ABSTRACT
Planning is synonymous with project management; a fact evidenced by our familiarity with a myriad of sayings attesting to its benefits. The need for extensive project planning is a direct consequence of the intrinsic uncertainties associated with projects and their environments, and it is the breadth and depth of the planning needed to manage a project that sets it apart from the management required of non-project work. Although the design of the structure of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is usually at the discretion of the project manager (PM), there are instances, especially for Supplier Organizations (SO) projects, where it is appropriate to impose a predesigned structure. Very many organizations become obsessed with the planning of duration and cost, largely encouraged by the availability of specialist computer based tools, without first having established a robust scope baseline.
