Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures - Third Edition

Book description

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is an essential component of the planning process of all project types, whether external or internal facing, regardless of industry or discipline. The WBS organizes the total scope of a project and reflects the work specified for the approved project scope. The WBS serves as an essential tool for the project team to overcome large project uncertainties.

The WBS is a key input to the project's schedule, budget, risk, and performance tracking and serves as a cross-discipline foundation upon which to report project status and progress in a unified and standard manner. The WBS also functions as a mechanism to balance management’s need for control through the appropriate level-of-detail representation.

As a comprehensive update to the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition, the third edition applies the WBS to the predictive, iterative, incremental, and agile project life cycles; it also explores several different types of decomposition in practice today.

The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition aligns with other recent PMI standards, including A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. This practice standard provides practitioners with a useful tool to create a valuable, high-quality WBS for portfolios, programs, or projects.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Notice
  5. Table of Contents
  6. List of Tables and Figures
  7. 1. Introduction to the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures
    1. 1.1. Purpose of This Practice Standard
    2. 1.2. Overview
      1. 1.2.1. What Is a WBS?
      2. 1.2.2. Why Is a WBS Required?
      3. 1.2.3. When Is a WBS Created? When Is a WBS Updated?
      4. 1.2.4. What Types of Projects Have a WBS?
    3. 1.3. Purpose of a WBS
      1. 1.3.1. What Is a WBS Good Practice?
      2. 1.3.2. Why Is a WBS Essential?
      3. 1.3.3. Business Value of the WBS
    4. 1.4. Applicability
      1. 1.4.1. Relationships among This Practice Standard and Other Project Management Standards
      2. 1.4.2. Relationships of WBS Processes among Other PMBOK® Guide Processes
      3. 1.4.3. Placement of the WBS in the Project Life Cycle
      4. 1.4.4. Program WBS vs. Project WBS
    5. 1.5. Summary
  8. 2. Concepts and Principles
    1. 2.1. Overview
    2. 2.2. Implementation Using Life Cycles
      1. 2.2.1. Using WBS in Predictive (Waterfall) Life Cycles
      2. 2.2.2. Using WBS in Iterative Life Cycles
      3. 2.2.3. Using WBS in Incremental Life Cycles
      4. 2.2.4. Using WBS in Agile Life Cycles
      5. 2.2.5. Key Concepts/Characteristics
    3. 2.3. Principles
      1. 2.3.1. The 100 Percent Rule
        1. 2.3.1.1. More WBS Rules
      2. 2.3.2. Activities outside the WBS
      3. 2.3.3. WBS Numbering
        1. 2.3.3.1. WBS Numbering for Projects
        2. 2.3.3.2. WBS Numbering for Programs
    4. 2.4. Methods
      1. 2.4.1. Decomposition
        1. 2.4.1.1. Level 1
        2. 2.4.1.2. Level 2
        3. 2.4.1.3. Level 3
        4. 2.4.1.4. Level 4
      2. 2.4.2. Preparing a WBS
      3. 2.4.3. Preparation Methods
        1. 2.4.3.1. Top-Down Approach
        2. 2.4.3.2. Bottom-Up Approach
        3. 2.4.3.3. WBS Organizational Standards
        4. 2.4.3.4. WBS Templates
      4. 2.4.4. Mind Maps
      5. 2.4.5. WBS Dictionary
    5. 2.5. Styles
      1. 2.5.1. Hierarchical
      2. 2.5.2. Outline
      3. 2.5.3. Tabular
    6. 2.6. Representations of Work
      1. 2.6.1. Example 1: Build a House
      2. 2.6.2. Example 2: Organize a Party
      3. 2.6.3. Example 3: Construct a Custom Bicycle
