Project Management Methodology and

Project Management Software

(PLMT 525)

By
Misgina A. (Ph.D.), Asst. Prof. of Agricultural Economics and
Management at ECSU l Migration and Development
[email protected]
Part I: Introducing Project Management
Methodology

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Leading questions!
• Management?
• Project?
• Project management?
• Project management methodologies?
• MS project software?

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 What is management?
• Management is achieving goals in a way that makes the best use of all
resources
• This involves the following activities:
– Planning – It is the basic function of management. ―Planning is
deciding in advance - what to do, when to do & how to do. It
bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be‖.
―deciding what is to be done‖
– Organizing – It is the process of bringing together physical,
financial and human resources and developing productive
relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals.
―making arrangements‖
– Staffing – It is the function of manning the organization structure
and keeping it manned.

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 Contd…
• Directing – Supervision, Motivation, Leadership,
Communication. ―giving instructions‖

• Controlling –The purpose of controlling is to ensure that

everything occurs in conformities with the standards.

• Monitoring – checking on progress

• Innovating – coming up with solutions when problems emerge

• Representing – liaising with clients, users, developers and other

stakeholders

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 What is a project?
• A project is a temporary effort to create a unique
product or service. Projects usually include constraints
and risks regarding cost, schedule or performance
outcome.

• A project is Planned set of interrelated tasks to be

executed over a fixed period and within certain cost and
other limitations.

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What is Project Management?

• Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing,

motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals

• Project management is a methodical approach to planning

and guiding project processes from start to finish.
Why Project Management?
• Project management is important because it helps every part
of the business run more efficiently and effectively.
• When done correctly, it enables leadership to plan and manage
projects so that every objective and deliverable is completed
on time and within budget.
– Better control of financial, physical, and human resources
– Improved customer relations
– Shorter development times
– Lower costs
– Higher quality and increased reliability
– Improved productivity
– Better internal coordination
 Characteristics of projects
• Non-routine
• Planned
• Aiming at a specific target
• Work carried out for a customer
• Involving several specialises
• Made up of several different phases
• Constrained by time and resources
• Large and/or complex

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Activities covered by project management

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Project Management Methodologies

• There are several PM methodologies & all have pros and cons.
Some of them work better in particular projects, so you’ll need to
learn about project management methodologies to decide which one
works best for you.
• What is a Project Management Methodology?
• A project management methodology is a set of principles, tools
and techniques that are used to plan, execute and manage
projects. Project management methodologies help project
managers lead team members and manage work while facilitating
team collaboration.
• We’ll go through some of the most popular project management
methodologies, which are applied in many sectors such as
software development, R&D and product development.
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Contd…

The most commonly used project management methods that

you can use includes:
1. Waterfall Methodology
• This may be the most straightforward and linear of all the project
management methods in this list, as well as the most traditional
approach.
• The name is apt, as the waterfall methodology is a process in which
the phases of the project flow downward. The waterfall model
requires that you move from one project phase to another only once
that phase has been successfully completed.

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Contd…

Waterfall Methodology…
• When to use it: The waterfall approach is great for manufacturing
and construction projects, which are highly structured, and when it’s
too expensive to pivot or change anything after the fact.
• The waterfall method makes use of Gantt charts for planning and
scheduling.

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Contd…

Waterfall Methodology…

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Contd…
2. Agile Methodology
• What it is: It’s an iterative and flexible approach to project
management that focuses on delivering incremental value
throughout the project's duration.
• It emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, and continuous
improvement. The Agile approach divides the project into small,
manageable work units called sprints or iterations, typically
lasting two to four weeks.
• Each sprint involves planning, executing, reviewing, and adapting
the project deliverables. As its name suggests, ―agile‖ means
moving fast and managing shifting priorities.

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Contd…

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Contd…

2. Agile Methodology…
• When to use it: The practice originated in software development and
works well in that culture.
• How do you know if agile is for you? It has been applied to non-
software products that seek to drive forward with innovation and
have a level of uncertainty, such as computers, motor vehicles,
medical devices, food, clothing, music and more.
• It’s also being used in other types of projects that need a more
responsive and fast-paced production schedule, such as marketing.

