Scope Management

Scope management is the process of ensuring that the project includes all the work required to complete the project successfully — and only that work. In predictive projects, scope is defined upfront and controlled through formal change management throughout the project.

The Scope Management Framework

Scope management follows a logical progression from high-level authorization through detailed work breakdown:

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The Project Charter

The Project Charter is the formal document that authorizes a project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

Key Elements of a Project Charter

Charter vs. Contract

For external projects, the contract often serves as the project charter. However, the project manager should still create an internal charter to document assumptions and establish authority.

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Requirements Documentation

Requirements documentation captures all project and product requirements gathered from stakeholders.

Types of Requirements

Requirements Gathering Techniques

• Interviews — One-on-one discussions with stakeholders
• Focus Groups — Facilitated sessions with multiple stakeholders
• Questionnaires — Structured data collection from many people
• Observations — Watching users perform current processes
• Prototypes — Creating models to elicit feedback
• Benchmarking — Comparing to industry standards or best practices
• Document Analysis — Reviewing existing documentation

Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

The Requirements Traceability Matrix links requirements throughout the project lifecycle:

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The Scope Statement

The Project Scope Statement provides a detailed description of the project and product scope, including deliverables and the work required to create them.

Key Components of the Scope Statement

Scope Exclusions

Explicitly stating what is NOT included in scope is as important as defining what is included:

• Prevents scope creep by establishing clear boundaries
• Manages stakeholder expectations
• Documents decisions made during planning
• Provides reference for change control decisions

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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

The Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.

The 100% Rule

The 100% Rule is the fundamental principle of WBS construction:

The WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures all deliverables — internal, external, and interim — in terms of the work to be completed, including project management.

WBS Structure Levels

Work Package Characteristics

A work package is the lowest level of the WBS and should be:

• Definable — Clear scope and boundaries
• Assignable — Can be given to a single person or team
• Estimable — Duration and cost can be estimated
• Measurable — Progress can be tracked

WBS Dictionary

The WBS Dictionary provides detailed information about each WBS element:

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The Scope Baseline

The Scope Baseline is an approved version of the scope that provides the basis for comparison:

Components of Scope Baseline

1. Project Scope Statement — Detailed description of project and product scope
2. WBS — Hierarchical decomposition of all project work
3. WBS Dictionary — Detailed information about each WBS element

Any changes to the scope baseline require formal change control.

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Scope Verification and Control

Validate Scope

Validate Scope is the process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables:

• Conducted with the customer or sponsor
• Results in formal sign-off on deliverables
• Different from quality control (which verifies correctness)

Control Scope

Control Scope monitors the status of the project scope and manages changes:

• Compare actual scope to the scope baseline
• Process scope change requests through integrated change control
• Update project documents as changes are approved
• Prevent scope creep — uncontrolled expansion of scope

Scope Creep vs. Gold Plating

Both are problematic because they consume resources without formal approval.

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Key Takeaways

• The Project Charter formally authorizes the project and establishes the project manager's authority
• Requirements documentation captures stakeholder needs through various elicitation techniques
• The Scope Statement defines what is included AND excluded from the project
• The WBS decomposes all project work following the 100% Rule
• The Scope Baseline consists of the Scope Statement, WBS, and WBS Dictionary
• Scope control prevents unauthorized changes through formal change management