Introduction

After moving a project from its scope statement to its specification, the project manager is ready to identify its major work packages, which provide the foundation for recruiting team members. Because the people who will be recruited for the team are specialists in each project job area and most familiar with the work, they are best suited to draw up the project task list. This project task list is a comprehensive listing of every individual job found within the project. This chapter explains how the team, working through a procedure called the affinity diagram exercise, creates the task list. The affinity diagram exercise is beneficial even beyond its original purpose, in that it builds team communication and cooperation.