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Contd…

3. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

• What it is: This is the granddaddy of methodologies if it’s a
methodology at all. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a not-
for-profit membership association, project management certification
and standards organization.
• This organization produces a book called the ―Project Management
Body of Knowledge‖ or PMBOK. The PMBOK provides definitions
and guidelines for project planning, scheduling, executing and
controlling.
• For example, the project management process groups describe the
project life cycle, while the 10 project management knowledge areas
explain how to manage a project.

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Contd…

3. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)…

• When to use it: Almost any project can benefit from PMBOK, as all
projects big and small are going to go through the various stages of
the project life cycle outlined in the book.
• It’s a great way to keep everyone on the same page, so to speak, and
offers a clear definition of how a project is managed.
• The Project Management Institute it’s also the organization that
grants various project management certifications such as the project
management professional (PMP) certification, which is the gold
standard among project managers and is recognized all over the
world.
• PMBOK is a great traditional framework to run a project.
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Contd…

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Contd…

4. PRINCE2
• PRINCE2 is a popular project management methodology used in
over 150 countries. It's a process-based approach that focuses
on organization and control throughout the entire project.
• The acronym PRINCE stands for "PRojects IN Controlled
Environments." This project management framework is linear and
process-based, focusing on moving initiatives through predefined
stages.
• PRINCE2 also includes core project management principles like
outlining your project scope and budget, which makes it a good
option for beginners.

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Contd…

4. The history of PRINCE2

• This project management methodology was first established in 1989
by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA).
• It was originally based on a methodology used by the United
Kingdom’s government, known as Project Resource Organization
Management Planning Technique (PROMPT). The UK government
used PROMPT primarily for information system projects.
• PRINCE2 started out as just PRINCE, and this first iteration focused
on managing IT projects.
• During the 1990s, managers realized that PRINCE’s techniques could
be applied to any type of project, not just IT. After a rewrite to
remove any mention of IT-specific jargon, PRINCE2 was launched in
1996.
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Contd…

6 key aspects of a PRINCE2 project

• Every PRINCE2 project has these six characteristics, which the
project manager tracks as the project progresses.
– Project scope: This clearly outlines what goals, deadlines, and project
deliverables your project is working towards.
– Costs: This is how much money your project will cost. The goal is to
calculate this as close as you can to prevent going over your project
budget.
– Timescales: This is the amount of time your project will take to
complete. PRINCE2 projects typically have a set deadline created by the
project board. Timescales help team members by giving them an
estimated timeline to complete each task.

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Contd…

• The characteristics….
– Risk: There’s inherent risk with every project because we can’t
control everything. Part of PRINCE2 includes establishing a risk
management process to proactively identify what risks your team
may encounter and mitigate any issues.
– Quality: In PRINCE2, it's necessary to create a quality register, or
something that clearly defines the standards of production for all
deliverables. This ensures that the final deliverable meets your
team’s highest standards and satisfies customer expectations.
– Benefits: PRINCE2 requires that every project has a clear
business justification. This is similar to a project charter, but the
requirements all depend on what your project board wants to
see before approving the project.
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Contd…
5. Critical Path Method (CPM)
• What it is: In the critical path method (CPM), you build a model of
the project, including all the activities listed in a work breakdown
structure, the duration of those tasks, what if any task dependencies
there are and marking off milestones to indicated larger phases of
the project or points in which your project deliverables are due.
• CPM revolves around discovering the most important tasks in
the project timeline, identifying task dependencies, and
calculating task durations.
• CPM was developed in the late 1950s as a methodology to
resolve the issue of increased costs due to inefficient
scheduling. Since then, CPM has become popular for planning
projects and prioritizing tasks. 25
Contd…
5. Critical Path Method (CPM)…
• Building out a project roadmap can help you visualize what needs to
be done to reach your end goal. The critical path method helps you
do exactly that.
• It’s a project management technique that involves mapping out key
tasks or critical tasks necessary to complete a project. It helps you
break down complex projects into individual tasks and gain a better
understanding of the overall project flexibility.
• CPA can provide valuable insight on how to plan projects, allocate
resources, pace towards milestones, and schedule tasks.

