The project team realized that the new Royal Adelaide Hospital construction project was 18 months behind schedule and AU$640million over budget when it was finally completed. The hospital was the most expensive building in Australia, with a total cost of AU$2.3 billion. Project scope changes were the main reason that the project failed. These included requests to add features like service robots that deliver linen, and digital tags that track patients and medical equipment. Project failure is most often caused by adversarial scope changes, according to the PMI.
Table of Contents
What is the scope of a project?
Statement of scope for project
Project scope example
Project scope management
Best business practices in project management and scope writing
What is the scope of a project?
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The scope of a project is what defines what is included in the project. It is difficult for many teams to define the scope of a project. It is the sum of all things a project must take care of, including its objective, purpose, and how it will achieve them. Scope is the definition of project boundaries. A project is a temporary undertaking with a start date and an end date. Poorly defined boundaries can lead to shifting goal posts, making it more difficult to manage projects. The risk of a project falling behind schedule, going over budget, or both, increases if the scope is not well defined. Project managers must create a clear project scope statement to avoid these.
Also read: 5 Reasons why a project plan can be ruined by Scope Creep
Statement of scope for project
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The scope statement describes the entire project. It contains a description of scope, deliverables, and their features, justification for why the sponsors initiated it, exclusions, constraints and assumptions.
Overall scope description
Scope description is a high-level statement that lists the scope of the project. It is an important step in establishing the boundaries of the project.
Project deliverables
The project team lists the deliverables the project will produce to meet the client’s business objectives. It contains the key components that make the project successful. This section can include instructions manuals or other marketing materials.
Justification for the project
The project justification, also known as the business case, is a way to better understand the scope statement. It explains why the project is necessary and how it will solve that need.
Exclusions from projects
There may be uncertainties at the beginning of a project because not all information is available. It is important to clearly define the project’s boundaries and to state the scope of the project. However, it is equally important to list out the details that are not included in order to eliminate any misinterpretations.
Project constraints
Every project has time, budget, scope, and other constraints that all interconnect at some level. Other constraints may exist for projects, including resources, methods or customers. To be able to create solutions, the project team must list all constraints.
Assumptions
This section lists the assumptions made by the project team when defining the scope. If they are incorrect, the team should list them all and their impact on the project.
Project scope example
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Project managers don’t know all the project boundaries at the time they write the scope statement. It’s okay to not know all project boundaries at the time of writing the scope statement. However, they should remember that there are always uncertainties that could lead to project schedule or cost issues. Here’s a simple example of a project scope.
Project scope management
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A clear scope statement is essential to avoid unpleasant surprises and risks that can result from project boundaries not being clearly defined. Clear scope statements are essential.