Project Scope Management refers to the set of processes that ensure a project’s scope is accurately defined and mapped. Scope Management techniques enable project managers and supervisors to allocate the right amount of work necessary to successfully complete a project—concerned primarily with controlling what is and what is not part of the project’s scope.
For a project manager, scope knowledge area is critical, and the Project Management Institute (PMI)® emphasizes this.
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Scope refers to the detailed set of deliverables or features of a project. These deliverables are derived from a project’s requirements. PMBOK® defines Project Scope as the “The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.”
Following are the three processes of Project Scope Management:
The scope of a project is the clear identification of the work that is required to complete or deliver a project successfully. One of the project manager’s responsibilities is to ensure that only the needed work (the scope) will be performed and that each of the deliverables can be completed in the allotted time and within budget.
The documentation of the scope of the project will explain the boundaries of the project, establish the responsibilities of each member of the team, and set up procedures for how a work that is completed will be verified and approved. This documentation may be referred to as the scope statement, the statement of work, or the terms of reference.
As a project manager, you’ll need to define project scope no matter what methodology you choose. Here’s one example of a systematic process to capture, define, and monitor scope.
To define the scope of the project, identify the above parameters.
Once these parameters are established, the limitations of the project need to be clarified, and the aspects that are not to be included in the project identified. By doing this, the project scope will make clear to stakeholders, senior management, and team members what will and will not be included in the final product or service.
Additionally, the scope of the project should have a tangible objective for the organization that is undertaking the project. This is integral for the scope of the project since it will play a vital role in how project methodologies are applied to complete it.
It is the first process in the Project Scope Management process. The PMBOK® Guide, Fifth Edition, added several processes to separate the initial planning activities from other activities. This process creates the Scope Management plan. The Scope Management plan describes the project scope and documents how it will be further defined, validated, and controlled.
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Plan Scope Management Process.
The Project Scope Management plan covers how the scope will be defined, validated, and controlled. It also includes information on preventing or dealing with scope creep, handling change requests, the escalation path for any disagreement on the scope elements between stakeholders, the process for the creation of the scope statement, WBS, and how the deliverables will be accepted.
This process involves documenting stakeholders’ needs with the stated intent of meeting the project’s objectives. In this process, managers use several techniques and tools for collecting project requirements from stakeholders. The process attempts to leave no stone unturned, resulting in an in-depth list of project requirements. If this process is performed thoroughly and correctly, it can significantly reduce the possibility of unpleasant surprises as the project moves toward completion.
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Collect Requirements process.
This process involves the preparation of a detailed description of the project and its major deliverables. The scope clearly states what the project is supposed to achieve and what it cannot accomplish. The supporting documents are reviewed to ensure that the project will deliver work in line with the stated goals. The scope that results states the stakeholders’ needs and communicates expectations for project performance.
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Define Scope Process.
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is an important element of the Scope Management process, and the PMI® places great emphasis on this aspect—many project managers often skip this step, which leads to inaccurate planning. The WBS provides the project manager and the team with the opportunity to break down a high-level scope statement into smaller, manageable units of work, called work packages. The resulting WBS should provide a complete list of all work packages required to complete the project
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Create Work Breakdown Structure process.
The Validate Scope process focuses mainly on customer acceptance. It is when the project customer formally accepts all the project deliverables. This process occurs at the end of each phase. During the process, the customer gives feedback on the work that was performed.
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Validate Scope process.
Control Scope is the last process group of project Scope Management. The Control Scope process involves monitoring the status of the project and managing changes to the scope.
The table below shows the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of the Scope Control process.
This process involves assessing additional requirements from the customer or proactively overlooking the project scope. Managers measure the work product against the scope baseline to ensure that the project stays on track, and all requested changes & recommended corrective or preventive actions are processed through the integrated change control process.
Some common issues with performing Project Scope Management can lead to problems once the project has begun. We recommend reviewing all Scope Management documentation with an eye toward:
Effective Project Scope Management requires clear communication, to ensure that stakeholders and team members alike understand the scope of the project while agreeing on how the project goals will be met.
Scope Management helps avoid the challenges that a project might face with bloating scope and an unruly requirements list. Project scope clearly sets out what is or is not included in the project, and controls what gets added or removed as the project is executed. Scope Management establishes control mechanisms to address factors that may result in changes during the project lifecycle.
Without defining the project scope, the cost and time that the project will take cannot be estimated. At times, due to a lack of communication, the scope may need to change. It directly affects the cost and disturbs the schedule of the project, causing losses.
Project Scope Management is not difficult to implement; however, it does require effort, time, and patience. It’s worth the investment because proper Scope Management will help you specify a clear scope and deliver the project with minimal overruns.
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A project management and digital marketing knowledge manager, Avantika’s area of interest is project design and analysis for digital marketing, data science, and analytics companies.
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