forgotten, started late, or allocated to
several people.
based on Nokes et al, The Definitive Guide to Project Management
SMART Objectives
Specific
Measurable
Agreed upon
Realistic
Time (cost) limited
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) example
Lecture 4
1.Introduction
1.1 Revision
points
1.2 Your
answers
1.2.1
Workshops
2.WBS
3.Scope
1.3 Why
plan?
1.2.1 Splitting
problem down
3.1
Explanation
3.2 Scope
Creep
3.2.1 Issue log
3.3 Case
Study
3.2.2 Scope
management
WBS concepts





Select a suitable category (work, product or other relevant
structure)
is not constrained by sequence
final box is a product or deliverable which is measurable
and definable
lowest level indicate work packages, which can be used
for estimates, schedule monitoring and control
Entire project team should be involved
Work Breakdown Structure
A hierarchical breakdown of the work
necessary to complete the project
Presented in an easy to navigate form
A Task Directory may be included here
Definitions


Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The level at
which a piece of work within a project is broken down
for programming, cost planning, monitoring and
control purposes, to be performed by a specific
person.
Work Package A group of related tasks that are
defined at the same level within a work breakdown
structure.
Sources: BS6079 APMP Syllabus
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Exercise
You are a specialist consultancy that provides
business intelligence software. Your service
includes understanding your clients needs and
tailoring the software appropriately. A supermarket
has had a previous client attempt this, however the
software has been abandoned and the popularity of
the stores are slowly declining.
In groups:
1. Develop an appropriate WBS for a typical project
2. Show clearly defined phases for this process
3. Transfer your finished WBS onto a transparency
for class discussion
Multi-tasking
A
B
10
A
C
10
B
C
10
A
B
C
20
20
20
Multi-tasking concept discussed in Critical Chain -Goldratt
Book Slot
Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Critical Chain
The North River Press
1997
ISBN: 0-88427-153-6
Scope creep
It would be foolish not to make things better
wouldn’t it?
Change
Accepted
Rejected
Not in plan, plan
incompatible with
new objectives
Loss of opportunity
Cost/time overrun
compromised
technical quality
Potential loss of
income
Ineffective business
processes may be
retained
Scope Management Process
information that implies that the actual project is different from the planned project
should trigger the following process:

Is it a change in scope?
 Description of change
 Consequences of accepting or rejecting change
 Discuss results
 Programme board compare revised document with
business pay-offs
 Change accepted, project relaunched. New
objectives and plan communicated to all relevant
stakeholders
Kotter’s Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change
1. Establishing a sense of urgency
2. Creating the guiding coalition
3. Developing a vision and strategy
4. Communicating the change vision
5. Empowering broad-based action
6. Generating short-term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture.
John Kotter (1996) Leading Change, Harvard Business School Press ISBN
0-87584-747-1