Find out the difference between task type and effort driven options in MS Project.

2. Task Type and Effort Driven Options
in Microsoft Project

3. If you are not sure which option to use then I
recommend Non Effort driven as a default. This option
prevents changes to Task Durations and/or existing
Resource assignments as Resources are added or
removed from a task.

4. Select Fixed Units for activities when the Units per time
period must stay constant as either the Duration or
Work is changed. For example, a crew of 1 Excavator
and 3 Trucks must stay constant as the Duration or
Work is changed.

5. Select Fixed Duration for activities when the duration
must not change as either resource Units per time
period or Work is changed.

6. Select Fixed Work if you wish the Work to stay constant
as the duration is changed. The Task will be made Effort
driven automatically with the Effort driven option grayed
out. For example, a programmer assigned full-time for a
week will have 40 hours’ work.

7. When the duration is doubled to a week, the programmer
will work 50% of the time over 2 weeks but still work 40
hours. If you assign another person to help then the total
Work will remain at 40 hours and the Duration not
change.
The default for new Tasks is set in
the Tools, Options…, Schedule tab. Click on the icon and
new projects will have these as their default options.

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