Pre-Construction

Online Guide

Plan the Work

Process

Activity:

Task Planning and Scheduling

Revision

July 1, 2005

 

Description:

Using the Project Work Breakdown Structure to develop “manageable” Tasks, and put them into a time-phased format: Scheduling.

 

Inputs:

·         Completed Initiate and Align Worksheet

·         Completed Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

 

Tools:

·         Task Planning Worksheet Template

·         WSDOT Project Delivery Information System (PDIS)

Note: This is a WSDOT internal web site that is not available to anyone outside the agency

 

Steps:

1.      Define Tasks/Activity Definition (Levels 5-10).

The Task Planning Template is an excellent tool to help with identifying and defining detailed tasks that support the production of the deliverables (Level 4). The Task Planning Template helps organize task information, including predecessors, successors, task description, resources to be used, etc.

 

2.      Review the tasks identified in the Project WBS and establish the logical sequences within their Work Categories (Level 3).

 

3.      Establish Durations and Task Dependencies:

·         Enter duration estimates and/or Start/Finish dates for all tasks.

·         Review the tasks and identify all precedence relationships between dependent tasks by type of dependency (Start-Finish, Start-Start, etc.), and link all Task Dependencies.

·         Review each Task Dependency and determine if lead/lag times are required, and enter them.

Review the schedule, dates, and Major Milestones for appropriateness.

 

4.      Assign resources and/or estimated costs to the tasks (generic resources are a minimum):

·         Identify the estimated effort needed for the assigned resource. Determine whether the resource will be uniformly assigned at a set rate (e.g., 8 hours/day) or a total planned effort in total work units (e.g., 40 hours total effort).

·         Identify any constraints associated with the assigned resource (i.e., resource is only available after Oct 15th, or resource is only available 50% of the time).

Be sure to include Dollar-loaded deliverables prepared by specialty groups.

 

5.      Balance resources for the project and across multiple projects.

Based on appropriate criteria (e.g., resource availability, funding, completion of Major Milestones), shift task performance periods, revise priorities, identify additional resources, or modify approaches to performance, etc., to establish a balanced plan for the use of resources.

 

6.      Review the “balanced” Performance Baseline Schedule with team members prior to seeking endorsement.

 

Products:

·         Performance Baseline Schedule for Endorsement

 

Guidelines:

The team may reorder the Project WBS for scheduling. Flexibility is built into the project management process, including the MDL/WBS. If a team wishes to reorganize the list, they may do so within the constraints of the software.

Deliverables and Tasks may be moved only within their Work Category (Level 3). For example, Hydraulics tasks cannot be moved into Traffic tasks, and so forth. If the team wants Traffic listed before Hydraulics, it can be moved, but all sub-levels must be moved with it.