You should spend as much time as necessary to clarify and understand the project Scope of Work (SOW). This is not a waste of time. It may be the best investment you make as a project manager.

You will not achieve the project goals/objectives, if your team doesn’t understand what is expected and when. Formal acceptance of responsibility is essential. Be sure to crosscheck the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) and project schedule against the statement/scope of work. Expand and clarify as needed.

The major players associated with the project, especially the owner/project sponsor, must accept the SOW. Every person assigned a deliverable must formally acknowledge responsibility. They must accept the scope of the assignment and the date of delivery. Formal means a signature somewhere.

The same holds true for the WBS. Think through the steps and stages your project will pass, and make sure the WBS reflects those steps. This is an iterative process. The WBS will gain complexity as the project gains greater scope understanding/development.

Make the WBS construction-centric. Design and procurement must fit/follow the construction structure/sequence. Operations or accounting has no voice in the development of the WBS.

The sole focus of design and procurement should be support of construction.

Time spent on the RACI and WBS is an investment. The payoff is effective coordination, ease of communication, and acceptance of responsibility – each necessary to achieve project success.