The
                  OBS – the PMI® definition 
                  The PMI® definition for an Organizational Breakdown Structure
                  (OBS) captures the connection between the Project Organization
                  and the WBS, as you can see on the next page. 
                
                  
                      | 
                    Organizational
                          Breakdown Structure (OBS): A hierarchically
                          organized depiction of the project organization
                        arranged so as to relate work packages to the performing
                        organizational units. (PMI® PMBOK® Guide Third
                        Edition)  | 
                   
                                  
                So we can be very
                    clear about the following: the Project Organization is not
                    an organizational chart of
                    a company or department. The Project Organization structures
                    the roles, accountabilities, and reporting relationships for
                    the project, not for the company. In fact, the project
                    organization may invert administrative relationships, with
                    more senior persons
                    who are accountable for individual work elements reporting
                    to more junior persons who are accountable for higher level
                    summary elements. The project is organized with the most
                    appropriate person accountable for each work element, regardless
                    of their
                    position in the company’s organization chart. The OBS                    maps each person working on a project to the department in
                  which they are employed in the company.  |