Common WBS Elements

In addition to including product-oriented elements, every WBS includes program management as a level 2 element, as well as other common elements like integration and assembly, government furnished equipment, and government testing. Table 6 lists and describes common elements that that support a program. For example, systems engineering, program management, integration, and testing are necessary support functions for developing, testing, producing, and fielding hardware or software elements.

Table 6: Common Elements in Work Breakdown Structures

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Common element	Description
Integration, assembly, test, and checkout	All effort of technical and functional activities associated with the design, development, and production of mating surfaces, structures, equipment, parts, materials, and software required to assemble level 3 equipment (hardware and software) elements into level 2 mission equipment (hardware and software)
System engineering	The technical and management efforts of directing and controlling a totally integrated engineering effort of a system or program
Program management	The business and administrative planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, controlling, and approval actions designated to accomplish overall program objectives not associated with specific hardware elements and not included in systems engineering
Training	Deliverable training services, devices, accessories, aids, equipment, and parts used to facilitate instruction in which personnel will learn to operate and maintain the system with maximum efficiency
Data	The deliverable data that must be on a contract data requirements list, including technical publications, engineering data, support data, and management data needed to configure management, cost, schedule, contractual data management, and program management
System test and evaluation	The use of prototype, production, or specifically fabricated hardware and software to obtain or validate engineering data on the performance of the system under development; also includes all effort associated with design and production of models, specimens, fixtures, and instrumentation in support of the system-level test program
Peculiar support equipment	Equipment uniquely needed to support the program: vehicles, equipment, tools, and the like to fuel, service, transport, hoist, repair, overhaul, assemble and disassemble, test, inspect, or otherwise maintain mission equipment, as well as equipment or software required to maintain or modify the software portions of the system
Common support equipment	Equipment not unique to the program and available in inventory for use by many programs
Operational and site activation	Installation of mission and support equipment in the operations or support facilities and complete system checkout or shakedown to ensure operational status; may include real estate, construction, conversion, utilities, and equipment to provide all facilities needed to house, service, and launch prime mission equipment
Facilities	Includes construction, conversion, or expansion of existing industrial facilities for production, inventory, and contractor depot maintenance required as a result of the specific system
Initial spares and repair parts	Includes the deliverable spare components, assemblies, and subassemblies used for initial replacement purposes in the materiel system equipment end item

Source: DOD | GAO-20-195G

Therefore, in addition to having a product-oriented WBS for the prime mission equipment that breaks down the physical pieces of, for example, an aircraft, information technology system, or satellite, the WBS should include these common elements to ensure that all effort is identified at the outset. This, in turn, will facilitate planning and managing the overall effort, because the WBS should be the starting point for developing the detailed schedule. Figure 8 shows a program WBS, including common elements, for a sea system.

Figure 8: A Work Breakdown Structure with Common Elements

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The WBS in figure 8 encompasses the whole program. The contractor may also develop a contract WBS that extends the lower-level components to reflect its responsibilities. See figure 9.

Figure 9: A Contract Work Breakdown Structure

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Figure 9 shows how a prime contractor may require its subcontractor to use the WBS to report work progress. In this example, the fire control effort (a level 4 element in the prime contractor’s WBS) is the first level for the subcontractor. Thus, all fire control expenditures at level 1 of the subcontractor’s contract WBS would map to the fire control element at level 4 in the program WBS. This shows how a subcontractor would break a level 4 item down to lower levels to accomplish the work, which when rolled up to the prime WBS, would show effort at levels 4-8.