"Organise a three day farmer training" is too big to act on. Nobody can wake up and do it. "Call three venues in Damongo for prices" is a task someone can finish this afternoon. The skill of turning big goals into small, clear tasks is at the heart of the work plans that project jobs ask for.
The work breakdown structure
A work breakdown structure, or WBS, splits a project into layers:
- The project at the top.
- Deliverables: the main things the project must produce.
- Work packages or tasks: the pieces of work under each deliverable.
You keep breaking down until each task is small enough that one person can own it, you can estimate how long it takes and what it costs, and everyone will agree when it is done.
A common guide is that most tasks should take no more than a week or two. If a task is longer, it probably hides several smaller tasks.
Deliverables, not just activities
Start with the things the project must produce, written as nouns: "venue booked", "training materials printed", "participants registered". Then list the actions needed for each. This keeps you focused on results, not just busy work.
A worked example
Abdul-Rahman works for a farmer support NGO and must organise a three day training for 30 farmers in Damongo. His breakdown: