The Merriam-Webster
Dictionary defines a statement as “a single declaration or remark”. The project
scope statement includes more detail than our proverbial understanding of a
statement as a single remark.
The project scope statement identifies all of the project’s
deliverables and defines the work required to create the deliverables. In other
words, it creates a common understanding of what needs to be achieved by all
stakeholders and creates a framework for proposed changes to be effected within
the project boundaries, to eliminate nice to haves from creeping into the
project.
Often,
careful and thoughtful consideration in the composition of the project scope statement
is neglected, resulting in detrimental results to project budget, schedule, quality,
and customer expectations, as the project advances.
Considerations for a project scope statement:
Project
Objectives - Quantifiable goals that defines the project’s appropriateness to
the project customer and the overall success of the project. Objectives must be
detailed, quantifiable, aggressive, realistic, and time-sensitive.
Product
Scope description – Describes what deliverables the project is creating. The
product scope description is a work in progress as it starts off vague and is
updated as the project work develops.
Project Requirements – Sets the parameters under which the
project will operate and determines the acceptability criteria against which
the deliverables are measured. These parameters are established by the customer
and the performing organization.
Project Boundaries – Project boundaries establishes what is
included in the project and what is excluded from it. Strict adherence to
existing project boundaries leaves no room to engage in extra work that does
not form part of the project scope.
Project Deliverables – These are all the things the project
will create. But hang on, it does not only include the product it will create,
but also all the documentation and documented experiences which can be used for
future reference on similar projects.
Product Acceptance Criteria – It
includes a list of requirements inclusive of the customer’s expectations that
must be satisfied prior to acceptance of the completed product.
Project Constraints – Careful thought
must to be put into identifying anything that will limit the project from successful
completion. Constraints can include anything from a predetermined budget,
available resources and materials, imposed dates, and contract conditions.
These are but some elements to
consider for inclusion in the project scope description. From your perspective,
do you think all of these are necessary?
Written by Hylton Ferreira.
