---
title: "Project family tree and goal criteria"
subject: "Project Engineering"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_7/project_engineering:project-family-tree-goal-criteria"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/project_engineering/project-family-tree-goal-criteria
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Project family tree and goal criteria

Project Engineering · Chapter 1: Introduction of Project and Project Management

- Asked in: 2067 Asar (old course), 4+4 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/project_engineering/project-family-tree-goal-criteria
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/project_engineering/chapter-1

## Question

Explain the project family tree with a suitable example. Explain also the criteria of goal setting in any project.

## Short answer

The project family tree is a hierarchy from mission or goal down to objectives, sub-projects and tasks, showing how every lower level supports the level above. Example: goal to improve rural livelihood through electricity, objective to supply 2,000 households in 3 years, sub-projects micro-hydro, distribution and connections, then specific tasks. Goal setting applies SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant and Time-bound.

## Answer

#### Project family tree
The project family tree is a hierarchy that breaks the project down from its broad purpose to individual tasks. It shows how each lower level supports the level above.

```text
Mission / Goal
  |
  +-- Objective 1
  |     +-- Programme / Sub-project 1.1
  |     |     +-- Activity / Task 1.1.1
  |     |     +-- Activity / Task 1.1.2
  |     +-- Sub-project 1.2
  +-- Objective 2
        +-- Sub-project 2.1
```

**Example (rural electrification):**
- Goal: improve rural livelihood through electricity.
- Objective: supply power to 2,000 households within 3 years.
- Sub-projects: micro-hydro plant; distribution line; household connection.
- Tasks: civil works, turbine installation, pole erection, wiring, training.

The tree makes the link between goals and work clear and leads to the WBS.

#### Criteria of goal setting

A goal is turned into objectives, and each objective is tested against the SMART criteria:

| Letter | Criterion | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| S | Specific | Clear and unambiguous; says what, where and for whom |
| M | Measurable | Quantity, quality or cost can be checked |
| A | Achievable | Possible with available resources and technology |
| R | Realistic / Relevant | Matches the need and the organisation's capacity |
| T | Time-bound | Has a deadline or time frame |

#### Example
Poor objective: "Improve the road to the village."

SMART objective: "Construct a 12 km, 5.5 m wide black-topped road from X to Y, within 24 months, at a cost not exceeding NRs 40 crore, meeting Department of Roads standards."

- Specific: 12 km black-topped road from X to Y.
- Measurable: length, width, cost and standard are given.
- Achievable: the equipment, contractor and budget are available.
- Realistic: the village needs year-round access.
- Time-bound: 24 months.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is the project family tree?
   A. A list of team members' relatives
   B. A risk register
   C. A hierarchy that breaks the project from its broad purpose down to individual tasks
   D. A time-cost graph
   Answer: C. It shows how each lower level supports the level above. (Key point: Project family tree)

2. Which order is correct from top to bottom?
   A. Task, sub-project, objective, goal
   B. Goal, objective, sub-project, activity/task
   C. Objective, goal, task, sub-project
   D. Sub-project, goal, task, objective
   Answer: B. Mission/goal leads to objectives, then programmes/sub-projects, then activities/tasks. (Key point: Hierarchy order)

3. What does the tree lead to?
   A. The work breakdown structure (WBS)
   B. Closure report
   C. The final bill
   D. The tender evaluation
   Answer: A. It makes the link between goals and work clear and leads to the WBS. (Key point: Link to WBS)

4. In the rural electrification example, which is a sub-project?
   A. Supply power to 2,000 households
   B. Micro-hydro plant
   C. Improve rural livelihood
   D. Pole erection
   Answer: B. Micro-hydro plant, distribution line and household connection are sub-projects; pole erection is a task. (Key point: Rural electrification example)

5. What does the 'A' in SMART require?
   A. Advertised publicly
   B. Approved by government
   C. Always profitable
   D. Achievable with available resources and technology
   Answer: D. Achievable means possible with available resources and technology. (Key point: Applicability of SMART)

## Related in Project Engineering

- [Project goal setting and criteria (SMART)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Agoal-setting-criteria) — Project Engineering, chapter 1, asked 5×
- [Goal vs objective; goal setting criteria](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Agoal-objective-difference-criteria) — Project Engineering, chapter 1
- [Project, characteristics and SMART goal setting](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Aproject-explain-goal-setting-smart) — Project Engineering, chapter 1
- [Life cycle phases and goal setting example](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Alife-cycle-phase-goal-example) — Project Engineering, chapter 1
- [Goal versus objective of a project](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Agoal-vs-objective-example) — Project Engineering, chapter 1