This article contains most of the important information you need to know about Define Activites process in order to answer questions related to this topic in the PMP Exam, I recommend you review this type of articles 1 week before your exam date, all information mentioned are based on PMBOK Guide 6th edition and PMP Exam Prep 9th edition for Rita Maclhy’s, ITTO refers to Inputs, Tools & Techniques and outputs.
This process is a part of Planning Process group and Time Management Knowledge Area with the following ITTO’s
Inputs:
- Project Management Plan ( Schedule Management Plan , Scope Baseline )
- Organizational Process Assets
- Enterprise Environmental Factors
Tools & Techniques:
- Decomposition
- Rolling Wave planning
- Export Judgment
- Meetings
Outputs:
- Activity List
- Activity Attributes
- Milestones list
- Change Requests
- Project Management plan updates ( Schedule & Cost Baselines )
- It’s the process of defining and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables .
- This process involves taking the work packages produced in create WBS process and decomposing them into activities that are required to produce the work package deliverables.
- Activities produced are more related to actual project work that will produce project deliverables.
- Activity Types :
- Level of efforts, Support and measured in time period.
- Discrete efforts, indirect proportion to other activities.
- Note for the exam that if the team is decomposing project deliverables, they are in creating WBS process, if they are decomposing work packages, they are in define activities process.
- This process can be combined with Create WBS; it depends on the project manager.
- Rolling Wave planning is the major tool here in addition to the decomposition , it is used when the project contains a lot of unknowns , it is about planning at a higher level and then wait until the project work has begun and the work is clearer to plan lower levels , it is called “ progressive elaboration “ also .
- This process results in Activity list, activity attributes and Project milestones.
- The activity list includes the schedule activities required on the project .
- The activity attributes extend the descriptions of the activity by identifying multiple components associated with each activity .
- Milestones: significant events within project schedule , they have no durations, project milestones may be mentioned in project charter , they can be used as check points to help control the project.