Define Activities
Define Activities is the process of identifying and documenting the specific actions to be performed to produce the project deliverables.
Explanation
Define Activities takes the work packages from the work breakdown structure (WBS) and decomposes them further into schedule activities. While a work package is the lowest level of the WBS, it may still be too large to estimate or schedule directly. Activities represent the effort needed to complete each work package and are the smallest units of work in the schedule.
The primary inputs to this process are the project management plan (particularly the schedule management plan and scope baseline), enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets. The key tools and techniques include decomposition, rolling wave planning, and expert judgment. Rolling wave planning is especially useful when future work is not yet fully understood, allowing near-term activities to be defined in detail while future activities remain at a higher level.
The outputs of Define Activities are the activity list, activity attributes, milestone list, and change requests. These outputs feed directly into subsequent scheduling processes such as Sequence Activities and Estimate Activity Durations.
Key Points
- •Decomposes work packages from the WBS into schedule activities
- •Uses decomposition, rolling wave planning, and expert judgment
- •Produces the activity list, activity attributes, and milestone list
- •Activities are the smallest units of work that feed into the schedule
Exam Tip
Know the difference between a work package (lowest WBS element, defined in scope) and an activity (scheduling unit derived from a work package). Define Activities bridges scope and schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Activity List
The activity list is a comprehensive list of all schedule activities required on the project, including an activity identifier and a scope of work description for each activity.
Activity Attributes
Activity attributes are additional details associated with each schedule activity that extend the description beyond what is in the activity list.
Milestone List
A milestone list identifies all project milestones and indicates whether the milestone is mandatory (required by contract) or optional (based on project requirements or historical information).
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.
Most-studied PMP concepts
High-yield topics our learners drill most before exam day.
Resource Leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which adjustments are made to the project schedule to keep resource usage at or below a defined limit, often resulting in a longer project duration.
Resource Smoothing
Resource smoothing is a resource optimization technique that adjusts activities within their available float so that resource requirements do not exceed predefined limits, without changing the project end date.
Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart is a graphical representation of work remaining versus time in a Sprint or release, showing whether the team is on track to complete the planned work.
Risk Register
The risk register is a project document that records the details of individual project risks, including their identification, analysis results, response plans, and current status.
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is the visual representation of stakeholder relationships, influence, interest, or other attributes using grids, matrices, or diagrams to support analysis and engagement planning.
Relative Estimation
Relative Estimation is an agile technique where work items are sized in comparison to each other rather than in absolute units like hours or days, providing faster and more accurate estimates.
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Cost Performance Index (CPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures cost performance as the ratio of earned value to actual cost: CPI = EV / AC.
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is an EVM efficiency metric that measures schedule performance as the ratio of earned value to planned value: SPI = EV / PV.
Earned Value Management (EVM)
Earned Value Management (EVM) is a methodology that integrates scope, schedule, and cost data to assess project performance and progress objectively.
Part of
Schedule Management
Test your knowledge
Practice scenario-based questions on this topic with detailed explanations.