Show
I was once part of a project which went behind schedule and over budget. In response the project manager asked the project team to come up with reasons why the project was late. Naturally the team produced several reasons, and a change in schedule and budget was approved. Everything sounded like it was back on track. This dance happens countless times at project-based organizations as well as with internal projects. But it’s also a certain path to poor project performance. Scope defines the boundaries of the project, and if it is not actively defined and managed the project will undoubtedly go behind schedule or over budget. Scope in Project ManagementBecause a project is defined as a temporary endeavor creating a unique product, service, or result, the project scope is foundational. It defines what work is part of the project and what is not. It establishes what the purpose of the project is, what it will accomplish and how it will accomplish it. Effectively, it defines the project. Why Scope is ImportantThe Project Management Institute reports that adversarial scope changes are the single biggest cause of project failure. Poorly defined project boundaries, or boundaries that move throughout a project, can be project and career killers. This is a common occurrence in almost every industry, thus strong project managers must learn to define, communicate, and control the project scope. To avoid the unpleasant possibilities that result from a poorly defined project scope, project managers need to write out good scope statements. This will make it easy to gain acceptance of the project’s scope by the project’s stakeholders. It will also put the project team in sync, but most of all it will prevent unauthorized tasks from popping up within the project, thereby sucking up the project’s time and money (the evil “scope creep“). There really is no substitute to defining the boundaries of the project in writing, so it is clear to everyone what is part of the project and what is not. How to Write a Scope StatementDuring a marathon, runners must pace themselves in order finish at their best time. If they run too slow, they will run a poor race. But if they attempt to outrun the competition they run the risk of burning out and finishing poorly. In the same way, scope statements should contain as much detail as possible, but only to a point. The most important thing is to be specific. The more the better. In a perfect world you could write out a list of all the work that is involved in a project, down to the last nail and screw, and have all stakeholders approve of it. Unfortunately it’s not a perfect world, so the scope statement has to stop somewhere. However, every well defined project boundary represents a slightly more bulletproof project. I don’t believe there is a maximum length of a scope statement, only that which is feasible to reduce risk. The length is enough when the time being spent writing it is no longer reducing a corresponding amount of risk. A good scope statement includes the following things:
It’s also helpful to borrow from our friends in the corporate strategy department and concentrate on SMART goals:
UncertaintiesYou probably don’t know all the project boundaries when you’re writing the scope statement. For example, in the fence building project you might not know how high the fence is to be. This is okay, but just like the marathon runner who must avoid the temptation to be in the lead during the race, the project manager must be aware of the risk involved in excluding this information from the scope statement. The project manager must realize that all project uncertainties are risks to become cost or schedule issues. In an ideal world every project is completely defined, but this is an ideal that is not always possible nor necessary. That being said, uncertainties can be dealt with in several ways:
When uncertainties are not defined in the scope statement they can be good candidates for inclusion into the project risk register. Examples of Scope StatementsHere are a few examples of what I would consider good scope statements:
Write a Scope StatementIf you haven’t already, try writing a scope statement using the following checklist:
Steps 4 and 5 are the scope statement! Let me know how it goes, or if you have any other insight, in the comments below. What should be included in the project scope statement?The project scope statement should note any limitations that the project team will face as it works to complete a project. These constraints could include personnel, resources, schedule, or other requirements.
What are the 3 aspects of project scope?3 Aspects of Scope Management. Scope Definition. First, project teams define what is in scope. ... . Work Decomposition/WBS. The next important aspect of project scope management is the work decomposition. ... . Scope Management. Finally, the scope has to be actively managed.. Does scope defines the boundaries of a project?A project's boundaries define what is included in the scope of work. They set the lines or limits that mark what is included and what is excluded. Planners need to know a project's boundaries in order to produce a project scope statement.
What are the 5 parts of a project scope plan?5 Key Parts of a Scope Management Plan. Approach. ... . Roles and Responsibilities. ... . Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ... . Scope Verification. ... . Scope Control.. |