Project Scope Management

Project Scope Management

• Scope covers all tasks in creating project products, while a deliverable is the actual product, like hardware or planning documents.
• Project scope management includes processes for defining and controlling what is included (or not) in a project.

Project Scope Management Processes

• Planning scope involves determining how the project's scope and requirements will be managed.
• Collecting requirements means defining and documenting the features and functions of the products and the processes to create them.
• Defining scope includes reviewing the project charter, requirements documents, and organizational assets for the scope statement.
• Creating the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) involves breaking major deliverables into manageable components.
• Validating scope is about formalizing the acceptance of project deliverables.
• Controlling scope focuses on managing changes to the project's scope throughout its duration.

Planning Scope Management Outputs

• Planning scope results in a scope management plan and a requirements management plan.
• The scope management plan is a subsidiary of the overall project management plan.
• It documents processes to prepare a detailed project scope statement and create, maintain, and approve the WBS.

Collecting Requirements (Phase 1)

• A requirement is a condition or capability needed in a product, service, or result to satisfy a business need.
• The requirements management plan details how project requirements are analyzed, documented, and managed.
• For some IT projects, requirements development is divided into elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation.
• An iterative approach is crucial for defining requirements, as they often lack clarity early on.

Methods for Gathering Requirements

• Common methods include interviews, focus groups, facilitated workshops, and group creativity techniques.
• Questionnaires, surveys, observation, prototyping, and software tools can also be used.
• Benchmarking involves collecting ideas by comparing project practices or product characteristics to other projects.
• Identifying who to ask is a key question.

Documenting Requirements

• Requirements documents can include text, images, diagrams, and videos.
• Requirements can be categorized by function, service, performance, quality, and training.
• The requirements management plan details the analysis, documentation, and management of project requirements.
• A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) lists requirements, attributes, and their current status.

Defining Scope Outcomes

• The project scope statement is the primary output.
• Key inputs include the project charter, requirements documentation, organizational process assets, project files, and lessons learned.
• Project scope statements should include a product scope description, acceptance criteria, and project deliverables information.
• Including scope-related information like project boundaries, constraints, and assumptions is helpful.
• The scope statement should reference supporting documents, like product specifications.
• As a project progresses, the scope should become more specific.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• A deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work involved in a project
• Basis for planning and managing project schedules, costs, resources, and changes
• Decomposition: subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces
• Work package: task at the lowest level of the WBS.
• The scope baseline includes the approved scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.

Approaches to Developing WBSs

• Some organizations provide guidelines for preparing WBSs.
• The analogy approach tailors WBSs from similar projects as a starting point.
• The top-down approach starts with the project's largest items and breaks them down.
• The bottom-up approach starts with specific tasks and rolls them up into larger categories.
• Mind-mapping uses branches radiating from a core idea to structure thoughts.

WBS Dictionary and Scope Baseline

• Many WBS tasks require further explanation for team members to understand task requirements.
• The WBS dictionary documents detailed information about each WBS item.
• The scope baseline, which includes the approved scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary, is used to measure performance.

Guidelines for Creating a WBS & WBS Dictionary

• Each work unit should appear only once in the WBS.
• The work content is the sum of the items below it.
• A single person needs to be in charge.
• It should match how the work is going to be done, and be useful.
• Team members should be involved for consistency and buy-in.
• Scope work needs to be documented to ensure understanding of what is and isn't included
• TheWBS should be flexible for inevitable changes while maintaining control.

Avoiding Scope Issues

• Overly broad project scopes can cause problems.
• Scope creep and technology overemphasis led to a pharmaceutical firm's bankruptcy.
• McDonald's cancelled its intranet project after spending $170 million due to an overly ambitious scope.

Validating Scope Details

• Creating a good scope statement and WBS for a project can be difficult.
• Verifying project scope and minimizing changes can prove even more difficult.
• Scope validation entails formal acceptance of the completed project scope by stakeholders.
• Acceptance often involves customer inspection and approval of key deliverables.

Controlling Scope Details

• Scope control manages project scope changes.
• Goals include influencing factors causing scope changes, ensuring changes align with integrated change control, and managing changes.
• Variance is the difference between planned and actual performance.

Avoiding Scope Issues Best Practices

• Maintain a realistic scope by breaking down large projects.
• Involve users in project scope management and give them ownership.
• Use off-the-shelf hardware and software when possible, prioritizing business needs.
• Adhere to good project management processes, especially scope management.

Improving User Input

• Develop a good project selection process.
• Include users on the project team.
• Hold regular meetings with set agendas and sign-offs.
• Regularly deliver content and be mindful of delivery.
• Co-locate users and developers.