4.2: Plan of Attack

Breaking Down the Work – Work Breakdown Structure, Effort Estimation, and Initial Scheduling

Objective of This Milestone

Your mission in this chapter is to convert your structured plan into an execution-ready model—one that can be used to guide daily work, assign resources, estimate timing, and support stakeholder coordination.

This is where project planning becomes operational.

Your five deliverables must collectively answer the following questions:

• What exactly will be done? (WBS)
• How long will it take? (Effort Estimation)
• What depends on what? (Sequencing & Dependencies)
• What are the key checkpoints? (Milestone Schedule)
• Are we actually ready to proceed? (Planning Readiness Review)

Step-by-Step Strategy for Completing This Milestone

Step 1: Build the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

What to do:

• Translate your deliverables and scope from Milestone 2 into a hierarchical list of work items
• Use at least 3 levels of hierarchy:
  • Level 1: Major phase or deliverable (e.g., “Planning Documentation”)
  • Level 2: Work package (e.g., “Draft Requirements Summary”)
  • Level 3: Task or unit of work (e.g., “Interview 3 stakeholders”)

Best practices:

• Number each item (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1 → 1.1.1)
• Use action-oriented task names
• Make sure every item is traceable to something promised in the Charter or Scope

Deliverable format: Outline, table, or tree diagram

Step 2: Estimate Effort and Duration

What to do:

• For each task or work package, estimate either:
  • Effort (total work hours)
  • Duration (calendar time to complete)
• Clarify whether you’re assuming full-time focus or shared time

Example:

• Task: Conduct stakeholder interviews
  • Effort: 10 hours
  • Duration: 1 week (to allow for scheduling delays)

Best practices:

• Use historical data, expert judgment, or comparable benchmarks
• Include assumptions (e.g., “Assumes no stakeholder cancellations”)
• Flag any high-variance tasks (i.e., those that may swing widely)

Deliverable format: Table with columns for Task Name, WBS ID, Effort, Duration, and Notes

Step 3: Identify Task Dependencies and Sequence the Work

What to do:

• For each task, identify:
  • What must happen before it
  • What it can be done in parallel with
  • What it triggers downstream

Types of dependencies to identify:

• Finish-to-Start (most common)
• Start-to-Start (parallel work)
• Finish-to-Finish (linked completions)

Best practices:

• Use clear language (e.g., “Can’t begin Task 2.1.3 until Task 2.1.1 is approved”)
• Identify both internal and external dependencies
• Watch for potential bottlenecks or delays

Deliverable format: Dependency matrix, annotated task list, or narrative dependency map

Step 4: Define and Schedule Milestones

What to do:

• Choose 3–5 major milestones that mark:
  • Completion of critical deliverables
  • Readiness for handoff or approval
  • Decision points for the client or project sponsor

Each milestone should include:

• Milestone name (e.g., “Requirements Approved”)
• Target date
• Preconditions (what must be completed to reach it)
• Owner (who ensures the milestone is hit)

Best practices:

• Don’t confuse milestones with tasks (they are zero-duration checkpoints)
• Tie milestones to communication points (e.g., stakeholder review meetings)
• Align with the client's academic or operational calendar

Deliverable format: Milestone table with name, description, target date, and dependencies

Step 5: Conduct a Planning Readiness Review

What to do:

• Step back and assess your plan:
  • Are all WBS items aligned with the Scope and Deliverables from Milestone 2?
  • Are your estimates realistic for your team’s availability?
  • Do your dependencies make sense—and are they complete?
  • Do your milestones reflect meaningful project progress?

Best practices:

• Use a short checklist or self-review table
• Identify any known risks, open questions, or areas needing sponsor input
• Prepare a 1-paragraph statement of “execution readiness” based on your assessment

Deliverable format: Narrative summary or checklist with status of each planning element

General Tips for Success

• Build backward from your milestones—then fill in the tasks needed to reach each one
• Estimate collaboratively, especially for complex tasks—don’t go solo
• Double-check that all planning assets are traceable to what you promised in Milestone 2
• Plan for stakeholder realities—like academic holidays, vendor delays, or review cycles
• Communicate like a planner, not a student—your submission should feel operational, not hypothetical

What You’ll Submit

You’ll submit:

• A complete WBS (structured and numbered)
• A task list with effort/duration estimates
• A dependency map or sequencing outline
• A milestone schedule (3–5 major checkpoints)
• A planning readiness review (1-page summary or checklist)

These materials should be packaged into a single client-ready document, clearly labeled and logically ordered.