WBS Glossary Definition

Work Breakdown Structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines the work breakdown structure as a "deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team."

Project managers, sponsors, and project-controls staff use this concept in budget reviews, performance reporting, forecasting, and variance conversations.

Related concepts include Budget, Cost Baseline, Planned Value, Earned Value, Actual Cost and Cost Variance.