Fillable Printable Example of a Project WBS
Fillable Printable Example of a Project WBS
Example of a Project WBS
WBS Example
This is an example of a one way to create a project management Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS).
Element Number WBS Element
1 Opportunity Assessment Phase
1.01 Idea Generation
1.01.01 Receive and/or or solicit ideas.
1.01.02 Define the Opportunity Assessment Team.
1.01.03 Refine the idea through discussions.
1.02 Idea Structuring
1.02.01 Identify and confirm sponsorship.
1.02.02 Document high level description of business need.
1.02.03 Identify high-level requirements and critical success factors.
1.02.04 Identify primary clients and users.
1.02.05 Define high-level business benefits.
1.02.06 Identify related projects and affected systems.
1.02.07 Identify other stakeholders.
1.02.08 Outline scope and schedule for the next phase.
1.02.09 Prepare the Project Initiation Document (Project Request section).
1.03 Opportunity Assessment Approval
1.03.01 Finalize and submit the Project Request section of Project Initiation Document.
1.03.02 Prioritize ideas/business needs based on business-defined criteria.
1.03.03 Conduct the Opportunity Assessment Review. Obtain approval to proceed.
1.03.04 If approved, enter information into the project database and establish the potential project in the time
reporting system.
1.03.05 If not approved, communicate decision to impacted resources.
1.04 Process Closure
1.04.01 Assess the Opportunity Assessment Process to capture lessons learned and opportunities for
improvement.
2 Initiating Phase
2.01 Process Start Up
2.01.01 Define/refine Initiating team.
2.01.02 Review Project Request information, lessons learned, and Initiating Processes of similar projects.
2.01.03 Refine Initiating tasks and create Initiating schedule.
2.01.04 Implement time tracking procedures. Establish status reporting.
2.02 Project Definition
2.02.01 Understand and further define background and current situation, as well as the project objectives.
2.02.02 Define/refine project scope and deliverables.
2.02.03 Develop and analyze potential options that meet the business need.
2.02.04 Select the best alternative and develop a recommended approach.
2.02.05 Develop rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimate for resources/ costs. Develop a high-level
schedule/timeline for the project.
2.02.06 Initiate Business Case development. Focus on business benefits and high-level costs in this phase.
2.02.07 Identify high-level project risks.
2.02.08 Identify project manager and determine appropriate division of responsibilities for remainder of the
project.
2.02.09 Plan for next phase. Develop schedule, budget and identify resources for the next phase.
2.02.10 Refine Project Request section and complete Project Charter section of the Project Initiation Document.
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WBS Example
Element Number WBS Element
2.03 Initiating Approval
2.03.01 Finalize and submit the Project Initiation Document, Concept Analysis Document, Business Case, and
other supporting documentation to appropriate manager(s).
2.03.02 Prioritize project based on business-defined criteria.
2.03.03 Participate in Initiating Approval Checkpoint Review. Request funding and approval to proceed.
2.03.04 If approved, obtain resource and funding commitments to the project from the appropriate authority.
2.03.05 If not approved, communicate decision to impacted resources and take appropriate measures to
ensure work is not continued.
2.04 Process Closure
2.04.01 Assess the Initiating Process to capture lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
3 Planning Phase
3.01 Process Start Up
3.01.01 Define/refine the Planning team. Review roles and responsibilities.
3.01.02 Prepare for and conduct Planning Kick-Off Meeting.
3.01.03 Expand and/or update the Planning activities in the existing Project Schedule.
3.02 Project Approach
3.02.01 Define project measures of success.
3.02.02 Refine project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
3.02.03 Identify the requirements decision makers and a process for making effective decisions.
3.02.04 Gather and document project requirements.
3.02.05 Identify, define, and document technology, infrastructure (hardware, desktop, network, etc.), and
support requirements for the project.
3.02.06 Refine/validate project approach.
3.02.07 Initiate the development of a work breakdown structure (WBS) for organizing project activities.
3.02.08 Refine the Business Case based on the additional information developed in the Planning Process
activities.