    7. 2.7. Summary
  9. 3. Relationships, Integration, and Context
    1. 3.1. Overview
    2. 3.2. Interaction with Other Standards
      1. 3.2.1. PMI Standards Relationship Diagram
      2. 3.2.2. The PMBOK® Guide
        1. 3.2.2.1. Relationship to Process Groups
        2. 3.2.2.2. Relationship to Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs
      3. 3.2.3. Agile Practice Guide
      4. 3.2.4. Practice Standard for Earned Value Management
      5. 3.2.5. The Standard for Organizational Project Management (OPM)
      6. 3.2.6. The Standard for Program Management
    3. 3.3. Creating the WBS
      1. 3.3.1. Breaking the Work Down
      2. 3.3.2. Life Cycles and Types of Decomposition Examples
        1. 3.3.2.1. Predictive
        2. 3.3.2.2. Iterative
        3. 3.3.2.3. Incremental
        4. 3.3.2.4. Agile
    4. 3.4. Summary
  10. 4. WBS Quality
    1. 4.1. Overview
    2. 4.2. Using the Quality Guidelines
      1. 4.2.1. Core Attributes of a Quality WBS
      2. 4.2.2. Tailoring Method for a Quality WBS
      3. 4.2.3. Quality Methods for Programs
    3. 4.3. Annotated Examples of a WBS
      1. 4.3.1. Predictive Life Cycles
      2. 4.3.2. Incremental Life Cycles
      3. 4.3.3. Iterative Life Cycles
      4. 4.3.4. Agile Life Cycles
    4. 4.4. Diagnostic Checklist for a Quality WBS
      1. 4.4.1. Scope
      2. 4.4.2. Schedule
      3. 4.4.3. Cost
    5. 4.5. Summary
  11. 5. WBS Application and Usage
    1. 5.1. Overview
      1. 5.1.1. Section Overview
      2. 5.1.2. PMI Library Context Review
    2. 5.2. Applying the WBS
      1. 5.2.1. Scheduling Example
      2. 5.2.2. Estimating Example
      3. 5.2.3. Predictive Life Cycle WBS Example
      4. 5.2.4. Iterative Life Cycle WBS Example
      5. 5.2.5. Incremental Life Cycle WBS Example
      6. 5.2.6. Agile Life Cycle WBS Example
      7. 5.2.7. Risk Management Example
      8. 5.2.8. Earned Value Management Example
    3. 5.3. Evolving the WBS
      1. 5.3.1. Project WBS Evolution
      2. 5.3.2. Program WBS Evolution
      3. 5.3.3. Contract WBS Evolution
    4. 5.4. Summary
      1. 5.4.1. Section Recap
      2. 5.4.2. PMI Library Context References
  12. References
  13. Bibliography
  14. Appendix X1. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition Changes
  15. Appendix X2. Contributors and Reviewers of the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition
    1. X2.1. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition Core Committee
    2. X2.2. Reviewers
      1. X2.2.1. SME Review
      2. X2.2.2. Public Exposure Draft Review
      3. X2.2.3. PMI Standards Program Member Advisory Group (SMAG)
      4. X2.2.4. Consensus Body Review
      5. X2.2.5. Production Staff
      6. X2.2.6. Harmonization Team
  16. Appendix X3. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition Examples
    1. X3.1. Production Platform Project Example
    2. X3.2. Bioventing Test Project Example
    3. X3.3. New Compound Development Project Example
    4. X3.4. Process Plant Construction Project Example
    5. X3.5. Outsourcing Project Example
    6. X3.6. Web Design Project Example
    7. X3.7. Telecommunications Project Example
    8. X3.8. Design-Bid-Build Project Example
    9. X3.9. Software Implementation Project Example
    10. X3.10. International Car School Competition Project Example
    11. X3.11. Subway Line Program 1 Project Example
    12. X3.12. Subway Line Program 2 Project Example
    13. X3.13. Subway Line Program 3 Project Example
  17. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures - Third Edition
  • Author(s): Project Management Institute
  • Release date: June 2019
  • Publisher(s): Project Management Institute
  • ISBN: 9781628256192