Book Review by Robert Youker
This is an excellent short book that should be in every project manager’s
library. Mr. Haugan, now retired, has a long history in Project Management
starting with DOD projects in 1960. His book reflects the original DOD approach
to WBS.
WBS is an output-oriented breakdown of the products or end items of the project
expressed as NOUNS.
There are no activities or time dimensions to the WBS. Activities are part
of the schedule, which is developed after the WBS, as Work Packages are broken
down into the activities necessary to complete the Work Packages. This distinction
has been a matter of great controversy recently in the PM world.
The book is 100 pages composed of 6 chapters with many examples and rules
for construction of WBSs. The various chapters relate the WBS to other aspects
of Project Management including the life cycle, and nine project management
knowledge areas. This book is much more useful than the institute's recently
published practice standard for WBS because it provides specific rules and
examples.
I wish the author had included the original DOD Mil Spec 881 definition of
the WBS, which follows; WBS is defined as:
“A product-oriented family tree composed of hardware, software, services,
data, and facilities. The family tree results from systems engineering
efforts during the acquisition of a defense material item. A WBS displays
and defines
the product, or products, to be developed and/or produced. It relates the
elements of work to be accomplished to each other and to the end product.”
I liked the way he dealt with the issue of WBS and life cycle phases. Since
each phase of a project will have specific outputs or products, by definition
each phase requires a different WBS. The DOD procedures are different and recommend
only one WBS.
One of the key elements of conflict on WBS is the use of the term “Work” which
entails activity. Russell Archibald and I have argued unsuccessfully for years
that the correct term should be Project Breakdown Structure, not Work Breakdown
Structure. Unfortunately we are stuck with a term some DOD employee used in
about 1960.
Some people argue that Haugan’s DOD oriented approach is not useful
for projects that are done under conditions of great uncertainty. To my mind
this is a misunderstanding of the relation between a WBS and the project life
cycle. In uncertain situations you would have a WBS for an investigation phase
where your products or outputs of the phase were trying to define more certainty.
This book is highly recommended for all. — Bob Youker
Comments to Bob and an anecdote from the book's author:
You and I agree totally. Incidentally in 1956, I worked on the
DynaSoar Project at Martin Company and had a Product Breakdown Structure. The
AF later on in the project changed
the name to WBS. 881b is still much better than the practice standard book,
which
is
simply
wrong.
— Greg
Example: Click
here for a sample WBS organized by phase for an IT project by a federal
government agency. Please note there are different products for each phase.
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