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Contd…
Why you should use the critical path method:
• Improves future planning: CPM can be used to compare
expectations with actual progress. The data used from current
projects can inform future project plans.
• Facilitates more effective resource management: CPM helps
project managers prioritize tasks, giving them a better idea of how
to avoid resource constraints.
• Helps avoid bottlenecks: Bottlenecks in projects can result in lost
valuable time. Plotting out project dependencies using a network
diagram will give you a better idea of which activities can and can’t
run in parallel, allowing you to schedule work accordingly.

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• Finding the critical path: It involves identifying the longest
path between the start and end of the project by comparing
the duration of critical and non-critical tasks. Below is a
breakdown of the steps, with examples.

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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

1. List activities: Use a work breakdown structure to list all the

project activities or tasks required to produce the deliverables. The
list of activities in the work breakdown structure serves as the
foundation for the rest of the CPM.

For example, let’s say the marketing team is producing a new interactive blog post. Here are some
tasks that might be in the work breakdown structure:
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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…
2. Identify dependencies: Based on your work breakdown structure,
determine the tasks that are dependent on one another.
This will also help you identify any work that can be done in parallel
with other tasks.
• Here are the task dependencies based on the example above:
• Task B is dependent on A
• Task C is dependent on B
• Tasks C and D can run in parallel
• Task E is dependent on D
• Task F is dependent on C, D, and E
• The list of dependent tasks is referred to as an activity sequence, which
will be used to determine the critical path.
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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

3. Create a network diagram: The next step is to turn the work

breakdown structure into a network diagram, which is a flowchart
displaying the chronology of critical path activities.

Create a box for each task and use arrows to depict task
dependencies. You’ll add other time-bound components to the network
diagram until you have the general project schedule figured out.

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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

4. Estimate task duration: To calculate the critical path, the longest

sequence of tasks, you first need to estimate the duration of each
activity.

To estimate the duration, try:

• Making educated guesses based on experience and knowledge
• Estimating based on previous project data
• Estimating based on industry standards

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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

5. Calculate the critical path: Calculating the critical path can be

done manually, but you can save time by using a critical path algorithm
instead.

Here are the steps to calculate the critical path manually:

• Step 1: Write down the start and end time next to each sequence of
activities to calculate the sequence's "duration.―
• Step 2: Determine the number of dependencies along each sequence.
• Step 3: The sequence of activities with the longest duration (end of
sequence date - beginning of sequence date) is the critical path. If multiple
sequences of activities have the same duration, the sequence with the
greater number of dependencies is the critical path.
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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

Using the same example above, here’s what the critical path diagram
might look like:

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Contd…
The steps of a project's critical path…

6. Calculate the float: Float, or slack, refers to the amount of

flexibility of a given task. It indicates how much the task can be
delayed without impacting subsequent tasks or the project end date.

Finding the float is useful in gauging how much flexibility the project
has. Float is a resource that should be used to cover project risks or
unexpected issues that come up.

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Contd…
Critical Path Method (CPM)
• When to use it: CPM works better with smaller or mid-sized
projects. The larger the project, the more difficult it can be to take all
the data you need to diagram and make sense of it without project
management software.

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For more details see: the most popular project
management methodologies

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Part II: Microsoft Project - Getting Started
Project Management
• a method for organizing tasks
• a structured framework to help a group work productively
• a tools to aid in task sequencing, dependency analysis,
resource allocation, scheduling, etc.
• tools to track progress relative to plan
Why Need Project Management?
• Complex project needs coordination of:
– Multiple people
– Multiple resources (labs, equipment, material, HR, etc.)
– Multiple tasks – some must precede others
– Multiple decision points – approvals
– Phased expenditure of funds
– Matching of people/resources to tasks
Task Dependencies and the Critical Path
• Sometimes task B cannot be started before task A is
completed
• Other types of constraints – calendar, lags, etc.
• Critical path – any slippage slips whole project
• Helpful to know what tasks are on the critical path
• Useful to try to shorten the critical path
Suggested Steps in Project Management
• Generate a formal definition of the project, with logical
goals/objectives/output, constraints, assumptions
• Identify project start/end dates, any mandatory milestones,
including reports, signoffs, deliverables, etc.
• List constraints – money, equipment availability, holidays, etc.
• Identify tasks to be accomplished – high level (i.e., by
categories), then details within each, using brainstorming
method – green light
Suggested Steps, cont.
• Refine detailed task list, dropping/ combining, adding things
omitted.
• Then, for each task in list:
• Estimate time (person hours, calendar period)
• Identify dependencies among tasks
• Identify resources (people, money, parts, etc.)
Suggested Steps, cont.

