Defining tasks

The foundational elements of a project plan are its tasks. These tasks outline the necessary actions to achieve the project’s objectives. They detail the work through aspects such as dependencies, time frames, and the resources needed. Within Project, various categories of tasks exist, such as summary tasks, subtasks, and milestones, which this chapter explores further.

In project management, tasks are often referred to by various other names, depending on the context and the methodology being used. Some of these alternative names include the following:

• Activities
• Work packages (Work Breakdown Structures [WBSs])
• Action items
• Milestones
• Deliverables
• Objectives
• Initiatives
• To-dos

Different project management methodologies might use these terms in slightly different ways, but generally, they all refer to the work that needs to be done to move projects forward.

Naming tasks

Naming tasks effectively is crucial for...