Project Management Scope Definition Quiz

Contemporary Project Management, 4th Edition

• Authors: Timothy J. Kloppenborg, Vittal Anantatmula, Kathryn N. Wells

Chapter 6: Scope Planning

• Core Objectives: Planning scope management, collecting requirements, defining scope processes, creating requirements traceability matrix, project scope statement, change request forms, describing work breakdown structure (WBS), comparing WBS development methods.

• Scope Planning Processes (Exhibit 7.1):

  • Charter
  • Stakeholder Register
  • Plan Scope Management
  • Collect Requirements
  • Define Scope
  • Scope Management Plan
  • Requirements Traceability Matrix
  • Scope Statement
  • Create WBS
  • Scope Baseline with WBS
  • Perform Integrated Change Control
  • Approved Changes and Updates

What is Project Scope Management

• Scope: All the work involved in creating project products and the processes used to create them
• Deliverable: A product produced during a project (e.g., hardware, software, documents, meeting minutes)
• Project Scope Management: Processes involved in defining and controlling what is included in a project.

Project Scope vs. Product Scope

• Product Scope: Features and functions that characterize a product, service, or result.
• Project Scope: The work performed to deliver the product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.
• Project scope can, in some cases, include product scope.

Types of Scopes of Work

• Performance: What the project wants, project accomplishment, how accomplished based on seller's definition.
• Functional/Detailed: Defines the end product, and minimum requirements for it.
• Design: Precise details on what is required and how it should be accomplished.

Project Scope Management Processes

• Scope planning: Deciding how scope will be defined, verified, and controlled.
• Scope definition: Reviewing the project charter, preliminary scope statement, and adding information based on requirements and accepted changes.
• Creating the WBS: Dividing major deliverables into smaller, manageable components.
• Scope verification: Formalizing acceptance of the project scope by stakeholders.
• Scope control: Monitoring changes to the project scope that impact cost and time goals.

How Do We Manage Scope?

• Five processes: Collect requirements, define scope, create WBS, verify scope, and control scope
• The five processes are performed in a logical sequence

Collect Requirements

• Project team must be clear on project objectives
• Requirements: conditions/capabilities to solve a problem/achieve a goal that meets a documented need.
• Collect requirements: Systematic effort to understand and analyze stakeholder needs. The focus is to meet the project objectives by defining and documenting requirements.

Gather Stakeholder Input & Needs

• Voice of the Customer (VOC) techniques (questions, customer's perspective, operational terms) used to find requirements.
• Methods to get feedback: Meetings, focus groups, surveys, and prototypes
• Collection process remains the same regardless of project type; however, Agile projects frequently feature more informal documentation.

Requirements Traceability Matrix (Exhibit 7.3)

• Requirements: Unambiguous (avoid interpretation), complete (no gaps), Consistent (no conflicts), Modifiable (changeable), Traceable (linked to customer needs), Verifiable (process to validate)
• Specifications: Unique (single definitions), Normalized (no overlap), Linked (connections evident), Complete (no gaps), Consistent (no conflicts), Bounded (non-negotiable constraints), Modifiable (changeable), Configurable (adjustable), Granular (specific levels)

Define Scope

• Rationale: Translates stakeholder needs and requirements into detailed specifications for project outcomes and products.
• Scope Management: Includes deliverables and acceptance criteria, project boundaries definition, creation of a work statement.
• Agile projects: Scope definition methods differ slightly from other project types.

Project Scope Statement Example

• Includes: Project Name, Sponsor, Date of approval, Scope description, Project deliverables, Acceptance criteria, Constraints, and Assumptions
• Example focusing on an IVR Project with sales team interaction.

Create WBS

• Definition: Process of subdividing/decomposing project deliverables into smaller, manageable components
• Input: Scope management plan; project scope statement; requirements documentation; enterprise environmental factors; organizational process assets
• Tools & Techniques: Decomposition, expert judgment
• Output: Scope baseline; project documentation updates
• WBS Role: Achieve objectives; create deliverables; define and organize total project scope; represent project scope

WBS Templates

• Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS): Organizes the project by the organizational structure.
• Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS): Identifies potential risks in the project.
• Resource Breakdown Structure: Identifies the resources needed for the project.
• Bill of Materials (BOM): Lists all components, assemblies, and sub-assemblies needed to construct the product.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Definition: A hierarchical decomposition of all project work that needs to be performed

WBS Dictionary

• Formal project document for comprehensive descriptions of scope elements related to the WBS; detailing work for each element, including textual and numeric data, milestone dates, and supporting data

The goals of creating WBS and WBS Dictionary

• Proactive and Logical project completion planning.
• Collect information about project work.
• Organize work into manageable components for project objectives.
• WBS & WBS Dictionary are building blocks, not the schedule definition.

Work Packages

• Smallest unit of work within the WBS
• Defines, plans, and manages work tasks.
• Enables estimated cost and time assignments for tasks, aiding scheduling and planning.

Establish Change Control

• Change Control System: A mechanism for managing and controlling changes and modifications to the project plan and deliverables.
• Formal Change Requests: Written requests to change aspects of the project (documents, deliverables, baseline scope).

Possible Risk Actions

• Acceptance: Chosen when countermeasures aren't available or cost-effective.
• Avoidance: Reducing the likelihood of risk occurrence.
• Mitigation: Reducing the impact of a risk.
• Transfer: Shifting risk responsibility to another party

Summary

• Scope planning determines deliverables and acceptance criteria.
• Scope is organized into a WBS.
• Projects are decomposed into smaller pieces.
• WBS components are created by hand or utilizing MS Project.

PMBOK Examinations/Tips

• Work backward from desired solutions and determine necessary actions for project success.
• Collect Requirements (stakeholder, end-user, SME input)
• Properly applying Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to break down projects into manageable components.
• Use nouns for deliverables, and verbs for activities (lowest level is work packages).