If it isn’t in the work breakdown (WBS), it isn’t in the project! Although this may sound harsh, take these words seriously. Your WBS is where you will find your scope. Yes, you have a team member to work with your stakeholders to define your project scope. Once the scope has been documented, all key stakeholders must sign off. Next, you will discuss the scope and what must be done to bring it to life. What will you do to celebrate the project’s completion with your team?
The WBS can be used as a reference guide for your project. It can be used by stakeholders to inform them about the effort that goes into making their dreams a reality. It is a solid foundation for planning your resource requirements, estimating time and budget, and it aids in risk identification. Your WBS can be used to encourage lessons learned discussions and to plan for future similar projects.
You can do all these things without a WBS. Yes. Actually, my team and I did most things without a WBS when I was new. I say most because we didn’t know about formal risk management. It is so much easier to have the project scope in one place. This makes life so much simpler. Don’t worry, there will be many challenges along your project journey.
