Defining Project Scope: in-scope, out-of-scope and scope creep

Your project scope includes the boundaries of a project. An agreed-upon understanding as to what is included or excluded from a project.

• Scope helps ensure that your project is clearly defined and mapped out. That means knowing exactly who the project will be delivered to and who will be using the end result of the project.
• You also need a firm understanding of the project’s complexity. Is it straightforward with an easily manageable list of tasks? Or will it require extensive research, multiple rounds of approvals, and a large-scale production process that will take years to complete?
• The scope also includes the project timeline, budget, and resources. You need to clearly define these so that you can make sure you’re working within those boundaries and what’s actually possible for the project to work.
• Poorly-defined scope or major changes to your scope can cause changes to the budget, timeline, or even final outcome of the project.

Questions to determine the scope

• Where did the project come from?
• Why is it needed?
• What is the project expected to achieve?
• What does the project sponsor have in mind?
• Who approves the final results?

As for timing, defining the project scope should happen during the initial planning stage. You want to start figuring out the scope early on so that everyone can agree to the same set of expectations. It will help mitigate the risks of big changes down the line.

Once you understand your project scope, you want to document all the details so that anyone can refer back to it throughout the life cycle of the project.

A clearly defined scope describes all the details of a project and regulates what can be added or removed as it progresses. While it’s ultimately the project manager’s responsibility to monitor the project and make sure all the work and resources fall within its scope, team members and stakeholders can be encouraged to do their part by focusing on the tasks that are the most important to reach the project’s goal.

Asking scope-defining questions

Taking the time to ask questions and ensure that you understand the scope of the project will help reduce expenses, rework frustration, and confusion. Make sure you understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how as it applies to the scope. If you are missing any of that information, focus your questions on those elements. The initiation phase of the project sets the foundation for the project, so ensuring that you understand the scope and expectations during this stage is essential.

Tasks that are included in the project and contribute to the project’s overall goal are considered to be in-scope. Tasks that aren’t included are called out-of-scope.

You would have to point out that their suggestion is out-of-scope and would take extra time and add to your budget costs.

Changes, growth, and uncontrolled factors that affect a project scope at any point after the project begins are referred to as “scope creep.”

Scope creep is a common problem, and it’s not always easy to control. By identifying scope creep and being proactive, you protect your project and your project team.

Sources of scope creep:

• External: External sources of scope creep are easier to recognize. For example, if you’re working on a project with one main customer, the customer might request changes, the business environment around you might shift, or the underlying technology you’re using might change.
• Internal: internal sources of scope creep are trickier to spot and harder to control. This kind of creep comes from members of the project team who suggest or even insist on a process or product changes or improvements.
• It’s possible that a product developer will justify a decision on the grounds of making the product better, even though it’s going to cost more, or a team lead might decide that a certain process is more efficient without realizing the impact of the change in process will have on other team members tasked with different parts of the project.

While you can’t control everything that happens, there are some useful tips to keep in mind:

• Make sure the stakeholders have visibility into the project. You want them to know the details of what’s going to be produced, what resources are required, how much it will cost, and how much time it’ll take.
• Get clarity on the requirements and ask for constructive criticism of the initial product proposal. It’s important to get this information before any contracts are signed.
• Be sure to set ground rules and expectations for stakeholder involvement once the project gets started. Come to an agreement on each of your roles and responsibilities during execution and status reviews.
• Once you’re clear on the project scope, come up with a plan for how to deal with out-of-scope requests. Agree on who can make formal change requests and how those requests will be evaluated, accepted, and performed.
• Be sure to get these agreements in writing. This way, you’ll always have documentation to point out if you, a stakeholder, or the customer have a disagreement down the line.

One of the leading causes of external scope creep is not being clear on the requirements before defining the scope and getting formal approval to move forward with the project.

If the requirements aren’t specific and if you haven’t agreed on the project’s processes, deliverables, and milestones, then you’re almost guaranteed to be dealing with scope creep once the project begins.

Make clear to your team that any change outside of the project scope comes off the bottom line, threatens the schedule, and increases risk.

