WBS And Scheduling for eLearning Project Managament

eLearning  project  management  

(cc) 2011 Michael M. Grant | Image from beccaxsos at Flickr.com

WBS   Identify  

project  tasks  Sc

hedu

ling   Identify  and  

level  resources  

Gan

tt  Cha

rt  

Display  and  communicate  tasks  and  scheduling  of  resources  

¡  Very  similar  to  task  analysis/content  analysis,  particularly  Dick,  Carey  &  Carey  

1.  Begin  at  the  top  2.  Name  all  the  tasks  3.  Organize  the  WBS  

¡  By  top,  we  mean  a  top-­‐down  process  ¡  Begin  by  listing  all  the  deliverables  

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¡  This  is  all  the  tasks  and  sub-­‐tasks  ¡  Convert  each  deliverable  and  tasks  into  “real  tasks”  

¡  Recognize  the  summary  tasks  and  the  work  packages.  

Verb  +  product  =  Task  

¡  Once  all  the  work  packages  have  been  identified,  arrange  them,  and  there  are  multiple  ways  to  do  that.  

¡  How  do  you  choose?  It  depends  on  what  you  want  to  communicate.  §  One  may  emphasize  features.  

§  One  may  emphasize  phases  of  a  project  

ü  The  WBS  must  be  broken  down  starting  at  the  top.  

ü  Work  packages  must  add  up  to  the  summary  task.  

ü  Each  task  must  be  named  as  an  activity  that  produces  a  product  

Verb  +  product  =  Task  

¡  “perform  analysis”  ¡  “research”  ¡  “database”  

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¡  No  work  packages  should  be  smaller  than  8  hours  (1  day)  

¡  No  task  should  be  longer  than  the  time  between  2  status  points/reporting  periods  

¡  (No  task  should  be  at  50%  for  more  than  2  status  meetings.)  

¡  Granularity  §  If  it’s  easier  to  estimate,  break  it  down.  

§  If  it’s  easier  to  assign,  break  it  down.  §  If  it’s  easier  to  track,  break  it  down.  

¡  If  it’s  not  one  of  these,  don’t  break  it  down.  

¡  Don’t  forget  to  put  PM  into  the  WBS,  maybe  under  “Manage  project.”  

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¡  Consider  quality  for  each  work  package:  §  What  does  it  mean  to  be  

complete  with  this  task?  §  How  do  we  know  it  was  

done  correctly/well?  

¡  Types  of  quality  checks:  §  Reviews—SME  review,  

design  team  review,  alpha  prototype,  storyboard,  expert  review  

§  Standards—industry  standards,  internal  checklist  

§  Testing—user  testing,  beta  testing,  1-­‐on-­‐1,  small  group,  field  trial  

A  realistic  schedule…  ¡  Includes  detailed  knowledge  of  the  work  to  be  done.  ¡  Has  tasks  sequenced  in  the  correct  order.  ¡  Accounts  for  external  constraints.  ¡  Can  be  accomplished  on  time,  given  the  availability  of  skilled  people  &  enough  equipment.  

Step

 1  

Identify  task  relationships  

Step

 2  

Estimate  durations  for  tasks   St

ep  3  

Assign  &  level  resources  

¡  Sequence  constraints—when  one  task/work  package  must  be  performed  before  another  because  of  dependency  

¡  Indicate  the  predecessors  for  each  activity  

Activity   Description   Duration   Immediate  Predecessors  

1.1   Analyze  learners   -­‐-­‐  

1.2   Analyze  context   1.1  

2.1   Define  performance  gap   1.1,  1.2  

¡  Display  your  thinking  with  a  network  diagram  

Image from http://press.teleinteractive.net/yackity/2005/10/06/critical_path_in_schedule_management

¡  Network  diagram  ¡  Relationships  

§  Finish  to  start  

Image from Microsoft at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101130671033.aspx

Task B cannot begin until Task A is finished.

¡  Network  diagrams  help  present  relationships  among  tasks  §  Finish  to  start  §  Start  to  start  

Task B cannot begin until Task A begins.

Image from Microsoft at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101130671033.aspx

¡  Network  diagram  ¡  Relationships  

§  Finish  to  start  §  Start  to  start  §  Finish  to  finish  

Task B cannot finish until Task A finishes.

Image from Microsoft at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/HA101130671033.aspx

Image from http://press.teleinteractive.net/yackity/2005/10/06/critical_path_in_schedule_management

Activity   Description   Duration  (in  days)  

Immediate  Predecessors  

1.1   Analyze  learners   14   -­‐-­‐  

1.2   Analyze  context   14   1.1  

2.1   Define  performance  gap   2   1.1,  1.2  

¡  Identify  resources  (i.e.,  labor,  equipment,  materials)  

¡  Determine  when  each  resource  is  needed  and  for  how  long.  

¡  Labor:  in  hours  ¡  Equipment:  in  hours  ¡  Materials:  amount,  when  needed  (task  relationship)  

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¡  Assign  resources,  primarily  labor  and  equipment  to  tasks  

¡  Determine  resources  for  each  day  and  compare  schedule  

¡  Some  tasks  may  not  be  completed  concurrently  because  of  resource  pool  or  additional  resources  may  be  needed  

¡  Critical  path  §  The  critical  path  is  the  longest  path  through  the  network,  but  represents  the  minimum  amount  of  time  a  project  will  take.  

Image from http://press.teleinteractive.net/yackity/2005/10/06/critical_path_in_schedule_management

¡  Gantt  §  Henry  Gantt,  early  1900s  §  Horizontal  axis  shows  schedule,  vertical  axis  shows  WBS  

Image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henri_Gannt.jpg

Image from Gary Booker at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GanttChartAnatomy.png

¡  Booker,  G.  (2007).  Ganttchartanatomy.png  [image].  Retrieved  January  27,  2010  from  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GanttChartAnatomy.png  

¡  dmdk12.  (2007).  Development  of  the  network  diagram  and  critical  path.  Retrieved  January  27,  2010  from  http://www.slideshare.net/dmdk12/the-­‐network-­‐diagram-­‐and-­‐critical-­‐path  

¡  Doval  Santos,  C.V.  (2005).  Critical  path  in  schedule  management  [image].  Retrieved  January  27,  2010  from  http://press.teleinteractive.net/yackity/2005/10/06/critical_path_in_schedule_management  

¡  Lynch,  M.M.  &  Roecker,  J.  (2007).  Project  managing  e-­‐learning:  A  handbook  for  successful  design,  delivery  and  management.  New  York:  Routledge.  

¡  Schwalbe,  K.  (2010).  Information  technology  project  management  (6th  ed.).  Boston,  MA:  Cengage  Course  Technology.  

¡  Verzuh,  E.  (2008).  The  fast  forward  MBA  in  project  management  (3rd  ed.).  Hoboken,  NJ:  Wiley.  

(cc) 2011 Michael M. Grant