Project Management: Scope and Work Breakdown

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Project ManagementScope and Work Breakdown

• Thomas L. Warren
• Technical Writing Program
• Oklahoma State University
• Stillwater, OK 74078-4069
• http//www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr

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Overview of Talk

• Definition and uses of project management
• Project Scope
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Conclusion
• Questions/Discussion

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Definition

• Management
• Applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques
  to meet or exceed stake holder's needs and
  expectations
• Project
• A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a
  unique product or service
• Definite beginning and ending (temporary)
• Different from all other products or services in
  some way (unique)

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Key Issues and Topics

• Integration (project plan development and
  execution, change management)
• Collaborative project management and development
  (team dynamics)
• Scopelimitations (planning, defining, verifying,
  change control)

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Topics, cont.

• Time (activity definition, sequencing, duration,
  scheduling, controlling)
• Cost (resources planning, estimating, budgeting,
  controlling)
• Quality (quality planning and assurance, quality
  control)

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Topics, cont.

• Human Resources (organizational planning job
  descriptions, roles, responsibilities,
  hiring/firing, team development)
• Communications (planning, information
  distribution, performance reporting, closure)

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Topics, cont.

• Risk (identification, quantification, response
  development and control)
• Management of legal issues and proprietary
  information (intellectual property)
• Procurement (planning, solicitation, source,
  contract administration, contract close-out)

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Sample Projects

• Develop new product or service
• Change structure, style, or staffing of an
  organization
• Develop/acquire new or modified information
  system
• Develop appropriate format for conveying needed
  information
• Develop a five-year plan

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Parts of Plan

• What will be done and for whom?
• Who will do what?
• When must it all be done?
• When must the pieces be done?
• How much will it cost?
• What are the deliverables?
• What happens if . . . ?

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Focus of Talk

• Project Scope
• Listing of all deliverables
• Tells what the project will and will not cover
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Identify specific tasks
• Estimate time required

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Scope Inputs
Constraints
Assumptions
Expert Input
Scope Statement Written statement that is basis
for future project decisions
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Scope Constraints

• Project limits
• Time?
• Money/budget?
• Staff?
• Customer requirements (contractual provisions)?
• Environment?

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Scope Assumptions

• Organization goals and objectives
• Product goals and objectives
• Customer needs
• Product complexity
• Project authorization (charter)
• Key personnel availability

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Scope Expert Input

• Managers from similar projects
• Other organizational personnel (purchasing, human
  resources, e.g.)
• Consultants
• Stakeholders
• Professional and technical associations
• Industry groups

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Scope Control

• Key element to prevent Scope creep
• Establish specific procedure for changing scope
• Changes submitted by whom?
• Changes approved by whom?
• Areas that cannot be changed?
• Scope change notification

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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Could use previous, similar WBS as template
  (MIL-HDBK-881 military WBS template for defense
  materials items)
• Sub-divide project deliverables into smaller and
  smaller activities
• Identify major deliverables (from Scope
  statement)
• Use as criteria for subdividing adequate cost and
  duration
• Identify how work will be defined, organized, and
  accomplished
• Activity list is deliverable

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(No Transcript)
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Sample Activities List for FORUM 2003

• Call for papers
• Poster
• Delegate folder
• Preliminary Programme
• PreSeedings

• Supplemental PreSeedings
• Final Programme
• Planning Guide for delegates
• Supplemental Final Programme
• PostHarvest

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Call for papers Activities List

• Logo and art
• Author Instructions
• Produce copy
• Design and layout cover and pages
• Format files
• Send for proofing

• Proof files
• Return for correcting
• Correct files
• Send to vendor
• Print
• Distribute

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Screen shot of Word WBS for three publications.
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Network Precedence Diagrams

• Each small step could be dependent on another
  small step and in tern be the prerequisite for
  yet another one
• Types of diagrams
• Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)Used by
  project management software such as MS Project
• Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM)

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A
C
B
START
FINISH
D
E
F
Precedence Diagramming Method
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Note Precedence
Screen shot of MS Project for one part of Final
Programme
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B
O
O
A
C
O
O
Start
D
F
Finish
E
O
O
Arrow Diagramming Method
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What you get when you click on Network Diagram
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Types of Dependencies

• 4 kinds of dependencies
• Finish-to-start Complete previous before
  beginning new. Most common.
• Finish-to-finish Complete new depends on
  completing previous
• Start-to-start Start new depends on start of
  previous
• Start-to-finish Complete new depends on start
  previous. Rarely used

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Estimating Time

• Past experience
• Should include a range
• 2 weeks ?2 days
• Time 8-12 working days
• Could indicate probability
• 15 probability finish in 3 weeks
• 85 probability finish within 3 weeks

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Estimating Time, cont.

• Calendars
• Periods when work is allowed
• Different types of calendars
• Normal business hours (1 shift/day)
• 2-3 shifts per day
• Consider when planning calendars
• Vacations
• National, state, etc. holidays

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Estimating Time, cont.

• Reserve Time (contingency)
• Extra time frametypes
• Reserve
• Contingency
• Buffer
• Acknowledge schedule risk
• Could be
• Percent of estimated duration
• Fixed number of work period
• Can reduce/eliminate as get more precise data
• Document reserve time as done for other
  data/assumptions

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Sample Paper Due

• Select topic
• Narrow topic
• Determine research plan
• Collect data
• Analyze data

• Organize data
• Write draft
• Edit/Proofread
• Revise
• Proofread
• Hand-in

How long has it taken you to do each activity in
the past?
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Conclusion

• Project management is an important part of any
  technical communicators job
• Project management allows you to control your
  project
• Projects have beginnings and endings
• Management means handling the middle part
• You dont need to be a manager to need to know
  project management (you manage your own projects
  in school and on-the-job
• Good scheduling the key to successful management)

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Questions
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Thank You

• Please feel free to contact me at
• twarren_at_okstate.edu
• Or see our web page
• www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr

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www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr