Work Breakdown Structure and the Hospital Construction Project

This article discusses the importance of work breakdown structure in project management and provides a detailed work breakdown structure for a hospital construction project along with its phases and activities.

Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Work Breakdown Structure
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Work Breakdown Structure and the Hospital Construction Project
A work breakdown structure is defined as a systematic and sequence based breakdown of
a project into its deliverables, sub-deliverables, phases and activities. It is to be noted that a work
breakdown structure is not a random breakdown, it must follow a specific sequence in an
organised way (Kerzner, 2017). For instance, in a project, the breakdown must start with the
initiation phase of the project and end with the closing of the project. A work breakdown
structure provides multiple benefits to the projects that are discussed as follows.
I. Simplification – One of the most important benefits of work breakdown structure
is the simplification of any complex project (Meredith, Mantel Jr & Shafer, 2017).
The development of work breakdown structure does not depend on the
complexity project i.e. whatever be the degree of complexity of a project, a work
breakdown structure can be developed by breaking down complex tasks into
much simpler activities that can be executed by the project team in the proper
sequence.
II. Time Scheduling – Another benefit of work breakdown structure is that it can be
effectively used to develop the overall schedule of the project. Once the project is
broken down into separate tasks, they are linked with each other through
predecessor-successor relationships and their estimated durations are set for each
individual activity (Schwalbe, 2015). Once the start date of the project is set, the
total duration of the project can easily be calculated.
III. Budgeting – In addition to the schedule, work breakdown structure is also used to
develop the overall budget of the project using the bottom up estimation technique

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(Fleming & Koppelman, 2016). In this technique, various resources (human and
material) are assigned to the activities in the work breakdown structure and once
their basic rates are set, the total budget of the project can easily be calculated.
For the given project, the work breakdown structure can be developed and shown as
follows.
WBS Task Name
0 Hospital Construction Project
1 Initiation of the Project
1.1 Meeting of the Project Management Team
1.1.1 Decision on the Building of the Tertiary Hospital
1.1.2 Submit Proposal for Project
1.1.3 Presentation of the Overall Proposal for the Client
1.1.4 Propose Overall Budget for the Project
1.1.5 Testing of the Feasibility of the Project
1.2 Receive Approval to Proceed with the Project
2 Planning of the Project
2.1 Develop Team for Project
2.2 Determine Project Roadmap
2.3 Prepare Project Charter
2.3.1 Determine Project Scope
2.3.2 Determine Project Schedule
2.3.3 Determine Project Budget
2.3.4 Determine the Feasibility of Conducting the Project Over a Period of 5 Years
2.4 Print Tender for Contract
2.5 Hire Contractor through the Tender Process
2.6 Discuss the Project
2.7 Discuss Required Human Resources
2.8 Discuss Time Frame and Material Resources
2.9 Finalize the Project
2.10 Initiate Actual Preparations for the Project
2.11 Receive Building Permit
2.12 Receive Construction License
2.13 Develop Blueprint of the Hospital
2.14 Review Hospital Blueprint
2.15 Recruit Construction Workers
2.16 Procure Materials for the Construction
2.17 Hire Construction Vehicles
2.18 Initiate the Project
3 Execution of the Project
3.1 Clear the Site for Construction
3.2 Excavate the Site
3.3 Build Foundation on the Site
3.4 Prepare Building Framework
3.5 Install Structural Materials

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3.6 Divide Rooms inside the Hospital Framework
3.7 Clear Openings for Doors and Windows
3.8 Install Electrical Wirings
3.9 Install Water Connections
3.10 Apply Mortar and Concrete on Framework
3.11 Plumbing
3.12 Plastering of the Building
3.13 Finishing Electrical Connections
3.14 Installation of Doors and Windows
3.15 Installation of Equipments and Utilities
4 Project Monitoring Phase
4.1 Add Colours to Building Interior
4.2 Add Colours to Building Exterior
4.3 Track Performance of the Overall Project
4.4 Check Quality of the Building and its Basic Elements
4.5 Reporting on the Monitoring Results
4.6 Completion of the Hospital Building
4.7 Project Handover
5 Closing of the Project
5.1 Review of the Project
5.2 Project Appraisal
5.3 Payment of All Remaining Wages and Dues
5.4 Stakeholder Sign Off
5.5 Project Closed
This work breakdown structure shows the breakdown of all the activities in the project
showing all the phases of the project management cycle (Heagney, 2016). The work breakdown
structure clearly shows five distinct phases of project life cycle that are discussed as follows.
Project Initiation – This is the first stage of any project where the sapling of the project is
planted. In other words, in this phase, it is decided that the project will happen in order to fulfil
certain targets of the organisation. In this phase, the organisation leaders and managers generally
start discussion regarding the possibility and requirements of the project. Once agreement is done
among all the management members, the project manager is assigned and asked to develop a
proposal for the project (Kerzner, 2017). Based on the details presented in the proposal, the
management team determines if the project is feasible or not. If the project is feasible, approval
is granted to proceed further in the project. Similarly, as shown in the work breakdown structure

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for the hospital construction project, the initiation phase has covered mostly discussion between
the management and review and approval of the project proposal.
Project Planning – This particular phase of the project mainly focusses on the overall
planning and preparation of the project. In this phase, the scope of the project is determined and
along with the scope, another major attributes like budget, schedule, quality standards and others
are determined and specified. It is important to ensure these attributes are accurately estimated or
defined or else, there will be unnecessary issues in the project and for the organisation as a
whole. In the work breakdown structure of this particular project, the project planning phase has
been shown in which a large number of activities have been specified (Schwalbe, 2015). Some of
these activities include the development of project charter (that in turn includes scope
development, schedule and budget estimation and others), printing of tender documents for
hiring contractor, hiring contractor through the tendering process, application for building and
construction permits with license, recruitment of construction workers and others. This is an
important phase of project as without suitable planning, there can be major issues or disasters in
the project. Thus, project planning develops the foundation of the entire project and on the basis
of this, the rest of the project is conducted.
Project Execution – This is the main active phase of a project in its life cycle in which the
entire project is conducted based on the initial plan. The execution phase requires active
participation of all the project team members who need to perform all their duties that are
specified in the project plan (Kerzner, 2017). This is also the phase where the spending of budget
is the highest and hence, the expenditure in the project in this phase need to be controlled and
monitored. For this particular project, in the work breakdown structure shown above, the
execution phase includes the excavation of the land area for building the foundation, construction

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of the building framework, electrical works, plumbing works, doors and windows installation,
bricks and mortar placement and other activities. All these activities must be done with
maximum accuracy in order to ensure quality of the project. Furthermore, in a construction
project like this, quality standard must be maintained as poor quality in the project execution
may lead to disastrous consequences.
Project Monitoring – Monitoring of the project is essential to ensure the quality standards
are met and the project is being executed as per the actual plan. The monitoring phase is often
integrated with the execution phase and a supervisor is appointed to monitor the project and
submit report on a frequent basis (Schwalbe, 2015). The monitoring process of this project is
shown in the work breakdown structure above shows the detailed activities that are associated
with the monitoring of the project progress.
Project Closing – This is the final phase of the project in which, the overall project is
reviewed and appraised and all remaining payments are finalised. Once, all these activities are
completed, the stakeholders sign off and the project is officially closed. During the review phase,
if the reviewer feels some requirements are not met, the project can be restarted in order to make
suitable amendments.
Now, this work breakdown structure can be further modified and utilised to develop the
schedule of the project as shown in the following table.
Task Name Duration Start Finish
Hospital Construction Project 1565 days Wed 01-01-20 Tue 30-12-25
Initiation of the Project 145 days Wed 01-01-20 Tue 21-07-20
Meeting of the Project Management Team 145 days Wed 01-01-20 Tue 21-07-20
Decision on the Building of the Tertiary Hospital 15 days Wed 01-01-20 Tue 21-01-20
Submit Proposal for Project 30 days Wed 22-01-20 Tue 03-03-20
Presentation of the Overall Proposal for the Client 20 days Wed 04-03-20 Tue 31-03-20
Propose Overall Budget for the Project 20 days Wed 01-04-20 Tue 28-04-20

