Project Planning

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Abdullah khan
Project Planning

Lecture outcomes:

• Clearly define the Project Objectives.

• Understand and Develop a work break down structure.

• Understand the responsibility Matrix

Planning
• Planning is the systematic arrangement of tasks to accomplish an objective. The plan lays out what
needs to be accomplished and how it is to be accomplished. The plan becomes a benchmark against
which actual progress can be compared; then, if deviations occur, corrective action can be taken.

• It is important that the people who will be involved in performing the work are also involved in
planning the work. They are usually the most knowledgeable about what detailed activities need to be
done and how long each should take.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Objective

The first step in the planning process is to define the project objective

Tell me the objective of the project that you are understaking as a

course project

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Work Breakdown Structure
• Once the project objective has been defined, the next step is to determine what work elements, or activities,
need to be performed to accomplish it. This requires developing a list of all the activities.

• There are two approaches to preparing such a list. One is to have the project team ‘‘brainstorm’’ the list of
activities. This approach is suitable for small projects; however, for larger, more complex projects, it’s difficult
to develop a comprehensive list of activities without forgetting some items. For such projects, creating a
work breakdown structure (WBS) is a better approach.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
• Formal Definition per the PMBOK® Guide:
A Deliverable - Oriented Grouping of Project Elements that Organizes and Defines the
Total Scope of the Project.
Each Descending Level Represents an Increasingly Detailed Definition of the Project Work.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
 Class Activity

Before we delve deeper into this

topic lets create a rough Work
Next, we will compare and refine Provide recommendation for
breakdown structure for 5th
the same structure. improvements.
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Management sciences in LGU.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Work Breakdown Structure
• The WBS breaks a project down into manageable pieces, or items, to help ensure that all of the work

elements needed to complete the project work scope are identified. It’s a hierarchical tree of end items that

will be accomplished or produced by the project team during the project. The accomplishment or

production of all of these items constitutes completion of the project work scope.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
 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
 ELEPHANT BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

Tail Legs Body Head

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
 Basic Terminologies:

WBS summary tasks

Code of accounts

Work packages

WBS dictionary
WBS Coding
Work Packages

• Represent units of work at a level where work is performed

• Clearly distinguish work packages from others

• Assigned to a functional group

• Limit the work to be performed to relatively short periods of time

• Work packages should be…

• Relatively short in time span

• Measurable by cost
• Assignable to an individual, department, or company

• Two Approaches:
• Low-level WBS
• High level WBS
• How should I break down the project?

• By geographically separated areas for product or activities

• By major chronological time periods

• By structural, process, system, or device components

• By “intermediate” deliverables required in the production of the “end” deliverables

• By separate areas of responsibility, departments, or functional areas

• By geographically separated areas for product or activities:

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Torch Tour

USA Europe Asia

New York
City

15th October,
2018
• By structural, process, system, or device components:

Aero plane

Pilot
HVAC Engine
Controls

AC

Refrigerants
• By “intermediate” deliverables required in the production of the “end”
deliverables:

Software

Requirements Prototype Products

Interface

Graphics
100 % Rule
• The next level decomposition of a WBS element (child level) must represent 100% of the work applicable to

the next higher (parent) element.

• If you follow the 100% rule,

• and define the WBS elements as nouns,

• you have won the battle to get an effective WBS.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
• The graphic structure subdivides the project into smaller pieces called work items. Not all branches of the

WBS have to be broken down to the same level. The lowest-level item of any one branch is called a work

package. Most work packages shown in the previous slide are at the second level.

• In the next slide you will see that four work items are further divided into a more detailed third level; one

work item (List of Volunteers) is not broken down beyond the first level. The WBS usually indicates the

organization or individual responsible for each work item

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
• The criteria for deciding how much detail or how many levels to put in the WBS are (1) the level at which a

single individual or organization can be assigned responsibility and accountability for accomplishing the work

package and (2) the level at which you want to control the budget and monitor and collect cost data during

the project.

• There is not a single correct WBS for any project. For example, two different project teams might develop

somewhat different WBSs for the same project.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Responsibility Matrix
• The responsibility matrix is a method used to display, in tabular format, the individuals responsible for

accomplishing the work items in the WBS. It’s a useful tool because it emphasizes who is responsible for

each work item and shows each individual’s role in supporting the overall project.

• It is a good idea to show only one individual as the lead, or primary, person responsible for each work

item. Designating two individuals as co-chairpersons increases the risk that certain work will ‘‘fall through

the cracks’’ because each person assumes that the other person is going to do it.

Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Project Planning
Abdullah khan
Wrap Up Questions
• What percentage of the total project effort do you think should be devoted to planning? Why?

• Why is project planning so important?

• Describe the process of subdivision of activities and events that composes the tree diagram known
as the
Work Breakdown Structure. Why is the input of responsible managers and workers so important an
aspect of this process?

Project Planning
Abdullah khan