Create a work breakdown structure for lifetime learning.

Steps involved:

” Identify the primary requirement or objective. This should be a clear item, based on customer requirements, to which the entire team agrees. Write this requirement at the top of the chart.

” Subdivide the requirement statement into major secondary categories. These branches should represent requirements, products, or activities that directly lead to the primary objective or that are directly required to fulfill the overall requirement. The team should continually ask, What is required to meet this condition?, What happens next?, and What needs to be addressed? Write the secondary categories below the primary requirement statement. Using sticky notes at this stage makes later changes easier to accomplish.

” Break each major heading into greater detail. As you move from top to bottom in the WBS, products and activities should become more and more specific. Stop the breakdown when each task is tiny enough to be easily completed and evaluated for accuracy. If the team does not have enough knowledge to continue at some point, identify the individuals who can supply the information and continue the breakdown later with those individuals present.

” Review the WBS for logic and completeness. Make sure that each subheading and path has a direct cause-and-effect relationship with the one before. Examine the paths to ensure that no obvious products or actions have been left out. Also ensure that the development of listed products or completion of listed actions will indeed lead to the anticipated results.