Project Scope — what it is and why it’s important

Intro

First of all I would like thank all the Chingu fellows (and especially Chance) for this great adventure, which is the Chingu-Voyage (1&2). A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have even thought about writing an article in my second language about project management (Chance almost forced me to do this ;)).

I have 12+ years of managing service and implementation of IT projects in different environments (coal and copper mines, railway industry, public administration). I’d like to share my thoughts on the importance of Project Scope, in hopes of helping teams succeed.

What is Project Scope?

I don’t want to bore you, but let’s jump to the Project Scope definition from PMBOK:

The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.

Ok, we now know what it is, so let’s get to Project Scope Management, which can be divided in three processes: planning, controlling, closing.

Planning

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” — Benjamin Franklin

Unfortunately in real life, change is an inevitable part of any project so the key to successfully completing a project is defining the exact work to be done and sticking to this definition throughout the whole project, to ensure that each task will be completed in the defined time.

Now we need to make some paperwork…,

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which can be called The Scope Statement, Terms of Reference, but most common is SOW (State of Work).

How to define scope

To define the scope, you need to prepare a detailed description of the project requirements and its major deliverables. During the collecting requirements process, you can use different techniques (focus groups, brainstorming, mind maps).

Don’t underestimate this part. A single missed requirement can result in total project failure. You should clearly describe what you are supposed to achieve. Identify the following:

• project objectives,
• goals,
• tasks,
• schedule.

When you gather together all the above, you’ll get detailed project scope and baselines. That will also protect you from Scope Creep, which happens when changes are made without any control.

You are ready to prepare WBS….

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I can assure you, that every project will slip deadlines, have scope creep and finally fail without Work Breakdown Structure, which is a process of breaking down work into smaller chunks (deliverables) and is called decomposition.

You need to iterate on this process until you finally define tasks, which cannot be more decomposed.

Tip:

“Create WBS with the help of the whole team, so everyone will have fair and accurate picture of the overall project objectives. This can reduce project risks.”

You can make it in multiple ways (list, tabular, chart), but in my opinion, the chart is most effective one, because it shows a complete hierarchy of tasks.

Work Breakdown Structure

Follow the rules below, while creating WBS:

• The WBS is created with the help of the team
• The first level is completed before the project is decomposed further
• Each level of the WBS is a smaller piece of the level above
• The entire project is included in each of the highest levels of the WBS
• The WBS includes on the deliverables which are really needed
• Deliverables not in the WBS are not part of the project

Once the WBS is completed, we can assign each task to team members and estimate the time needed for each task. This allows us to create a schedule.

Let’s move on to another process of Project Scope Management: controlling.

Controlling

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This is a simple process. You need to keep track on all the activities and schedule of your team. Don’t loosen the grip on the project and remember to communicate. It’s very important during the whole life cycle of project and to make it effective, listen to your team.

By hearing what people are saying, and giving them a chance to say it, you get your message across better and the people you’re communicating with know you respect their opinions and will work harder to keep the scope of a project on track.

Closing

The final process which includes review of project deliverables.

Final tips:

Make sure, your Project Scope is:

1. Clearly defined, to avoid unnecessary work and confusion.
2. Completely defined, to avoid slips in project schedule,
3. Unmodified — so it won’t cause late deliveries and “never-ending” tasks (scope creep).

I hope this article will help you build well organized project structure and to successfully complete your team project!