Structuring Task in Project Management – Definition and Meaning
A structuring task is an activity within a project schedule that primarily serves to organize and hierarchically structure the plan, rather than representing a directly executable task (similar to a summary task or a WBS element above the work package level). It is used to map and establish the hierarchy in the work breakdown structure (WBS) or schedule by logically grouping and summarizing subordinate tasks or phases.
Example, best practice, and further information
In a detailed schedule, the structuring task ‘Design Phase’ might encompass the actual working tasks ‘Create UI Design’, ‘Develop Database Design’, and ‘Conduct Design Review’, and display their aggregated duration. A best practice is to clearly and meaningfully label structuring tasks to improve the readability of the plan. Their function corresponds to higher-level elements in the WBS according to the PMBOK Guide or to epics in agile backlogs, which also serve to structure and group detailed tasks and thus support planning and progress tracking on higher levels.