Rolling Wave Planning

Patrick Weaver

Rolling wave planning and Progressive elaboration are both the charaterstices of project.They are two very important concept to understand by every Project Manager and Project Planner.Sometimes called as a PMISM for Project Management Institute PMI.

I am talking her big construction projects and when they starts most of the items defines in broad terms . when we starting developing those projects we get more refine information and more definate terms.

Like first high level project statment and than into detail project statment in terms of detail WBS.

AS you know WBS structure as being vertical and the schedule as being horizontal, then progressive elaboration would be a vertical process, while rolling wave  would be horizontal process..

In nutshell Progressive Elaboration suggests "gradual" refinement of SCOPE. Rolling Wave Planning suggests "gradual" refinement of SCHEDULE. 

I hope this wil answere the question.I will suggest if you want to know more try PMBOK 4th Edition of PMI or Rita PMP.Both are the best books on Project Management with tons of best practices.

M Khan PMP 07917827290

Patrick Weaver

Rolling wave planning and Progressive elaboration are both the charaterstices of project.They are two very important concept to understand by every Project Manager and Project Planner.Sometimes called as a PMISM for Project Management Institute PMI.

I am talking her big construction projects and when they starts most of the items defines in broad terms . when we starting developing those projects we get more refine information and more definate terms.

Like first high level project statment and than into detail project statment in terms of detail WBS.

AS you know WBS structure as being vertical and the schedule as being horizontal, then progressive elaboration would be a vertical process, while rolling wave  would be horizontal process..

In nutshell Progressive Elaboration suggests "gradual" refinement of SCOPE. Rolling Wave Planning suggests "gradual" refinement of SCHEDULE. 

I hope this wil answere the question.I will suggest if you want to know more try PMBOK 4th Edition of PMI or Rita PMP.Both are the best books on Project Management with tons of best practices.

M Khan PMP 07917827290

M. KHAN,

Thanks for the explanation - "WBS being vertical and Schedule as horizontal"; and Rolling Wave is horizontal;

But isn't it that a rolling wave goes up and down? What if a Rolling Wave goes up (higher than normal), can we call it a Schedule Tsunami?

cheers

Hi

I came across the following links, check out

http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/pdf/rolling-wave-planning.pdf

http://www.catalystpm.com/NP02.pdf

Regards

Shahul