Create WBS Process

Correct Answer: Review and refine the work packages to ensure clear boundaries and avoid duplication

The best action to take when noticing that some work packages in the WBS are not clearly defined and may overlap with others is to review and refine the work packages to ensure clear boundaries and avoid duplication. This approach is the most appropriate because:

1. It addresses the root cause of the problem by improving the WBS structure.
2. It helps prevent future conflicts and inefficiencies during project execution.
3. It aligns with best practices in project management for creating a clear and well-defined WBS.

The other options are less appropriate:

Proceeding with the current WBS and addressing issues during project execution is not recommended, as it can lead to confusion, rework, and potential project delays.

Consulting with stakeholders to expand the project scope is not the right approach, as it doesn't address the existing overlap issue and may introduce unnecessary complexity to the project.

Reassigning team members to different work packages does not solve the underlying problem of unclear boundaries and potential duplication in the WBS structure.

By reviewing and refining the work packages, the project manager ensures a solid foundation for project planning and execution, reducing the risk of scope creep, resource conflicts, and inefficiencies throughout the project lifecycle.

Correct Answer: Review the work packages to confirm they are defined at a sufficient level of detail and update the WBS dictionary.

The best answer is to review the work packages to confirm they are defined at a sufficient level of detail and update the WBS dictionary. After decomposing the project scope into work packages, it is important for the project manager to ensure that each work package is defined to an appropriate level of detail. This allows for accurate estimation, scheduling, and tracking of project progress. Updating the WBS dictionary with the detailed work package information is also crucial for maintaining a complete and accurate record of the project scope. Confirming with stakeholders is not the immediate next step, as the project manager should first ensure the work packages are sufficiently detailed. Discussing potential scope changes at this stage is premature, as the focus should be on finalizing the WBS based on the current project scope. Documenting potential risks is important but not the most critical next step after completing the work package decomposition.

Correct Answer: Evaluate the work package against the WBS purpose and project objectives to determine the need for further decomposition.

In creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), when a work package appears too complex, the immediate next step is to consider breaking it down into smaller, more manageable components. This is to ensure that each work package is sufficiently detailed to support project planning, execution, and monitoring. Therefore, you should evaluate the work package against the WBS purpose and project objectives to determine the need for further decomposition. Assigning the work package to a specialist team for rapid development without first breaking it down could lead to oversight in planning and complexity management. Reallocating resources from other work packages prematurely could disrupt the balance of resource allocation and impact the project schedule negatively. Consulting the project sponsor for approval to increase the scope and timelines due to the complexity of a single work package is premature at this stage and should only be considered after an in-depth analysis and further breakdown of the work package.