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Testing of the Feasibility of the Project 60 days Wed 29-04-20 Tue 21-07-20
Receive Approval to Proceed with the Project 0 days Tue 21-07-20 Tue 21-07-20
Planning of the Project 576 days Wed 22-07-20 Wed 05-10-22
Develop Team for Project 25 days Wed 22-07-20 Tue 25-08-20
Determine Project Roadmap 60 days Wed 26-08-20 Tue 17-11-20
Prepare Project Charter 85 days Wed 18-11-20 Tue 16-03-21
Determine Project Scope 10 days Wed 18-11-20 Tue 01-12-20
Determine Project Schedule 10 days Wed 02-12-20 Tue 15-12-20
Determine Project Budget 15 days Wed 16-12-20 Tue 05-01-21
Determine the Feasibility of Conducting the Project Over a Period of 5
Years 50 days Wed 06-01-21 Tue 16-03-21
Print Tender for Contract 30 days Wed 17-03-21 Tue 27-04-21
Hire Contractor through the Tender Process 25 days Wed 28-04-21 Tue 01-06-21
Discuss the Project 15 days Wed 02-06-21 Tue 22-06-21
Discuss Required Human Resources 15 days Wed 23-06-21 Tue 13-07-21
Discuss Time Frame and Material Resources 15 days Wed 14-07-21 Tue 03-08-21
Finalize the Project 0 days Tue 03-08-21 Tue 03-08-21
Initiate Actual Preparations for the Project 1 day Wed 04-08-21 Wed 04-08-21
Receive Building Permit 60 days Thu 05-08-21 Wed 27-10-21
Receive Construction License 60 days Thu 28-10-21 Wed 19-01-22
Develop Blueprint of the Hospital 90 days Thu 20-01-22 Wed 25-05-22
Review Hospital Blueprint 15 days Thu 26-05-22 Wed 15-06-22
Recruit Construction Workers 20 days Thu 16-06-22 Wed 13-07-22
Procure Materials for the Construction 45 days Thu 14-07-22 Wed 14-09-22
Hire Construction Vehicles 15 days Thu 15-09-22 Wed 05-10-22
Initiate the Project 0 days Wed 05-10-22 Wed 05-10-22
Execution of the Project 750 days Thu 06-10-22 Wed 20-08-25
Clear the Site for Construction 10 days Thu 06-10-22 Wed 19-10-22
Excavate the Site 20 days Thu 20-10-22 Wed 16-11-22
Build Foundation on the Site 10 days Thu 17-11-22 Wed 30-11-22
Prepare Building Framework 180 days Thu 01-12-22 Wed 09-08-23
Install Structural Materials 150 days Thu 10-08-23 Wed 06-03-24
Divide Rooms inside the Hospital Framework 25 days Thu 07-03-24 Wed 10-04-24
Clear Openings for Doors and Windows 25 days Thu 11-04-24 Wed 15-05-24
Install Electrical Wirings 30 days Thu 16-05-24 Wed 26-06-24
Install Water Connections 30 days Thu 27-06-24 Wed 07-08-24
Apply Mortar and Concrete on Framework 100 days Thu 08-08-24 Wed 25-12-24
Plumbing 100 days Thu 26-12-24 Wed 14-05-25
Plastering of the Buidling 25 days Thu 15-05-25 Wed 18-06-25
Finishing Electrical Connections 15 days Thu 19-06-25 Wed 09-07-25
Installation of Doors and Windows 15 days Thu 10-07-25 Wed 30-07-25
Installation of Equipments and Utilities 15 days Thu 31-07-25 Wed 20-08-25
Project Monitoring Phase 755 days Thu 17-11-22 Wed 08-10-25
Add Colors to Building Interior 15 days Thu 21-08-25 Wed 10-09-25
Add Colors to Building Exterior 15 days Thu 11-09-25 Wed 01-10-25
Track Performance of the Overall Project 550 days Thu 17-11-22 Wed 25-12-24
Check Quality of the Building and its Basic Elements 550 days Thu 17-11-22 Wed 25-12-24
Reporting on the Monitoring Results 10 days Thu 26-12-24 Wed 08-01-25
Completion of the Hospital Building 5 days Thu 02-10-25 Wed 08-10-25
Project Handover 0 days Wed 08-10-25 Wed 08-10-25
Closing of the Project 59 days Thu 09-10-25 Tue 30-12-25
Review of the Project 15 days Thu 09-10-25 Wed 29-10-25

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Project Appraisal 30 days Thu 30-10-25 Wed 10-12-25
Payment of All Remaining Wages and Dues 10 days Thu 11-12-25 Wed 24-12-25
Stakeholder Sign Off 4 days Thu 25-12-25 Tue 30-12-25
Project Closed 0 days Tue 30-12-25 Tue 30-12-25
Thus, it can be seen that the work breakdown structure finds significant usage in the field
of project management and it is one of the most useful and most commonly used project
management tool utilised by project managers (Walker, 2015).

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References
Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.
Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and
controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Meredith, J. R., Mantel Jr, S. J., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Project management: a managerial
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Walker, A. (2015). Project management in construction. John Wiley & Sons.