WBS Dictionary: A Quick Guide with Examples

WBS Dictionary: A Quick Guide with Examples

A WBS dictionary is a complement to your WBS that conveys detailed info about each component. It is one of the three pillars that support the project scope management in your project: the other two are a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a project scope statement. Without a project scope baseline, you can't measure performance effectively, which puts your project in danger of going off schedule and beyond budget. The WBS dictionary allows you to define each of the steps on the WBS and how to execute them to reach the final deliverable of the project. It includes a work package and control accounts, which integrate the scope, budget, actual cost and schedule for those tasks.

It is essential to measure and monitor the scope of a project. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual tool that lacks the space to explain the details of each step. To add additional context to the WBS, it has a title and number indicating each individual step. This gives team members a deeper understanding of what's needed to complete the project successfully and helps make sure the project is meeting regulatory or compliance issues. The WBS dictionary is created by the project manager, but it is not made in isolation.

The project manager will organize activities necessary to fill it out and interview and seek the help of others to make sure it's thorough and complete in its descriptions. The team members themselves are also a great resource.