Virev PMO Blog

A little something about Scope

If you have managed or have been involved in any project then you have been involved in Scope management one way or another. Scope Management is defining and setting limits to the work that needs to be done, nothing more nothing less. Once you have defined the scope, the ideal thing to do is to get a sign off on the scope statement so it cannot be changed down the road. Who is to say it won’t? It probably will, but at least you will be covered as a project manager. Any additional changes to scope should be treated as addendum to the original project.

1. The client should only get what they have asked for. Gold plating is usually never necessary or recommended. You don’t want to set an expectation that your deliverables will always be gold plated. It never adds any value to the project.
2. Be absolutely clear in your scope about what is and is not included in the project.
3. Never let anyone update the scope without your consent/knowledge and always follow a structured change control system.

4. Evaluate the progress regularly to make sure that the work being done falls within the project charter and scope.
5. You should never define the scope in one sitting; it should be defined in stages during various project planning meetings.
6. You must realize that there are constraints and assumptions that need to be a part of scope definition.
7. In order to control scope, you must first know what is and is not included in the scope, then follow the change control procedure if something needs to be changed.
8. Always use Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) when defining the scope. It is the most critical tool and NO project should be launched without a WBS. It is the core foundation of the project, everything is related to it e.g. project costs, schedules, staffing, risk management etc

• It is a top-down graphical representation of your project hierarchy.
• It includes EVERYTHING that is to performed as part of your project. In other words, if it is not included in the WBS, it is not part of the project.
• It should be part of EVERY project and is the most important element in your project management.
• It is an effective communication tool for all stakeholders.

Understanding the scope is one thing, but making sure that everyone and everything remains in scope is a real challenge. I hope the above pointers can help you as they have helped me.