• Identifying the specific actions that must be performed to produce the project deliverables identified in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
• Projct work packages are decomposed into smaller components called activities.
• Includes definition and planning of the activities such that project objectives will be met.

• A standard activity list or a portion of an activity list from a previous project which is used as a template for a new project.
• The related attributes activity information can also  contain other dexcriptive information useful in defining activities.
• Can be used to identify schedule milestones.

• Is a comprehensive list of all schedule activities required on the project. 
• Includes the activity identifier and a scope of work definition for each activity in sufficient detail to ensure that the project team members understand what work need to be completed.

• Involves identifying and documenting interactivity logical relationships.
• Activities must be sequenced accurately using lead and lag times to support later development of a realistic and achievable schedule.
• Every activity and milestone except the first and the last should be connected to a predecessor and a successor activity.

• Dependencies contractually required or inherent with the nature of work.

• Determined by project team during activity sequencing. Often involve physical limitations.

• Often referred to as hard logic.

• Defined by the Project Management Team during Activity sequencing 
• Referred to as preffered/preferential/soft logic
• based on best practices/ project speifics
• Should be fully documented as they can create arbitrary total float values
• to be reviewed when fast tracking techniques are employed

• Involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities. (i.e. dependencies on issues which are beyond scope of the project)
• Determined during activity sequencing by project team
• Usually these are out of project team's control

Precedence Diagramming Methods (PDM)

• Method used in CPM for constructing a project scedule network diagram that uses nodes to represent the activities and connects them with arrows that show the dependencies.
• Also called as AON( activity on Node)
• Contains four types of dependencies(FS,FF,SS,SF)

Precedence Relationships

• Relationships between activities in Precedence Diagramming Method(PDM).
• Four types of dependencies:
  • FS : Finish-to-Start
  • FF : Finish-to-Finish
  • SS: Start-to-Start
  • SF: Start-to-Finish

Project Network Diagrams/PERT Chart

Schematic displays of project activities and logical relationships(dependencies) amongst them.

Analogous Estimating (top-down)

Using the actual duration of a previous similar activity as the basis for estimating the duration of a future activity. Used to estimate project duration when there is a limited amount of detailed information about the project. (e.g. in early phases)

Contingency, Buffer, Reserve

     The amount of funds, budget, or time needed above the estimate to reduce the risk of overruns of project objectives to a level acceptable to the organization.

Activity Duration Estimates

Quantitative assessments of the likely number of work periods that will be required to complete an activity.

• Determining start and finish dates for project activities and milestones.
• If the start and finish dates are not realistic, then the project is unlikely to be finished as scheduled.
• Schedule development can require the review and revision of duration estimates and resource estimates.

Resource Pool Descriptions

Knowledge of what resources will be available at what times and in what patterns - necessary for schedule development

Calendars

• Project and Resource Calendars identify when the work is allowed.
• Resource Calendars - specify when and how long identified project resources will be available during the project.
• Project Calendar - a calaendar of working days or shiftsthat establishes those dates on whch schedule activities are worked , and also non working days,shifts on which schedule activities are idle. Typically defines, holdays, weekends and shift hours.

A modification of a logical relationship that allows an acceleration of the successor activity. Successor Activity starts at a lead time before the predecessor activity has been completed.

E.g., in a Finish-to-Start dependancy, with a tenday lead, the successor activity can start ten days before the predecessor activity finishes.

Estimate Activity Durations : what are the inputs ?

Activity List

Attributes

Project Schedule Network diagrams

Activity Resource Requiements

Resource Calandars

Acivity Duration estimates

Project Scope Statement

EEF

OPA