Organize task groups roughly by starting date

List dependencies that should or MUST hold
Use MS Project to make a GANTT chart
• First capture tasks and task groups, milestones
• Identify critical path, see if it can be shortened (get more
“slack”)
• Assign person-hours and specific team member(s) to each
task – identify “task leads”
Suggested Steps, cont.
As project progresses:
• Monitor, record progress on all tasks, at least weekly – use
“Tracking Gantt Chart”
• Pay particular attention to those on critical path
• Revise plan as needed to take into account changes, adapt to
meet milestones
Project Management Using Microsoft Project

• Allows many different ways of entering and observing

information
• Includes many features to help identify problems with a
plan
• Regular use can help a group refine plans to make
meeting targets more realistic
 What is Microsoft Project?
• Microsoft Project is a project management software program
developed and sold by Microsoft

• Designed to assist project managers in developing plans,

assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing
budgets and analyzing workloads

• The application creates critical path schedules, and critical

chain which can be visualized in a Gantt chart

• Available currently in to editions, Standard and Professional

 Short History of MS Project
• The first version of Microsoft Project was released for DOS
(Disk Operating Systems) in 1984 by a company working for
Microsoft. Microsoft bought all rights to the software in 1985

• During 1980’s couple of versions for DOS were released. The

first Windows version in 1990.

• During 1990’s there were also versions for Mac

• Subsequent versions – V3 (1992),V4 (1993), 1995,1998, 2000,

2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.

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Microsoft Project Overview

• MS project is a project management software program which

requires software or hardware installations.
The purpose of program MS Project

• List each task necessary to complete a project in the order

they should be performed

• Assign start and finish dates to tasks or let the program set
them for you by specifying the duration of the task

• Display the tasks graphically over a time line to get an overall

view of the project

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 …
• Assign workers, contractors and their resources to tasks and
print their schedules

• Compute the hours and cost necessary to complete a task or

the entire project

• Monitor a project’s progress and compare it to your original

estimate

• Analyze such items as cost, hours, slack time, resource

allocation etc. using tables and graphs

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 MS Project Offers
• MSP enables you to stay informed and control:
– Project work
– Schedules
– Finances
• And to keep project teams aligned

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Scheduling Techniques
– PERT
– CPM
– Gantt Chart
– Milestone Chart

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Scheduling Techniques…
• PERT
– Program Evaluation and Review Technique
• CPM
– Critical Path Method
• Gantt Chart
• All are models using network diagrams

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 What is CPM?
• The first step in creating a schedule is an assessment of the
critical path or the shortest period in which the project can be
completed.
• Commonly used with all forms of projects, including
construction, software dev't, research projects, product dev't,
engineering, and plant maintenance, among others
- Any project with interdependent activities can apply this
method of scheduling

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 CPM…
• Project managers create a project plan by setting task
dependencies (relationships).
• The critical path consists of tasks that must be completed on
time in order for a project to stay on track and come to a
successful completion.
– Creating task dependencies changes the start and finish dates of tasks.
– Creating task dependencies also creates the project’s critical path.
• The critical path consists of tasks (or a single task) that
determine the project’s finish date (or start date).

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 CPM…
• The best way to view the critical path is in Network Diagram
view.
• In Network Diagram view, the critical path is represented by
red task boxes and red link lines.
• This view can help project managers analyse the critical path
and critical tasks and make informed project decisions.
• The critical path is not visible in Calendar view. By default, it is
also not displayed in Gantt Chart view, but you can add it to
Gantt Chart view if desired.

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 What is PERT?
• Program (Project) Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is
a project management tool used to schedule, organize, and
coordinate tasks within a project.
• It is basically a method to analyze the tasks involved in
completing a given project, especially the time needed to
complete each task, and to identify the minimum time needed to
complete the total project.

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Critical path method vs. PERT
• CPM and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) were
both developed in the 1950s.
• PERT is used to estimate uncertainty around project activities by
applying a weighted average of optimistic and pessimistic factors.
• It evaluates the amount of time needed to complete an
activity. PERT uses three time estimates to find a range for the
duration of an activity:
– Most likely estimate (M)
– Optimistic (O)
– Pessimistic (P)
• The calculation for PERT is: Estimated time = (O + 4M + P) / 6

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Critical path method vs. PERT…
• The main difference between PERT and CPM is their level of
certainty around activity durations—PERT is used to estimate
the time required to complete activities, whereas CPM is
used when the activity durations are already estimated.
• PERT is a project management technique used to measure
uncertain activities in a project and focuses on time planning
and control.
• In contrast, CPM is a statistical project management
technique that manages the well-defined activities of a
project, such as time and cost management.

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 What is Gantt Chart?
• A GANTT chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a
project schedule.

• After the PERT/CPM analysis is completed, the following

phase is to construct the GANTT chart and then to re-
allocate resources and re-schedule if necessary.

• GANTT charts have become a common technique for

representing the phases and activities of a project work
breakdown structure.

• It was introduced by Henry Gantt around 1910 – 1915.

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Gantt Chart

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Summery

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Advantages and Disadvantages MSP
• Advantages
• Simple
• Good visual communication to others
• Task durations can be compared easily
• Good for scheduling resources

• Disadvantages
• Dependencies are more difficult to visualise
• Minor changes in data can cause major
changes in the chart

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 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc.
• “Rolling up” subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time
assignments, etc.
 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc.
• “Rolling up” subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time assignments, etc.
Categorizes dependencies into 4 types. They are based on when a
successor task follows a predecessor task. The four types are as follows:

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 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc…
• “Rolling up” subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time assignments, etc.
 WATCH YOUR DEPENDENCY CHOICES!!!
• If you choose something other than the “default” finish/start
constraints, you will probably LOSE your ability to track the
critical path
• So AVOID “finish by” or “start by” with particular calendar
dates, or other types of constraints.
• Break tasks apart as needed, in order to make finish/start
constraints realistic!
 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc.
• “Rolling up” subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time assignments, etc.
 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc.
• ―Rolling up‖ subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time assignments, etc.
 Our “Flyover” of Project 98
• Adding tasks, durations
• Setting dependencies
• Seeing critical path, etc.
• “Rolling up” subtasks
• Assigning resources
• Adjusting durations, time assignments, etc.
YOUR MS Project has a “Deadline” box
on this page! Use it to let you get warned
when something gets pushed back too far,
but STILL not assigning a “start no earlier
than” or “finish no later than” constraint to
it – still using “As soon as possible.”
 Management of YOUR Project
With your team members
• Create a plan for the entire project
• Set milestones for tracking progress
• Provide more detail for near-term tasks
• Use with your facilitator to report progress and revise/add
detail to plan
• Assign specific tasks to team members
• Revise plan and activities as required to achieve objectives
• Prepare Case: Road Corridor Development Project
(Phase2)
– The next corridor development project is a continuation of
reform plans to transform Addis into a smart and modern city.
– This project aims to build bicycle routes, pedestrian walkways,
parks, toilets, and entertaining area.
– The project also aims to upgrade the out-dated drainage
systems, upgrade utility networks such as power and internet.
• Now you’re asked to develop a more detailed project plan by
creating a Work Breakdown Structure for this project and
assigning resources to individual tasks.

