Activity chart

The activity chart lays out the tasks of a project in sequential order and shows when each must take place. They are also referred to as Milestone chart or Gantt chart.

When to use

When planning a project Only when the steps of the project or process, their sequence, and their duration are known. When monitoring the progress of a project.

Basic procedure

Construction
1. Identify the tasks that need to be done to complete the project. This may be done by brainstorming a list or by drawing a flowchart, a storyboard, or arrow diagram for the project. Identify the time required for each task. Finally, identify the sequence. Which tasks must be finished before a following task can begin, and which can happen simultaneously?

2. Draw a horizontal time axis along the top of a page. Make it off in an appropriate scale for the length of the project.

Basic procedure...
3. Down the left side of the page, write each task of the project in order. For events that happen at a point in time (such as a presentation), draw a diamond under the time the event must happen. For activities that occur over a period of time (such as developing a plan or holding a series of interviews), draw a bar under the appropriate time on the timeline. Align the left end of the bar with the time the activity begins, and align the right end with the time the activity concludes. Draw just the outlines of the bars and diamonds; dont fill them in. 4. Check that every task of the project is on the activity chart as a bar.

Basic procedure...

Using the chart

5. As events and activities take place, fill in the diamonds and bars to show completion. For activities in progress, estimate how far along you are and fill in that much of the bar. 6. Place a vertical marker to show where you are on the timeline. If the chart is posted on the wall, an easy way to show the current time is with a heavy dark string and two thumbtacks.

Activity chart
Example of an Activity Chart - Benchmarking study
Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Activities Develop a broad plan Get approval Identify team Train Team Develop detailed plan Conduct preliminary research Identify key practices Identify benchmark partners Shedule visits to partners Analyze data Identify current state Develop benchmark questions Visit benchmark partners Develop new process Finalize new process Get approval 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12