The WBS Dictionary PDF

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5/1/2020

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The WBS Dictionary Learning Objective After completing this topic, you should be able to recognize the role of the WBS dictionary in a project's scope baseline

1. [Topic title: The WBS Dictionary] The WBS dictionary is an important element of the scope baseline because it contains information and details about the work that won't fit in the WBS itself. You can think of it as an expanded version of the finalized WBS. It consists of a set of forms with details about each element in the WBS. Taken together, the forms in the WBS dictionary describe all the required work. In addition to the project's name and the name and number of the WBS component, the dictionary form includes information about the position of the work in the WBS in terms of its parent and child components. Who's responsible for the work, including contract information, the number of the requirement taken from the requirement's traceability matrix to which the work is linked. A description of the scope of the work, the name of the person who prepared the form, and a signature and date of authorization. The scope of work description in a WBS dictionary form is a complete set of instructions for a work package. It must be specific, including as much technical and operational information as required. But it should not provide excessive instructions covering areas that those doing the work would be expected to know as part of their jobs. In order for a WBS dictionary form to be useful, it should integrate the project's baselines into the details it provides about the work packages. In other words, the form should describe the projected performance for each work package. You could include this information in the scope description. As part of this integration, it may include fields such as the cost estimate basis. So schedule and cost performance baselines are integrated with each work package in the WBS dictionary. You include the relevant schedule information about the work package, such as its expected duration and deadline. It may also be worth noting if the work contributes to an important milestone. By integrating this information, you'll be able to pick up if work is starting to fall behind. You cross-reference the work package back to its cost account in the budget, and describe how the resources for the work will be spent. This will enable you to monitor the cost for the work and ensure that the money is used correctly. By drawing information about each work package together in one easily accessible form, the WBS dictionary becomes a powerful management tool. When you're monitoring the work, it puts the relevant cost, budget, and resource for each work package at your fingertips. Consider a software integration project. The project manager uses the scope baseline to monitor performance. Let's see how the WBS dictionary is helping the project manager to control costs as well as resolve a product scope issue. [Control Cost.] The coding work is taking longer than expected. So the manager decides to assign an extra developer to the project. This involves a change to the budget and the cross reference to the coding cost account, number 2B, enables the manager to quickly find and update the relevant part of the budget. [Resolve Product Scope Issue.] At a verification check, the client notices that only 64-bit encryption has been included in the end user software. So, the project manager checks the WBS dictionary and, sure enough, it shows that 128-bit encryption is required. The manager asks the developer responsible to resolve this and a few days later, the client is satisfied. In a large project with a complex WBS, the WBS dictionary could contain many separate forms. When you're looking for a particular form, you need to be able to find it easily. So it's critical that you arrange the forms logically and conveniently. You always follow the WBS numbering system, and arrange the forms in sequence. But within the WBS, some components are major deliverables or phases and some https://library.skillport.com/courseware/Content/cca/apj 03 a02 bs enus/output/html/course transcript.html

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5/1/2020

Skillsoft Course Transcript

are control accounts. So it might be convenient to file the forms separately by major deliverable, phase or control account while maintaining the numbering sequence. In summary, the WBS dictionary provides a detailed description of the scope of each work package. It identifies the team members responsible for each work package and the requirements to which it relates. It also includes relevant schedule, cost, and quality information.

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