Work breakdown structure

• The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical description of the work that must be
done to complete the project as defined
Divide & Conquer
• Decomposition is the process of breaking the project scope and deliverables into smaller,
more manageable components
• These more manageable components are called work packages
• Work packages are the lowest level of decomposition in the WBS
• Reliable time, cost, and resource estimates can be made at the level of work packages in
a project
Few Key Terms
• Progressive Elaboration
• The iterative process of increasing the level of detail in a project management plan as greater amounts of
information and more accurate estimates become available.
• Rolling Wave Planning
• An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail,
while the work in the future is planned at a higher level.