Project Management

220 Project Management

Figure 11-4 illustrates the key documents that should be

created as part of the planning process.

Work Breakdown Structure.The Work Breakdown Structure

(WBS) is perhaps the most foundational planning document;

just about every other planning document is an extension of

the WBS. The WBS lists and organizes into logical subgroups

all of the work (activities) required to execute the project.

Network Diagram. Also called Logic Diagram, the Network

Diagram depicts the sequence of the activities. It’s the natural

starting point of the scheduling process and it’s a critical docu-

ment in schedule development.

Project Control Schedule (Gantt Chart).The Project Control

Schedule is a time-scaled bar chart. It uses the logic developed

in the Network Diagram, considers the length of time it takes to

execute individual activities, factors in resource availability, and

places everything into calendar time. It’s the document of

choice for helping the team focus on what needs to be done and

when. A Project Control Schedule is used primarily as an inter-

nal control document for the project team and some stakehold-

ers. Progress evaluation, variance calculation, and continuous

forecasting are all done using the Project Control Schedule.

• Responsibility Assignment Matrix.The Responsibility
  Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a two-axis chart that shows

Network

Diagram

Project

Control

Schedule

Project

Budget

“Baseline”

Project Plan

To

Execution

Phase

Potential

Problem

Analysis

Responsibility

Assignment

Matrix

Schedule

Estimating

Worksheets

Cost

Estimating

Worksheets

Work
Breakdown
Structure

Figure 11-4. Key documents in the project planning process