Task Analysis: Key to Successful Proposal-Writing

An action (always expressed by a verb), undertaken by a person, intended to accomplish something. 
Tasks differ from actions in general in two ways: 

• tasks have a beginning and ending point
• tasks are goal-directed

Components of a Task:

• performer – one or more persons who perform the action
• beginning point –where the performer begins (can be a thing, a set of things, a condition, a state of being)
• action – an activity or operation, either physical or mental. This is the part that is always expressed as a verb
• ending point – the goal or final result. Can be a thing or a state of being.

high-level tasks – the most general or encompassing

lower-level tasks (subtasks) – the next tier

steps – the most specifically described tasks

• Provides evidence that you can fulfill your purpose on schedule (task schedule goes in proposal)
  (the more generic the tasks, the less convincing they are as evidence)
• Assists in planning by breaking down large goals into step-by-step procedures
• Identifies problems early, thus allowing time to adjust goals and request changes in scope of work
• Provides reliable way to report progress (update task schedule for progress report)