In a WBS, which type of package is the lowest level of work breakdown structure for which cost and duration are managed?

• A. Work
• B. Package
• C. Component
• D. Activity

Answer: (A)

In a WBS, the unit used for budgeting and scheduling is the work package. The WBS breaks the project down into deliverables and then into smaller, more detailed pieces until you reach a level that represents definable work with a clear scope. That definable piece is the work package, and it is at this level that cost and duration are estimated and managed. Within each work package, you typically plan the specific activities needed to complete the work, but the formal cost and duration control occurs at the work package level. The other terms don’t fit this role: a broad “work” is too generic to be a standard control unit; a “component” isn’t the recognized WBS term for the lowest level; and an “activity” is used for scheduling within a work package rather than the level at which cost and duration are managed in the WBS.