3.02.09 Define the Project Organization, including the Steering Committee, Project Team members, and
Subject Matter Experts. Document in an organization chart.
3.02.10 Determine communications requirements and document the communications approach.
3.03 Project Schedule/Budget
3.03.01 Refine the work breakdown structure (WBS).
3.03.02 Identify task sequence and dependencies.
3.03.03 Based on project team members’ input, estimate work effort (hours) and duration (time).
3.03.04 Identify resource requirements.
3.03.05 Create the Project Schedule.
3.03.06 Establish the project budget.
3.03.07 Review the Project Schedule and Project Budget with the project team, sponsors, and other
appropriate stakeholders.
3.04 Project Planning
3.04.01 Identify project constraints, dependencies, and assumptions.
3.04.02 Identify, analyze, and prioritize project risks.
3.04.03 Determine management approaches (e.g., integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources,
communications, risk, procurement).
3.04.04 Determine change enablement approach, if applicable, addressing communications, learning, and
rewards.
3.04.05 Refine project documentation based on information gathered in the Planning Process.
3.05 Planning Approval
3.05.01 Determine the funding source of project monies.
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WBS Example
Element Number WBS Element
3.05.02 Prepare Project Funding deliverables and review with Controller.
3.05.03 Discuss the Project Funding deliverables with senior staff, as appropriate.
3.05.04 Prepare for, schedule, and participate in Project Funding Checkpoint (Planning) Review.
3.05.05 Revise the Requirements Specification, Project Schedule, Project Budget, and supporting
documentation.
3.05.06 If approved, obtain resource and funding commitments from the appropriate authority. Baseline
requirements, schedule, and budget and place all documents in the project repository.
3.05.07 If the project is not approved, document the rationale for the decision not to continue and close the
project in the project database.
3.06 Process Closure
3.06.01 Assess the Planning Process to capture lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
4 Executing/ Controlling
4.01 Process Start Up
4.01.01 Define/refine the project team. Review roles and responsibilities.
4.01.02 Prepare for and conduct the implementation (or phase) kick-off meeting.
4.01.03 Review and update the Project Schedule and Project Budget, as required.
4.01.04 Begin planning for the implementation of the project solutions. Document strategy and plan.
4.02 Integration Management
4.02.01 Manage project issues in accordance with the issues management approach defined in the Planning
Process. Issues management includes identifying project issues, assessing the issues’ impacts,
determining and implementing resolutions, and closing issues.
4.02.02 Manage change control in accordance with the change management approach defined in the Planning
Process. Change management includes analyzing situations, authorizing change request impact
assessments, assessing requested changes, creating plans to address changes, determining change
actions, and implementing approved changes.
4.02.03 Manage project information in accordance with the project information management approach defined
in the Planning Process. Project information management should address file naming conventions,
documentation storage location(s), version control, information owners, and information management
flows.
4.03 Scope Management
4.03.01 Review deliverable requirements with the team and project stakeholders in accordance with the scope
management approach defined in the Planning Process.
4.03.02 Conduct deliverable reviews to validate each deliverable against documented requirements.
4.03.03 Complete deliverable review follow-up.
4.04 Time Management
4.04.01 Collect actual schedule progress in accordance with the time management approach defined in the
Planning Process.
4.04.02 Update the Project Schedule with actual data during the control interval. Generate required reports to
meet the identified needs of the team and supporting organization.
4.04.03 Identify and resolve schedule conflicts and resource issues that surface throughout the project.
4.04.04 Prepare for and conduct milestone reviews, as appropriate. This review includes reviewing the latest
estimates for completing current activities and determining if the project is still on schedule. Prepare a
progress reports and/or executive reports and distribute.
4.05 Cost Management
4.05.01 Measure and monitor cost progress against the budget and assess variation in accordance with the
cost management approach.
4.05.02 Revise cost estimates, as appropriate, and report revisions to appropriate managers.
4.06 Quality Management
4.06.01 Perform quality assurance in accordance with the quality management approach defined in the
Planning Process. To perform quality assurance, identify quality assurance resources, review quality
planning procedures, review quality control procedures, and define quality improvement plans.
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WBS Example
Element Number WBS Element
4.06.02 Conduct quality control reviews in accordance with the quality management approach defined in the
Planning Process.
4.07 HR Management
4.07.01 Manage the team in accordance with the human resources management approach defined in the
Planning Process. Team management includes team administration, implementing team operating
guidelines, administering team recognition and reward procedures, and coordinating team member
training.
4.07.02 Manage business interfaces in accordance with the human resources management approach defined
in the Planning Process.
4.08 Communications Management
4.08.01 Review the communications matrix with the project team, as appropriate.
4.08.02 Collect project status and progress information in accordance with the communications management
approach defined in the Planning Process.
4.08.03 Distribute information in accordance with the Communications Matrix.
4.09 Risk Management
4.09.01 Identify project risks throughout the project lifecycle.
4.09.02 Analyze risks in accordance with the risk management approach defined in the Planning Process.
4.09.03 Develop risk responses, as necessary. Responses to consider include acceptance, avoidance,
mitigation, or transference.
4.09.04 Respond to actual risk events and update the risk and response log, as required.
4.10 Procurement Management
4.10.01 Ensure contract terms are fulfilled by reviewing the contents of the contract at several points in the
project. Negotiate and execute any changes to the contract.
4.10.02 Manage the relationship with the contractor, ensuring the contractor(s) are doing what was expected
and satisfying commitments.
4.10.03 Close out contracts and perform contractor exit reviews as contracts are completed. If a formal contract
with the vendor exists, conduct a performance review to determine the degree to which the provisions
of the contract(s) were met and provide feedback on performance to help improve future engagements.
4.11 Client Acceptance
4.11.01 Prepare for and conduct Final Deliverable Review(s) and obtain client approval.
4.11.02 If approved, continue with the Closing Process.
4.11.03 If the review identifies deficiencies, address deficiencies and re-route deliverables for review. If it is
determined that a deficiency will be addressed in a separate project, document that decision to obtain
approval to continue into the Closing Process for the current project.
4.12 Process Closure
4.12.01 Assess the Executing/Controlling Process to capture lessons learned and opportunities for
improvement.
5 Closing Phase
5.01 Project Completion
5.01.01 Collect and organize final project schedule and cost information. Update the original and revised
estimates with actual data and update productivity estimates for future use.
5.01.02 Archive all project files and media.
5.01.03 Close out all logs (e.g., risk, change, issues) to ensure work is complete and issues are closed.
5.01.04 Close the project in the time reporting system so that no time will be logged against the project after the
project is complete.
5.01.05 Close the project in the project database.
5.01.06 Enter appropriate information into best practice, risk, and estimating data knowledge repositories.
5.01.07 Begin preparing the Project Closeout Report using information gathered in the Project Completion
activity
5.02 Post-Project Review
5.02.01 Administer team member questionnaire. Collect and store information in the project repository.
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WBS Example
Element Number WBS Element
Summarize the results of the questionnaire in the Project Closeout Report.
5.02.02 Assess client satisfaction. Collect and store information in the project repository. Summarize the results
of the questionnaire in the Project Closeout Report.
5.02.03 Consolidate lessons learned from previous processes (or phases).
5.02.04 Prepare for and conduct a Post-Project Review. Review the draft Project Closeout Report. Review
lessons learned and identify any additional lessons learned. Record any recommended changes to the
process, metrics, tools, techniques, and standards.
5.02.05 Follow-up after Post-Project Review, update the Project Closeout Report, and distribute the report to
appropriate team members and stakeholders of the project organization.
5.02.06 Enter the project’s lessons learned in the lessons learned knowledge base.
5.03 HR Management Closure
5.03.01 Conduct final reviews and evaluations of all project staff, acknowledge/recognize team members, and
release project resources in accordance with policies and procedures.
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