Doing work packages is "grueling work", and there is a tendency to avoid it. Look closely at the output of a work package. Lets discuss the value of the information gathered for a work package, and the process of gathering the information. Do you think doing this is over-kill? Can a project be successful with or without it? Can you do project control effectively with or without work packages? Remember-project control is comparing performance to the plan, and making adjustments to get back on track. Here's a different way to ask the question about the value of the WP. You are part of a consulting company breaking into a new business area. You get a $20,000,000 construction project with government regulatory over-site involved, and it is a highly visible project to the public. What do you think the value of doing WP's is in this situation? As we discuss this topic, you may indicate that your organization does not use WP's, and does not need them. Many organizations that do the same type of projects over and over again may have been using "invisible WP's" all along and not realize it. The information (that would have been derived from developing a WP) has been around for so long because it was developed and adjusted over and over again - like historical data. So it is just a known quantity, and unwritten in the organization. Think about your experiences and let us know if you have run across "Invisible WP's" within your projects. Do not discuss an invisible WP if it is associated only with an organizational task NOT part of any project. Also, make sure that your discussion of Invisible WP's ties into your overall assessment of the value of doing WP's.