Preface to the Second Edition

When the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Practice Standard Update Team gathered in April of 2003, the progression of this standard to its current level of advancement could not have been anticipated. To begin the work, the team received the charter for the update process, the original chapters and appendices from the first edition, as well as approximately 450 comments about the content of the document that had been received from readers and project management practitioners since the time of its publication.

While the challenge to update the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures initially did not appear particularly difficult, the project team spent a great deal of time planning and developing an appropriate approach. At the time the update was being initiated, the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures had achieved widespread popularity across the project management community, and had taken its place beside the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Third Edition as a frequently requested publication available from PMI. Any modifications to this document, therefore, had to be weighed carefully.

With this in mind, the Update Team set in motion a series of discussions, presentations, and interviews designed to surface and accurately illuminate how the WBS is put into play across a broad array of industries today. The resulting conclusions regarding WBS application and practice have now been incorporated into this standard and have been brought together as a “white paper” that accompanies the publication on the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition CD-ROM.

From the time the first edition of the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures was being developed a little more than five years ago, there has been a vast expansion in rapid electronic access to information through the Internet, CD-ROMS, DVDs, instant messaging, and wireless technology. Knowing that the WBS Practice Standard will be delivered into this rapidly evolving communications environment, the Update Team was compelled to consider how this standard would be viewed and used by current and future project management practitioners.

Considering these factors, the Update Team came to understand that what had at first seemed readily achievable was, in fact, considerably more complex and difficult. Team leaders and members alike were convinced the design for the WBS Practice Standard would need to reflect not only the progressive application of the WBS in practice today, but must include and incorporate an awareness of the new environment in which it will be used. To ensure this edition met those requirements, the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition will now be delivered as a hard copy document as well as a CD-ROM.

Specifically relating to the content of the standard, many of the comments received since the first publication focused on the need for more detail and a broader overall perspective. Many comments included detailed requests for more and varied examples, checklists, job aids, and reference material. The Update Team has taken particular care to address these comments, while ensuring that material accurately reflects the application of standard practice in the industry. Throughout the standard, the reader will find additional guidance regarding the characteristics that make up a high-quality WBS, as well as considerably more discussion about the use of the WBS in real-life practical situations. Additionally, many of the checklists, sets of questions, and sectional examples have been extracted, reformatted, and placed in the appendices as individual elements that can be used as job aids and guides for developing a WBS.

The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition provides guidance in the initial generation, subsequent development, and application of the WBS. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition is not, however, a textbook, and it does not provide specific “how-to” instructions. The target audience for this standard includes project managers, project team members, contract personnel, and others who participate or have an interest in any aspect of the management of projects or programs. In using this practice standard, it must be recognized that as projects vary, so can the resulting WBSs. There are, however, certain universal principles that this practice standard addresses.

The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition is consistent with the PMBOK® Guide—Third Edition. The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition also includes information derived from accepted project management industry sources. The Project Management Institute's standards program will periodically update the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures as part of the planned evolution of its standards. Your comments are invited.

The Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition is organized as follows: