Item of Work and Related Work Tasks (Activities)

Project Challenges

• Why is the ability to accurately identify the necessary work tasks (activities) for an item of work the most reliable indicator of contract knowledge?
• Within the context of an item of work, does the ability to identify necessary work tasks, labor, equipment, materials/products, and knowledge of how to sequence the work tasks indicate that someone understands the construction method?
• How are work tasks identified for use in cost estimating, project scheduling, control budget, and other areas of project controls?

Project Context and State-of-Practice

Work tasks (activities) are fundamental for cost estimating, project scheduling, control budget, and other project control areas, but work tasks must be identified based on specific items of work in the contract.

Accurately identifying the necessary work tasks for an item of work is the most reliable indicator of contract knowledge because it demonstrates a clear understanding of the scope of work, the contract documents, and deliverables defined in the contract. This ability shows the person can translate written requirements into actionable field activities, ensuring proper cost estimating, project scheduling, control budget, and other project control areas.

To accurately identify the work tasks, one must have a solid understanding of requirements specific to the items of work, and as such, a clear indication of contract knowledge as it relates to:

• What is included in the scope of work?
• What is not included in the scope of work?
• What work tasks must be completed for the item of work?
• What work tasks are part of another item of work?
• What work tasks are incidental to the item of work?
• What are the related items of work that must be coordinated with the item of work?

Here is the most important part: work tasks must be identified based on a thorough understanding of the construction methods used by crews to process and incorporate various materials and products into the project.

Be cautious about relying heavily on your company’s database of work tasks as the initial step when asked to identify related work tasks for an item of work, especially if this is done without a thorough review of the contract documents.

Before consulting your company’s database of work tasks to generate the list, it’s best to first review the contract documents while itemizing the work tasks. Then, use your company database of work tasks as a check.

Specific Solutions from Our Webbook

We have compiled a list of work tasks that are typically associated with each item of work covered in our webbook. The work tasks are detailed and represent the lowest level of task that can be completed for each item of work.

The list of work tasks shown in our webbook is solely for educational purposes and should be used accordingly.

Below is an example of some items of work and corresponding work tasks to help with cost estimating, project scheduling, control budget, and other areas of project controls.