The Goals Breakdown Structure (GBS) is a concept developed^[1] by messers Michael B Bender, Steven Gershinson and Stuart Syme to describe the hierarchical relationship among organizations goals. The primary use for the GBS is to develop both organizational project and process objectives that achieve strategic goals. The GBS applies the same concepts as the Work Breakdown Structure used in project management to project objectives

History

Describe origins: Work Breakdown Structure. The Project Management Institute also identifies: the Organizational Breakdown Structure, Resource Breakdown Structure in the PMBOK Guide ^[2]

Concept of the Breakdown Structure

Requirements Traceability

Relate to requirements traceability Requirements traceability

Typical Structure

While the project team may alter the GBS structure for each project, a typical structure employs the following hierarchy:

Mission or Project Goal Statement
Organizational Objectives
Project Requirements
Design Specifications

A brief description of each follows.

The project mission or goal statement defines the overall objective for the project. Typical goal statements are short, one to two sentences in length.

Organizational (business) objectives define the goals the organization expects to achieve from the project. While project size and scope may vary, typical organizational objectives should directly relate to the strategic plan. Examples of organizational goals include: Return on Investment (ROI), Net Present Value (NPV), increases in market share, reductions in waste, or new technology development.

Project requirements describe the physical, mechanical, functional, and other characteristics of the project's deliverables. Requirements may also contain rules regarding standards, restrictions or other constraints related to the project or its deliverables. THe key aspect of this tier in the GBS is that requirements must map up to the organizational objectives.

Design Specifications define the measurable characteristics of the components that make up the deliverables.

References

^ Bender, Michael (2008). Setting Goals and Expectations. Texas: Virtual Bookworm Press.
^ A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. 2012. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help)

[1] Bender, Michael (2008). Setting Goals and Expectations. Texas: Virtual Bookworm Press.

[PMBOK_Guide-2] A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (5th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. 2012. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help)

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