How many times have we initiated a project only to find that
as we move forward through project planning and into project execution,
more and more changes to the project are required? While change is
inevitable throughout almost any project’s lifecycle, if it is not
properly managed and documented, it will result in scope creep. Scope
creep is the uncontrolled addition of work, requirements, or
deliverables to a project which fall outside of the project’s defined
scope. A project’s scope defines exactly what a project is intended to
accomplish to include all of the requirements and deliverables necessary
to achieve the desired result. The project scope is the backbone of
the project upon which all of the project’s planning activities are
based. While changes may certainly be made to the project, it’s the
unmanaged and uncontrolled changes which result in scope creep that must
be avoided.
So how can scope creep be avoided? What project management
tools exist to help us in the project planning phase so we can prevent
scope creep from occurring? The key to understanding and preventing
scope creep is to realize that the more thoroughly a project is planned,
the more prepared the project manager and team will be to avoid scope
creep. Fortunately there are several project management tools which
help plan, baseline, and manage the project scope as well as manage any
requested changes to the scope. These tools are used during the project
planning phase and are all components of the formal project management
plan.
Scope Baseline: The scope baseline
consists of the approved project scope statement, work breakdown
structure (WBS), and WBS dictionary. These components allow the project
team to establish a baseline against which actual project scope will be
measured. It is important that the scope baseline is created through
careful and deliberate planning to ensure all project work is captured
which supports the agreed upon project scope. The work descriptions
must be as detailed as possible because if they’re not, then they’re
open to interpretation which invites scope creep. As the project
progresses, the team will be able to measure if the project’s work and
requirements have been met in order to determine project success.
Scope Management Plan: This plan, also a
component of the formal project plan, defines the formal process for
how the project scope will be managed and controlled during the
project’s lifecycle. It defines authority and responsibility for
managing and controlling scope, as well as how scope will be controlled,
measured, and verified. By carefully developing this plan and
following it closely, it will help the project team avoid the
introduction of any scope creep.
Change Management Plan: This plan is an
extremely important tool in preventing scope creep on a project. Most
projects have many stakeholders who bring many different interests into
play. Some may want added functionality beyond what is included in the
approved scope baseline. Others may see an opportunity to add work to a
project to benefit their organization. By developing and adhering to a
formal change management plan, the project team is empowered to
consider any proposed change to the project while maintaining the
integrity of the scope. If a change is determined to be necessary, it
can be carefully managed and communicated and add to the project’s value
instead of simply resulting in scope creep.
Configuration Management Plan: This plan
defines how changes in project documentation and tools will be managed
throughout the project. Configuration management is necessary in order
to ensure that all project documentation and tools are managed based on
the original project scope and any approved changes to the scope. This
proactive approach to managing project documentation ensures that there
is consistency between the scope baseline and any changes in project
scope while preventing incidents of scope creep finding their way into
the documentation.
Requirements Management Plan: This plan
defines how project requirements will be identified, analyzed,
documented, and managed. It is important during project planning to
ensure all requirements are captured. These requirements coincide with
the scope baseline and need to be met to ensure a successful project.
Failure to capture all requirements or leave requirements poorly defined
can result in scope creep as the project moves forward.
We know that through careful project planning we can
utilize several components of the formal project plan as tools for
preventing scope creep. So once the project moves into the execution
phase how can we monitor the scope to ensure we continue working within
the approved baseline? Fortunately there are also several project
management tools available which aid in this purpose. The first tools
are outputs of the Requirements Management Plan. These are the
requirements documentation and the requirements traceability matrix.
Requirements Documentation and Traceability Matrix:
All project requirements must be documented in order to ensure they can
be understood, communicated, and completed in order to complete the
project. However, just documenting the requirements is not sufficient
for monitoring the project’s scope. There must be a clear understanding
of each requirement and accountability or ownership of each
requirement. The project manager uses the requirements documentation
and traceability matrix to establish understanding and ownership of each
requirement and track its status. Work requested or performed outside
of the documented requirements and traceability matrix may be an
indicator that there is some level of scope creep occurring. These
tools provide an organized method for monitoring scope and ensuring all
project work supports an approved and documented requirement.
Variance Analysis: Variance analysis is
the process of measuring scope performance against the scope baseline.
As part of the scope management plan every project should have an
acceptable variance within which changes to the scope are not required
and outside of which corrective action may be needed. If corrective
actions are needed then this may also lead to updating the scope
baseline, project plan, or other project documentation which should be
done through the change control process. Variance analysis is an
effective tool which can be used iteratively throughout the project
lifecycle to monitor scope.
We know that project managers and teams work hard to plan
for project requirements, milestones, and deliverables while
considering all feedback from stakeholders. However, project changes
are often needed to include an unplanned event or deliverable or to
bring a project back in line to support its original intent. While the
project manager wants to avoid unnecessary changes which are often the
result of scope creep, necessary changes which benefit the project
should be managed through the project’s change management process and
incorporated into the project.
When a stakeholder or project team member identifies the
need for a change the project manager must have a plan in place to
manage the change through a review and approval process and to
effectively communicate the change if it is accepted. This process
should be detailed in the project’s Change Management Plan. Once the
change is proposed the project manager must ensure it is documented and
an analysis in conducted to determine the change’s impact on the scope,
time, and cost of the project. The proposed change goes to the change
control board who determine if the change is necessary and supports the
project’s intent. Sometimes the change will require the project’s scope
baseline, schedule, or budget to be modified. If the change is
accepted by the change control board it is imperative for the project
manager to ensure all project documentation is updated as necessary as
well as to communicate the change to the stakeholders and project team.
This process or carefully reviewing, approving, documenting, and
communicating a change is what differentiates managed project changes
from unmanaged scope creep.
Managing project scope and preventing scope creep are
ongoing tasks the project manager must perform throughout the entire
project lifecycle. The scope is the very essence of the project and
determines if the outcome is successful or not. Many stakeholders may
have many varying interests in a project because of how their work,
organizations, budgets, schedules, or resources are affected. Because
of this, and the many internal and external influences on projects,
great care and consideration must be taken when planning and managing
scope. Project managers must understand that all of these competing
interests must be considered in order to maintain support for the
project. By using the project management tools at their disposal,
communicating with stakeholders, and managing scope as opposed to only
reacting to scope creep, the project manager can maintain support for
his or her project while ensuring all project work directly correlates
with the tasks required to successfully complete the project.
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