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Chapter 5: Project Scope Management - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 5: Project Scope Management
Definition
Deliverable
is a product produced as part of a project, such as hardware or software, planning documents, or meeting minutes
Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included in a project
Scope
refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them
Project Scope Management Processes
Collecting requirements
Defining scope
Planning scope
Creating the WBS
Validating scope
Controlling scope
Planning Scope Management
The project team uses expert judgment and meetings to develop two important outputs:
the scope management plan and the requirements management plan
The scope management plan is a subsidiary part of the project management plan
Requirements Management Plan
The requirements management plan documents how project requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed
Collecting Requirements
For some IT projects, it is helpful to divide requirements development into categories called elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation
It is important to use an iterative approach to defining requirements since they are often unclear early in a project
Methods
Interviewing
Focus groups and facilitated workshops
Using group creativity and decision-making techniques
Questionnaires and surveys
Observation
Prototyping
Benchmarking or generating ideas by comparing specific project practices characteristics
Requirements Traceability Matrix
RTM
is a table that lists requirements, various attributes of each requirement, and the status of the requirements to ensure that all requirements are addressed
Defining Scope
Project scope
statements should include at least a product scope description, product user acceptance criteria, and detailed information on all project deliverables.
It is also helpful to document other scope-related information, such as the project boundaries, constraints, and assumptions. The project scope statement should also reference supporting documents, such as product specifications
As time progresses, the scope of a project should become more clear and specific
Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project
WBS is a foundation document that provides the basis for planning and managing project schedules, costs, resources, and changes
Decomposition is subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces
A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS
The scope baseline includes the approved project scope statement and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary
Approaches to Developing WBSs
Using guidelines: Some organizations, like the DOD, provide guidelines for preparing WBSs
The
analogy approach
: Review WBSs of similar projects and tailor to your project
The
top-down approach
: Start with the largest items of the project and break them down
The
bottom-up approach
: Start with the specific tasks and roll them up
Mind-mapping approach:
Mind mapping
is a technique that uses branches radiating out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas
WBS Dictionary and Scope Baseline
A WBS dictionary is a document that describes detailed information about each WBS item
Many WBS tasks are vague and must be explained more so people know what to do and can estimate how long it will take and what it will cost to do the work
Advice for Creating a WBS and WBS Dictionary
A unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS.
The work content of a WBS item is the sum of the WBS items below it
A WBS item is the responsibility of only one individual, even though many people may be working on it
The WBS must be consistent with the way in which work is actually going to be performed; it should serve the project team first, and other purposes only if practical
Validating Scope
It is very difficult to create a good scope statement and WBS for a project
It is even more difficult to verify project scope and minimize scope changes
Scope validation involves formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables
Acceptance is often achieved by a customer inspection and then sign-off on key deliverables
Controlling Scope
Goals of scope control are to
influence the factors that cause scope changes
assure changes are processed according to procedures developed as part of integrated change control, and
manage changes when they occur
Variance
is the difference between planned and actual performance
Scope control involves controlling changes to the project scope
Best Practices for Avoiding Scope Problems
. Involve users in project scope management
Use off-the-shelf hardware and software whenever possible
Keep the scope realistic
. Follow good project management processes
Suggestions for Improving User Input
Develop a good project selection process and insist that sponsors are from the user organization
Have users on the project team in important roles
Have regular meetings with defined agendas, and have users sign off on key deliverables presented at meetings
Deliver something to users and sponsors on a regular basis
Don’t promise to deliver when you know you can’t
Co-locate users with developers
Suggestions for Reducing Incomplete and Changing Requirements
Develop and follow a requirements management process
Use techniques such as prototyping, use case modeling, and JAD to get more user involvement
Put requirements in writing and keep them current
Create a requirements management database for documenting and controlling requirements
Provide adequate testing and conduct testing throughout the project life cycle
Review changes from a systems perspective
Emphasize completion dates to help focus on what’s most important
Allocate resources specifically for handling change requests/enhancements like NWA did with ResNet
Using Software to Assist in Project Scope Management
Word-processing software helps create several scope-related documents
Spreadsheets help to perform financial calculations, weighed scoring models, and develop charts and graphs
Communication software like e-mail and the Web help clarify and communicate scope information
Project management software helps in creating a WBS, the basis for tasks on a Gantt chart
Specialized software is available to assist in project scope management