118
Part III: Microsoft Project 2016
Creating a Detailed Project Plan

119
Microsoft Project 2016
Objectives
1. Identify the critical path
2. Create a Work Breakdown Structure
3. Create and assign project resources
4. Change task durations by adding resources
5. View resource assignments in the Team Planner view
6. Enhance a project schedule with elapsed duration and recurring tasks
7. Share project information
8. Copy and paste project information to other applications
9. Share project information with Microsoft Excel
10. Use and create Project templates
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Microsoft Project 2016…
• Prepare Case: Painted Paradise Golf Resort—First Annual Charity
Golf Tournament
• The Painted Paradise Golf Resort will be holding its first annual
charity golf tournament to raise money for the purchase of
textbooks to be donated to the elementary schools in Santa Fe,
New Mexico.
• Patti Rochelle, the project manager of this event, has assigned you
to start an initial list of project tasks using Microsoft Project 2016
to organize this event.
• She has looked over your list of tasks and made a few adjustments.
Now Patti is asking you to develop a more detailed project plan by
creating a Work Breakdown Structure for this project and assigning
resources to individual tasks.
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122
Microsoft Project 2016
Step by step

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 Part II: Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project 2016 Tutorial for Beginners
Part 1: The MS Project 2016 Workspace
(youtube.com)

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Detailing a Project Plan
• Project managers may choose to use Microsoft Project 2016 to
assist them in planning and achieving project success.
• Project 2016 can provide project managers with an orderly way
of creating a project schedule.
• To determine a project’s schedule, project managers must
adjust a project’s calendar to:
– reflect available working time,
– determine a project’s scheduling method of automatic or manual,
– identify the project’s tasks, define task relationships,
and set task resources.
• Once this has been accomplished, project managers will have an
idea of when the project should start or should finish. 125
1. Identify the Critical Path
• The first step in creating a schedule is an assessment of the
critical path or the shortest period in which the project can be
completed.
• Project managers create a project plan by setting task
dependencies (relationships). By setting task dependencies,
Project 2016 will create the critical path.
• The critical path consists of tasks that must be completed on
time in order for a project to stay on track and come to a
successful completion.
– Creating task dependencies changes the start and finish dates of tasks.
– Creating task dependencies also creates the project’s critical path.
• The critical path consists of tasks (or a single task) that
determine the project’s finish date (or start date). 126
1. Identify the Critical Path…
• The best way to view the critical path is in Network Diagram
view.
• In Network Diagram view, the critical path is represented by
red task boxes and red link lines.
• This view can help project managers analyse the critical path
and critical tasks and make informed project decisions.
• The critical path is not visible in Calendar view. By default, it is
also not displayed in Gantt Chart view, but you can add it to
Gantt Chart view if desired.

127
1. Identify the Critical Path…
• Identifying the Critical Path
– You want to view your project’s critical path so you are aware of
which tasks are critical tasks and therefore must be completed
on time.
– You want to view the project’s critical path in both the Network
Diagram and Gantt Chart views.
– In this exercise, you will view the critical path.

128
1. Identify the Critical Path…
• Identifying the Critical Path
– You want to view your project’s critical path so you are aware of
which tasks are critical tasks and therefore must be completed
on time.
– You want to view the project’s critical path in both the Network
Diagram and Gantt Chart views.
– In this exercise, you will view the critical path.

129
Identifying the Critical Path
•You want to view your project’s critical path so you are aware of which tasks are
critical tasks and therefore must be completed on time.You want to view the
project’s critical path in both the Network Diagram and Gantt Chart views.
•In this exercise, you will view the critical path.

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 Critical task

Figure 1 Critical path in Network Diagram view

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132
 Critical task
check box

Figure 2 Gantt Chart view with critical path

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134
2. Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• The basis of the critical path method is using the Work Breakdown
Structure – or WBS. WBS resolves the project into actionable
steps and manageable sections.
• An important step to project planning success is to organize the
project tasks in a logical way. A method of organizing tasks in a
hierarchical structure is by creating a Work Breakdown
Structure.
• A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) creates a project plan
structure in which project tasks are identified, task relationships are
defined, and task resources are assigned. When creating a WBS, a
project manager will define the main goals of the scope of a project
and then identify the tasks that must go into completing these goals.

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2. Create a WBS…
• A WBS is often created in a top-down structure, similar to a
detailed outline, where the main goals are defined and then
supporting tasks to complete these goals are identified.
• Figure 3 shows an example of a WBS for the Charity Golf
Tournament project.
• In this example, the project is broken down into four main goals of
tournament initiation, sponsorship, promotion, and events.
• Under the main goals are the tasks that need to be completed to
meet the project goal.

