The Activity Attributes builds on the information in the Activity List adding details about an activity's resource requirements, and scheduling requirements (predecessors and successors, lead and lag and dependency types). stakeholdermap.com

Details are gathered and entered into an activity's attributes as planning progresses. The information is often entered into a project's scheduling software or can be entered into a template like this one. Activity details come from several sources including the:

• Schedule Management Plan
• Activity list
• Network diagram
• Scope baseline
• Assumption log
• Resource requirements

In the PMBOK Activity Attributes are an output from process 6.2 Define Activities (PMBOK Sixth Edition). This is a FREE Activity Attributes Template in Excel. The template is fully editable with Microsoft Excel and can be converted or changed to suit your project requirements.

See what is in the Template! Check out the Contents complete with Hints and Tips on how to use.

Example Activity Attributes from a Fictional Project

Check out the contents below or Grab the template now!

Relationship to Other Project Management Documents

The Activity Attributes Template doesn't exist in isolation; it's an integral part of a broader ecosystem of project management documents. Understanding its relationships with other PM artifacts can help you leverage it more effectively:

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Relationship: The WBS provides the foundation for identifying activities.
• Integration: Activity IDs in the template often reference the WBS elements they relate to.

Project Schedule

• Relationship: Activity attributes feed directly into schedule development.
• Integration: Use the dependencies, durations, and resource requirements from the template to build your project schedule.

Resource Management Plan

• Relationship: Activity attributes inform resource allocation and capacity planning.
• Integration: Use the "Resource Required" and "Skill Requirements" fields to populate your resource management plan.

Risk Register

• Relationship: Activity attributes can help identify potential risks.
• Integration: Use the "Constraints" and "Dependencies" fields to inform your risk identification process.

Stakeholder Register

• Relationship: Activities often relate to specific stakeholders or stakeholder groups.
• Integration: Consider adding a "Stakeholder" field to your template to link activities with relevant stakeholders.

Cost Management Plan

• Relationship: Activity attributes provide the basis for cost estimation.
• Integration: Use the resource requirements and durations to develop activity cost estimates.

Quality Management Plan

• Relationship: Activity attributes can inform quality control processes.
• Integration: Consider adding quality-related fields to your template that align with your quality management plan.

Communications Plan

• Relationship: Activity milestones often trigger communications.
• Integration: Use the activity list and dependencies to inform your communications schedule.

Procurement Management Plan

• Relationship: Some activities may require external resources or materials.
• Integration: Add procurement-related fields to your template for activities requiring external resources.

Change Management Log

• Relationship: Changes to activities are often tracked in the change log.
• Integration: Use the activity attributes as a baseline for assessing the impact of proposed changes.

Lessons Learned Register

• Relationship: Insights gained from executing activities feed into lessons learned.
• Integration: Consider adding a "Lessons Learned" field to capture insights as activities are completed.

Customization Guidelines for Activity Attributes Template

While the Activity Attributes Template provides a solid foundation for project planning, every project is unique and may require some customization. Here are some suggestions to help you tailor the template to your specific project needs:

1. Assess Project Requirements
   • Review your project's scope, industry, and methodology
   • Identify any unique attributes that are critical to your project's success
2. Add or Remove Columns
   • Include new columns for project-specific attributes
   • Remove columns that aren't relevant to your project
   • Common additions might include:
     • Risk level
     • Priority
     • Estimated vs. Actual duration
     • Quality metrics
3. Modify Existing Fields
   • Adjust dropdown options in fields like "Type of Effort" to match your organization's terminology
   • Expand or narrow the "Skill Requirements" field based on your project's complexity
4. Incorporate Company-Specific Information
   • Add fields for internal codes or reference numbers
   • Include columns for compliance with company-specific processes
5. Adapt to Project Methodology
   • For Agile projects, consider adding fields for story points or sprint numbers
   • For Waterfall projects, you might include more detailed predecessor/successor information
6. Consider Scalability
   • Ensure your customizations work for both small and large projects
   • Test the template with varying amounts of data
7. Align with Reporting Needs
   • Add fields that will facilitate easier reporting and data analysis
   • Consider how the data will be used in project status reports
8. Integrate with Existing Systems
   • Ensure any customizations are compatible with your project management software
   • Add fields that align with your organization's other tools and processes
9. User-Friendly Design
   • Use conditional formatting to highlight important information
   • Include data validation to ensure consistency in data entry
10. Documentation
    • Create a guide explaining any custom fields or modifications
    • Provide examples of how to correctly fill out new or modified sections

How to Integrate with Project Management Software

Integrating your Activity Attributes Template with project management software can significantly enhance your project planning and execution processes. Here's a guide on how to effectively incorporate this template into popular PM tools:

Microsoft Project

• Import the template: Use the "Import Excel Workbook" feature to bring your Activity Attributes data into MS Project.
• Map fields: Ensure that each column in your template is correctly mapped to the corresponding field in MS Project.
• Custom fields: Create custom fields in MS Project for any attributes that don't have a direct equivalent.
• Sync regularly: Set up a process to keep your Excel template and MS Project data synchronized.

Jira

• CSV import: Export your Activity Attributes Template as a CSV file and use Jira's CSV importer.
• Custom fields: Create custom fields in Jira to accommodate all the attributes from your template.
• Automation: Use Jira's automation features to update attributes based on issue status changes.
• Integrate with Confluence: Link your Jira issues to Confluence pages for more detailed activity descriptions.

Trello

• Power-Up: Use the "Custom Fields" Power-Up to add attributes to your Trello cards.
• Card creation: Manually create cards for each activity, adding custom fields for attributes.
• Automation: Use Trello's Butler feature to automate attribute updates based on card movements or actions.
• Integrations: Leverage Trello's integrations with tools like Slack or Google Drive to enhance collaboration around activity attributes.

Asana

• Custom fields: Add custom fields to your Asana tasks to represent each attribute from your template.
• CSV import: Use Asana's CSV importer to bring in your Activity Attributes data.
• Forms: Create Asana forms that capture all necessary attribute information when new tasks are created.
• Rules: Set up rules in Asana to automatically update certain attributes based on task status changes.

Monday.com

• Board creation: Create a new board with columns representing each attribute from your template.
• Excel import: Use Monday.com's Excel import feature to bring in your Activity Attributes data.
• Automations: Set up automations to update attributes based on status changes or other triggers.
• Integrations: Utilize Monday.com's extensive integration options to connect your activity data with other tools.

Smartsheet

• Direct import: Smartsheet can directly import Excel files, making it easy to bring in your Activity Attributes Template.
• Column types: Adjust column types in Smartsheet to match the data types of your attributes.
• Formulas: Use Smartsheet's formula capabilities to calculate derived attributes.
• Web forms: Create web forms to capture new activity information in the correct format.

Activity Attributes Template

Excel download - Activity Attributes Template (.xls)

Excel download - Activity Attributes Template (.xlsx)

Google - Activity Attributes Google Sheets template

OpenDocument Spreadsheet download - Activity Attributes Template (.ods)

Activity List Template

Activity Cost Estimate Template

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