Week 8 For This Assignment You Will Create Work Breakdown St

Week 8for This Assignment You Will Create Work Breakdown Structure W

For this assignment, you will create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). To create your WBS, you may use MS Word, MS Excel, Visio, or any other visual format that allows for graphical elements to be included. You should include graphical elements of the project scope including the project, major deliverables, and supporting deliverables. The WBS should be easy to read and contain consistent formatting throughout.

The WBS should depict the project with the following structure: one Level 1 describing the complete project; three Level 2s describing major deliverables; three Level 3s describing supporting deliverables; and two Level 4s representing the lowest manageable responsibility level. For each deliverable across all levels, create a project schedule with activities including start and end dates, along with resources required to complete each activity.

Additionally, identify at least three pieces of information that must be communicated to stakeholders. For each communication piece, specify the target audience, timing, content, and method of communication, forming an example of a project network.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of a comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is fundamental to effective project management, providing clarity on the project scope, deliverables, and responsibilities. For this assignment, I will design a detailed WBS for a hypothetical project—launching a new company website—to demonstrate mastery in structuring project components graphically, planning activities, and communicating effectively with stakeholders.

Designing the WBS begins with defining the scope, which includes the overall project goal and critical deliverables. The first level’s depiction will encompass the entire project, labeled "Company Website Launch," serving as the highest-level overview. Under this, three major deliverables will be outlined as Level 2 components: (1) Planning and Design, (2) Development and Testing, and (3) Deployment and Maintenance. Each of these represents a significant phase in the project lifecycle, facilitating manageable segmentation.

Within the "Planning and Design" deliverable, Level 3 supporting deliverables such as "Requirements Gathering," "Design Mockups," and "Approval Processes" will be included. Similarly, in the "Development and Testing" phase, Level 3 components may include "Front-End Development," "Back-End Development," and "Quality Assurance." The "Deployment and Maintenance" section could feature "Website Launch," "Stakeholder Training," and "Post-Launch Support." Down to Level 4, specific tasks such as "Create Wireframes" under Design Mockups or "Configure Server Environment" under Deployment will be detailed, each with assigned resources and timelines.

Creating a project schedule for each deliverable involves listing activities, assigning responsible personnel, and specifying start and end dates. For instance, "Create Wireframes" may commence on September 1 and conclude September 7, with a UI designer as the responsible resource. This structured schedule ensures clarity about task dependencies and resource allocation, facilitating project timeline management and accountability.

Effective communication with stakeholders is crucial for project success. Three key pieces of information I would communicate include:

  • Progress Updates: Targeted at project sponsors and senior management, communicated bi-weekly via email and supplemented with project dashboards, providing current status, milestones achieved, and upcoming tasks.
  • Issue and Risk Reports: For project team members and key stakeholders, delivered via scheduled meetings or reports, focusing on identified risks, mitigation strategies, and issues impacting timelines or scope.
  • Final Project Report and Lessons Learned: Distributed at project closure via presentation and documentation to stakeholders, summarizing project outcomes, performance against objectives, and recommendations for future projects.

This structured approach to creating a WBS and stakeholder communication plan enhances project clarity, accountability, and stakeholder engagement, laying a solid foundation for successful project execution and closure.

References

  • Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Wiley.
  • PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
  • Heldman, K. (2018). Project Management JumpStart. Wiley.
  • Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
  • Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2014). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Wiley.

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