Delving into WBS
A project can be thought of as a deliverable. This big and final project deliverable can then be broken into a series of smaller deliverables all along the execution route, just like milestones.
As defined in the first part of this chapter, the WBS is a breakdown of a project into smaller deliverables to achieve the project scope. This is only a short definition and it has some important implicit connotations that will be clarified now. Here are the characteristics of a well-formed WBS:
- Hierarchical breakdown: The high-level scope is decomposed into smaller and smaller components, using a top-down design approach.
- Deliverables-oriented: The WBS should have a razor-sharp focus on the deliverables (outcomes) of the project, because it is derived from the scope. Your WBS should answer the question, "What will be delivered?" and not "How will it be delivered?" These deliverables are not just customer-facing external deliverables. They...
