HKSM
organizational breakdown structure
A hierarchical chart of the project organization that shows how project activities align with the organizational units responsible for doing them.
Key Points
- Depicts a tree of organizational units and the project work they own.
- Clarifies accountability and interfaces among teams and departments.
- Can be linked to the WBS to assign ownership, budgets, and reporting lines.
- Useful for resource planning, a responsibility assignment matrix, and communications.
Example
A software project builds an OBS that lists departments such as Frontend, Backend, QA, UX, and DevOps. Each major activity or work package (e.g., API integration, test automation, release pipeline) is mapped to the unit that will perform it, making it clear who delivers what and how status will be reported.
PMP Example Question
Which artifact shows how project activities are mapped to the departments or teams that will perform them?
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)
- Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
- Project organization chart
Correct Answer: C - Organizational Breakdown Structure
Explanation: The OBS is a hierarchical view that links project work to the organizational units responsible for executing that work.
