HKSM

A hierarchical breakdown of the project’s total scope into deliverables and manageable work packages. It provides a common structure to plan, estimate, assign responsibility, and control scope.

Key Points

• A deliverable-focused hierarchy that organizes all project work from high-level outputs down to work packages.
• Covers the entire scope with no gaps or overlaps, and lower levels fully roll up to their parents.
• Can be shown as a tree diagram or an indented outline, using a numbering scheme for traceability.
• Work packages are the lowest manageable units for estimating, scheduling, and performance tracking.
• Usually paired with a WBS dictionary that describes each element’s scope, assumptions, and acceptance criteria.
• Baselined during planning and changed only through approved scope changes.

Purpose

• Create a shared view of what is in and out of scope.
• Provide the structure for schedule development, cost estimating, budgeting, and assignment of responsibilities.
• Support risk identification, procurement packaging, and progress reporting.

How to Create

• Start from the scope statement, major deliverables, and product requirements.
• Decompose each deliverable into smaller components until the work is manageable, measurable, and can be owned by one party.
• Reuse organizational templates or past project WBS patterns when available.
• Engage SMEs, product owners, and key stakeholders to validate completeness and clarity.
• Apply progressive elaboration where future phases are outlined at a high level and detailed later.
• Assign a code of accounts to each element and draft WBS dictionary entries for clarity.
• Review against the charter and requirements to confirm full coverage and no overlap.

How to Use

• Derive work packages to create activities, estimates, and resource needs.
• Organize the schedule and budgets by rolling up from work packages to control accounts and higher levels.
• Assign ownership and roles (e.g., via a RACI) at the work package or control account level.
• Define procurement lots and statements of work aligned to WBS elements.
• Track progress and performance, including earned value, using the WBS hierarchy.
• Evaluate scope change requests by identifying impacted WBS elements and updating the baseline when approved.
• Support reporting by summarizing status at meaningful WBS levels for different audiences.

Ownership & Update Cadence

• Owner: Project manager maintains the WBS with input from the team; sponsors approve the baseline.
• Timing: Created during planning and baselined before execution.
• Updates: Revised only when scope changes are approved; synchronize updates with the WBS dictionary and related plans.
• Cadence: Review at phase gates, major change events, or predefined planning cycles.

Example

Website Redesign WBS (excerpt):

• 1.0 Website Redesign.
• 1.1 Discovery.
  • 1.1.1 Stakeholder Interviews.
  • 1.1.2 Current Site Audit.
  • 1.1.3 Requirements Definition.
• 1.2 Design.
  • 1.2.1 Wireframes.
  • 1.2.2 Visual Design.
  • 1.2.3 Design Review and Sign-off.
• 1.3 Development.
  • 1.3.1 Front-end Implementation.
  • 1.3.2 CMS Integration.
  • 1.3.3 Content Migration.
• 1.4 Testing and UAT.
• 1.5 Deployment.
• 1.6 Project Management.

PMP Example Question

During planning, the team decomposes major deliverables into smaller components to estimate, assign responsibility, and track performance. What should be produced to organize this work?

1. Project scope statement.
2. Requirements traceability matrix.
3. Work breakdown structure (WBS).
4. Activity list.

Correct Answer: C — Work breakdown structure (WBS).

Explanation: The WBS is the hierarchical model that organizes total scope into manageable work packages for planning and control. The activity list comes after the WBS, and the scope statement and RTM inform it but do not replace it.