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Example Defining The Project Scope

This document provides guidance on defining a project's scope, including: - The project scope outlines the goals, objectives, tasks, resources, budget and timeline that define what will and won't be included in the project. - It's important to be specific when writing a scope statement. Examples should quantify objectives and describe difficulties without the project and risks. - A scope statement for upgrading a university's WiFi would specify which buildings would be upgraded, and that the project must be completed by a certain date. - A good scope statement includes the project justification, deliverables, exclusions, constraints, and assumptions to set clear expectations between the project team and stakeholders.

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Qendrim Zeka
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
544 views

Example Defining The Project Scope

This document provides guidance on defining a project's scope, including: - The project scope outlines the goals, objectives, tasks, resources, budget and timeline that define what will and won't be included in the project. - It's important to be specific when writing a scope statement. Examples should quantify objectives and describe difficulties without the project and risks. - A scope statement for upgrading a university's WiFi would specify which buildings would be upgraded, and that the project must be completed by a certain date. - A good scope statement includes the project justification, deliverables, exclusions, constraints, and assumptions to set clear expectations between the project team and stakeholders.

Uploaded by

Qendrim Zeka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Defining the Project Scope: Tips & Free Template

Most project methodologies require that you first define a project’s scope. Collaboration among
the project owner, sponsor, and stakeholders help identify its shape and size. Changes in scope
mid-project are called scope creep. Learn how to define the scope and deal with scope creep in
this article.

What Is Project Scope?


No matter what project methodology you choose, it will require you first and foremost to define
the scope of the project. The scope states what the objectives of the project
are and what goals must be met to achieve success.
You can define project scope by identifying your goals, objectives, tasks,
subphases, resources, budget, and scheduling. Defining the project scope
outlines the parameters or limitations of the project and spells out what is
excluded. That includes project by-products that are non-goals.
The scope must make clear to those involved exactly what product or service
will be delivered. It is not intended to expand on methodologies or stakeholder purpose and
motivation. How to Write a Scope Statement, by Bright Hub’s Eric Stallworth, is a step-by-step
guide to this process. There is also a free, downloadable project scope templatecreated by the
same writer in Bright Hub's Media Gallery.

Ultimately, you will define project scope by identifying what initiated the request for a new product
or service.
 It's useful to quantify objectives-- "This service will increase the end user's efficiency by
15%."
 It's a good idea to characterize difficulties you've experienced without the product or service
and what will happen if the project is not approved.
 You must describe what you are creating, how much money you will need, how much time
it will take, and how many people you will need.
The authorizing body will also want to know the limitations of your project as well as the risks
involved.
You should set the approved scope statement aside as a point of focus as the project progresses
through its stages. The scope will remind you of your focus if the project threatens to shift beyond
its initial parameters. If there are any changes in the tasks originally identified for the project’s
scope--no matter their size or who requests them--they are referred to asscope creep.

As the project manager, you can review the project scope and consider the scope creep. You can
then veto any changes to the original project plan, or you can initiate a change to the original
scope. It is perfectly acceptable to anticipate changes even after you define project scope.

http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/10057-defining-the-project-scope-tips-amp-free-template/
We'll take a look at actual examples of project scope statements, then discuss them to determine
what should be included in a scope statement and what should be left out.

Constructing Powerful Scope Statements


A successful project scope statement should be concise and clear. Anyone reading the statement
should have a good idea of what the project consists of (and what will not be part of the project).
This statement will give a view of the project. It is also important to be specific in a project
scope statement.
For example, "The catalog will feature 100 products" is better than "The catalog will feature
many products" and "The project will be completed over six months" is preferable to "The
project will be completed over a period of time." The more specific you can be the better.
In order to better understand ways to construct scope statements, let's look at a couple of
examples.

University Technology Upgrades


Imagine being confronted with the following scope statement:
University X wants to upgrade its facilities to include WiFi technologies accessible anywhere on
campus. This project will offer students, faculty, and staff the ability to be productive from
anywhere on campus. The project will take place over a time period in which measurable results
will be achieved.
What are your first thoughts? My initial thought is that this scope statement completely lacks any
of the SMART goal features. SMART stands for:
 Specific
 Measurable
 Agreed Upon
 Realistic
 Time Bound
In order to change the above scope statement into a SMART goal, the university would have to
restate their project, perhaps in the following manner:
University X will upgrade the library, dormitories (konvikte), offices, and then all campus buildings
to IEEE 802.11 technology, starting at the north side of campus with the library.
This project will facilitate productivity via computer of faculty, staff, and students. The project will
be complete by fall semester, 2011.
You will notice that this scope statement includes specific directions for completion of the project.
The results are measurable - we can know how many buildings have been upgraded. It is agreed
upon, realistic (because we are taking a building-by-building approach), and time bound - it will be
completed by a specific date.
What to Include in a Project Scope Statement
By Stanley E. Portny from Project Management For Dummies, 4th Edition

The Scope Statement is an essential element of any project. Project managers use the Scope
Statement as a written confirmation of the results your project will produce and the constraints
and assumptions under which you will work. Both the people who requested the project and the
project team should agree to all terms in the Scope Statement before actual project work begins.

A good Scope Statement includes the following information:

 Justification: A brief statement regarding the business need your project addresses. (A
more detailed discussion of the justification for the project appears in the project charter.)

 Product scope description: The characteristics of the products, services, and/or results
your project will produce.

 Acceptance criteria: The conditions that must be met before project deliverables are
accepted.

 Deliverables: The products, services, and/or results your project will produce (also referred
to as objectives).

 Project Exclusions: Statements about what the project will not accomplish or produce.

 Constraints: Restrictions that limit what you can achieve, how and when you can achieve it,
and how much achieving it can cost.

 Assumptions: Statements about how you will address uncertain information as you
conceive, plan, and perform your project.

Think of your Scope Statement, when viewed together with the other components of your project
plan, as a binding agreement in which

 You and your team commit to producing certain results.

Your project’s requesters commit that they’ll consider your project 100 percent successful if you
produce these results.

 You and your team identify all restrictions regarding your approach to the work and the
resources you need to support your work.

Your project’s requesters agree that there are no restrictions other than the ones you’ve identified
and that they’ll provide you the support you declare you need.

 You and your team identify all assumptions you made when setting the terms of your
Scope Statement.

Your project’s requesters agree that, if any of these assumptions prove to be invalid, you may have
to modify some or all of your project plans.

A well-written Scope Statement is an important resource for helping to manage stakeholder


expectations.
Of course, predicting the future is impossible. In fact, the farther into the future you try to look, the
less certain your predictions can be. However, your Scope Statement represents your project
commitments based on what you know today and expect to be true in the future.

If and when situations change, you have to assess the effect of the changes on all aspects of your
project and propose the necessary changes to your Scope Statement. Your project’s requesters
always have the option of either accepting your proposed changes (and allowing the project to
continue) or canceling your project.

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