It’s your responsibility as the project manager to maintain the limits of the project. The best defence is to know the details of your project in and out so you’re always prepared with the most appropriate response to a new idea or request.

Monitor your project’s scope and protect it at all costs. Even the most minor change can mean a major risk to your project’s success.

Managing scope goes hand in hand with goal-setting. For example, redefining the scope can change the goal, and a revision of the goal can change the scope.

While your project will have its own specific goals, the overall goal for you as the project manager is to deliver the project according to the scope agreements. This includes delivering the project within the given deadline and the approved budget.

Any time a team member takes on an unplanned task, more is lost than just the time spent working on that task. In order to decide if a scope change is acceptable and what impact it will have, project managers usually refer to the triple constraint model.

The triple constraint model is the combination of the three most significant restrictions of any project: scope, time, and cost.

• Time refers to the project schedule and deadlines. Cost includes the budget, and it also covers resources and the people who will work on the project.
• All three of these are linked; you can’t change one without having an impact on the others. For example, a decrease in cost means a change in time or scope. An increase in time means a change in scope or cost or both.
• It’s important to consider what trade-offs you’re willing to make as the project progresses. To do this successfully, you need a clear understanding of the project priorities. You have to know what is most important when it comes to scope, time, and cost.
• If there’s a specific deadline that must be met, then you need to limit any changes to the scope that might cause the project to go past the deadline.

If the product must look or function in a certain way, then the requirements are a priority, and you could justify changes in cost or time in order to meet the scope requirements. But just because you can make a change, that doesn’t mean you necessarily should make a change. And even though the limits of scope, time, and costs have been set, you can still make changes if there’s a good reason to do so.

If there are scope decisions that need to be made, the project manager will likely need to consult with the project sponsor and stakeholders to get their approvals.

Keeping in mind scope, time, and cost as you manage your project will help you navigate different conditions while still achieving your goals. change is inevitable when managing projects.

Make sure you document everything in the beginning and share it with all of your stakeholders and team members, and make sure everybody’s in agreement on that scope.

Scope management best practices and controlling scope creep

Scope creep is when a project’s work starts to grow beyond what was originally agreed upon during the initiation phase. Scope creep can put stress on you, your team, and your organization, and it can put your project at risk. The effects of scope creep can hinder every aspect of the project, from the schedule to the budget to the resources, and ultimately, its overall success.

• Define your project’s requirements. Communicate with your stakeholders or customers to find out exactly what they want from the project and document those requirements during the initiation phase.
• Set a clear project schedule. Time and task management are essential for sticking to your project’s scope. Your schedule should outline all of your project’s requirements and the tasks that are necessary to achieve them.
• Determine what is out of scope. Make sure your stakeholders, customers, and project team understand when proposed changes are out of scope. Come to a clear agreement about the potential impacts on the project and document your agreement.
• Provide alternatives. Suggest alternative solutions to your customer or stakeholder. You can also help them consider how their proposed changes might create additional risks. Perform a cost-benefit analysis, if necessary.
• Set up a change control process. During the course of your project, some changes are inevitable. Determine the process for how each change will be defined, reviewed, and approved (or rejected) before you add it to your project plan. Make sure your project team is aware of this process.
• Learn how to say no. Sometimes you will have to say no to proposed changes. Saying no to a key stakeholder or customer can be uncomfortable, but it can be necessary to protect your project’s scope and its overall quality. If you are asked to take on additional tasks, explain how they will interfere with the budget, timeline, and/or resources defined in your initial project requirements.
• Collect costs for out-of-scope work. If out-of-scope work is required, be sure to document all costs incurred. That includes costs for work indirectly impacted by the increased scope. Be sure to indicate what the charges are for.

You can only avoid scope creep if everyone involved in the project understands and agrees on responsibilities, boundaries, and timelines. Avoiding scope creep also requires clear communication, expectation management, and a well-defined path to your desired outcome.

The triple constraint model is a valuable tool to help you negotiate priorities and consider trade-offs.