Page 72 - DCAP304_DCAP515_SOFTWARE_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Software Project Management

Notes 3.2.1 Top-down Approach

The top-down approach begins at the goal level and successively partitions work down to
lower levels of definition until the participants are satisfied that the work has been sufficiently
defined.
Once the project activities have been defined using the top-down approach, they will be defined
at a sufficient level of detail to allow you to estimate time, cost, and resource requirements first
at the activity level and then aggregate to the project level.

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Caution Because the activities are defined to this level of detail, project time, cost, and
resource requirements are estimated much more accurately.
Once the activities are described, you can sequence the project work so that as many activities as
possible are performed in parallel, rather than in sequence.
There are two variations of the top-down approach:
 Team approach

 Sub-team approach

Team Approach

In this approach the entire team works on all parts of the WBS. For each Level 1 activity, appoint
the most knowledgeable member of the planning team to facilitate the further decomposition
of that part of the WBS. Continue with similar appointments until the WBS is complete. This
approach allows all members of the planning team to pay particular attention to the WBS as it is
developed, noting discrepancies and commenting on them in real time.
The team approach is better then the sub-team approach but it requires more time to complete.

Sub-team Approach

When time is at a premium, the planning facilitator will prefer the sub-team approach. The first
step is to divide the planning team into as many sub-teams as there are activities at Level 1 of the
WBS. Then follow these steps:
1. The planning team agrees on the approach to building the first level of the Work Breakdown
Structure.
2. The planning team creates the Level 1 activities.
3. A subject matter expert leads the team in further decomposition of the WBS for his or her
area of expertise.
4. The team suggests decomposition ideas for the expert until each activity within the Level
1 activities meets the WBS completion criteria.

Did u know? What is decomposition?

Decomposition (or rotting) is the process by which organic material is broken down into
simpler forms of matter.

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