Projects Planning, Part 1 ~
Integration and Scope Management ~
One of the key responsibilities of a project manager is to define
the scope of the project. The challenge is to make sure that
everything within the project scope is completed without
carrying out any extra work. The WBS helps define scope by
listing individual tasks that make up the project. The project
team completes all the listed tasks but no additional work.
However, defining scope using a WBS can be a difficult task,
especially if you are new to the field. Please post your questions
and thoughts on the discussion board to your fellow students.
Additionally, please post your thoughts on how to manage scope
creep.
According to PMBOK® Work Breakdown Structure is defined
as a “Deliverable Oriented hierarchical decomposition of the
work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the
project objectives and create the required deliverables” and
creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a key
component of Project Scope Management that visually defines
the scope of a project and thus helps to organise and manage
various tasks of the project team members. In a simpler term, a
work breakdown structure (WBS) looks quite like an
organizational hierarchy chart.
The structures of Work Breakdown Levels from program to
deliverables are as follows:
Programs are groups of related or sole 'Projects'.
Projects can be categorised into discrete 'Phases'.
Within each phase, 'Major Deliverables' are first identified.
Some Major Deliverables that are called Subproject are often
given to contractors.
Major Deliverables are subsequently split down into
Deliverables.
Now, Scope Management is an extremely important part of
Project Management which is the process of defining specific
work(s) that is required to be accomplished and then
subsequently ensure that the entire work and only that piece of
the task is accurately completed. The Scope Management plan
should include the detailed processes of the Scope, its
determination and control process.
So, the scope of the work that is defined and outlined in "Project
Scope Statement" of Scope Management is basically
decomposed hierarchically to accomplish the project objectives
by the project team.
And the prime importance of Project Scope Management is that
it HELPS prevent 'Scope Creep', unnecessary changes and
enhancement beyond scope and estimation and time schedule.
And the efficient ways to manage 'Scope Creep' and even
prevent it from happening are:
1. The starting point is understanding the client’s vision...
followed by,
2. Understand the Project Requirements together with the
Project Scope and Appropriate documentation of all those
Requirements.
3. Setting up the Change Control Processes, as in real project
life, it is pragmatic and extremely unrealistic and to even
consider that nothing will change during the life cycle of
the project.
4. Creation of a vivid and detailed task list as a successful
Project Schedule.
5. Verify the Scope with the Sponsor and the Stakeholders
and be vigilant from 'Day One'.
6. Engage the Project Team and share the change control
process with them and let them know how it may/will
affect them to include them as the custodian of the project
and not just a change-agent.
7. Project management software like LiquidPlanner is a very
important tool to control Scope Creep that gives visibility
not only to the project management team but to the client as
well.
8. Guard against unscheduled GOLD plating, so that over-
deliver on the scope and additional features are in control,
as some project team just want to keep pleasing the client.
9. Learning and knowing to say “No”.
10. In the event of an inability to say “No”:
a. Price the added features that will successfully combat
scope creep and discourage further incoming request
with similar Scope Management.
b. Rather than the current project, enlist the incoming
added features for the NEXT project.
c. Thus ensuring that if something goes in - something
MUST come out too.