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Figure 3 WBS example

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Figure 3 WBS example

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2. Create a WBS…
• In order to create a Work Breakdown Structure in Project
2016, you must identify the main project goals or phases of
the project.
• The main goals are like main headings in an outline. These
main headings or goals are called summary tasks in the
Project software.
• Summary tasks are tasks listed in bold in the Entry table
and are groups of tasks that logically belong together.
• To create summary tasks, you can indent and out-dent tasks
or use the Summary button in the Insert group on the Task
tab.

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2. Create a WBS…
• Indenting a task moves a task to the right in the Entry
table and makes it a lower level task in a WBS, such as a task
that needs to be completed to achieve the main goal.
• Outdenting a task moves a task to the left in the Entry table
and makes it a higher level task in a WBS, such as a main goal.
• As shown in Figure 4, indenting and outdenting tasks can be
done in the Schedule group on the Task tab

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Creating a Work Breakdown Structure
• You can add new tasks to create summary tasks as well. Once a new task
is added and given a main goal title, the related tasks would be indented
to make the newly added task the summary task.

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See the tutorial document on MS Project 2016 for a details

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See the tutorial document on MS Project 2016 for a details

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 3. Create and Assign Project Resources

• One of the main advantages of using project planning software

such as Project 2016 is the ability to assign and track
resources.
• Resources are the people, materials, or costs needed to
complete project tasks. When you add resources in Project
2016, you are making them available to assign them to project
tasks.
• Resources can be added in many views in Project 2016.
However, the most common way of adding resources is by
using Resource Sheet view, as shown in Figure 16.

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Figure 16 Resource Sheet view
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 3. Create and Assign Project Resources…

• In Resource Sheet view, you can enter resource information

in columns and rows to include information such as resource
name, resource type, and resource cost, and you can
assign a calendar to a resource.
• In the Resource Name column, you identify the name of the
resource. For example, a resource could be Your Name.
• In the Type column, you identify whether a resource is
a work, material, or cost resource.
– A work resource is the person and equipment that needs to be used to
complete a project task.
– A material resource is a consumable resource such as supplies that gets
used up as a project progresses.
– A cost resource includes costs that are not based on work, such as
equipment needed to complete a task.
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3. Create and Assign Project Resources…

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Creating Project Resources
• To keep track of who will help you complete the charity golf
tournament project tasks, you have decided to add project
team members into the Resource Sheet.
• You will add the project team members in Resource Sheet view
and then assign resources to your project tasks.
• Since all project team members’ tasks are part of their general
job duties, you will not assign a resource cost to the tasks.
• In this exercise, you will create project resources.

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Figure 17 Resource Sheet selection
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Assigning Project Resources…
• Once resources are created, they must be assigned to tasks. Assigning
a resource to a task means the resource is responsible for completing
or overseeing the task.
• Project 2016 will assign the resource work, and therefore, the
resource would be unavailable to complete other tasks at the same
time.
• There are various ways of assigning project resources to tasks:
• The Assign Resources dialog box
• A cell in the Resource Names column arrow of the Entry table in Gantt
Chart view
• The Resources tab in the Task Information dialog box
• The Task Work Form in Details view

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Assigning Project Resources

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Change Task Durations by Adding Resources
• Task durations may change when resources are added.You,
must understand how work is calculated in Project 2016.
• How Project 2016 calculates the duration of a task depends
on whether the task is effort driven or fixed duration.
• Effort driven scheduling is a method of scheduling in
Project 2016 in which the duration of a task is shortened as
resources are added or lengthened as resources are removed
from a task; however, the amount of effort (work) necessary
to complete a task remains unchanged.

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Change Task Durations by Adding Resources …
• In other words, the more effort assigned to a task (units), the
shorter the duration will be (even though the total work does
not change).
• When you remove a resource from an effort driven task,
Project 2016 will lengthen the duration of
the task.
• With effort driven scheduling, Project 2016 calculates work
using the following
formula: W=D*U [Work (W)=Duration (D)*Units (U)].

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See details on: Microsoft Project
2016

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Microsoft Project 2016 Tutorial for Beginners
Part 1:The MS Project 2016 Workspace
(youtube.com)

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