Running head: MODULE 3 PAPER 1

Module 5 Paper, Scope and Schedule Risks

Nicklaus Neff

OGL321

Arizona State University

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Module 5 Paper, Scope and Schedule Risks

Step 1

Chapter 4: preventing scope and scheduling risks

This text focuses mainly on keeping the project scope in check and evaluating schedule risks.

These are both extremely important facets of project management, and are areas that every

project manager should be proficient in.

Scope risks

Scope risk refers to the planned scope of the project and how poor planning can lead to

catastrophe down the line. The text states that a scope statement should be put into effect during

the conception of the project. This should focus on the project goals, deliverables, and

requirements. Project goals should encompass exactly what the project is and what you wish to

achieve with the project. This part of the statement should focus entirely on the ‘what’ rather

than the ‘how’. The next part, deliverables, focuses on the physical product that is being

produced. This should have a tangible quantity. Lastly, are the requirements. Requirements

include the specifications for the deliverables, this includes specifying things such as the weight,

dimensions, and color. Creating a project scope statement can help to minimize risks associated

with scope size and helps to give your project a better defined set of objectives. A major factor

relating to project success is critical success factors. Critical success factors are aspects of a

project that will determine the success of the project. These factors are associated with parts of

the project that may not have to do with the main project, the example the text uses is having to

fly to buy some camera equipment, the critical success factor being that the buyer would need an

up to date passport. While the risk was not explicitly related to the task, it still posed a threat to

the success of the project. The last aspect of the text that I felt was useful was the section on
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scope creep. Scope creep is described as a threat that is not immediately harmful to the project,

but as it grows, it will become harmful. If scope creep is not quickly identified and dealt with, it

will grow and pose a massive threat to the project. It is imperative to identify factors and

situations that could grow into larger issues, thus preventing scope creep. Examples of scope

creep include not understanding the project requirements, not documenting assumptions and

changes, not identifying stakeholders, and inadequate change control. All of these may start

small, but given time to fester and grow, they can easily ruin a project.

Schedule risks

The most apparent and common risk with scheduling is maintaining and setting a project date. A

project date should not be committed to unless the key requirements are met. The key

requirements to setting a date are having detailed requirements, resource assignments and

availability, budget, tasks, and project schedule. It is important not to preemptively set a date,

even if the project seems similar to projects you have worked on in the past, because each project

has significant intricacies that will ultimately affect how the project goes. The text states that as a

project manager, one needs to estimate the time of activities by breaking the factors down and

taking each part into account. Then, by combining each factor, a project manager can achieve an

estimate of how the project will last. Another key tool for estimating project length is the

program evaluation and review technique, or PERT. PERT works to give a project manager a

range of possible estimates of the project length, these range from most likely, to optimistic, and

pessimistic. By acquiring three estimates a project manager is able to take into account several

factors that may help to remove negative aspects that could delay a project. This tool can also be

useful in identifying inherent risks within the project by seeing a large gap between the

optimistic and pessimistic values. Another good way of estimating project length is to involve
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your team. Involving both top down and bottom up objectives can help to refine a project and

create realistic expectations and estimates. According to the text involving team members or

employees in estimating can help serve as monitors, hold the team accountable, gain their trust,

and estimates more accurately and realistically. As a project manager who involves their

employees, you need to be aware of motivation. Motivation will be a driving force in project

success; therefore, it is important for the project manager to be able to identify levels of

motivation and remedy the situation when necessary.

Step 2

Blog sites

Five factors that lead to successful projects

This article is a top five list that covers factors that will help projects to become more successful.

Number one starts with smart people. Smart people encompass the team that will be working on

the project, this may seem like an obvious statement, but ensuring that your team is prepared and

able to take on the tasks to come is extremely important. Number two is smart planning. Using

several of the tips and tricks covered in the chapter four text would help in this part, but this

article focuses on comprehensive planning and including the stakeholders in the planning

aspects. Comprehensive planning also helps to create realistic project timelines, which is another

factor that was covered within the chapter four text. Number three is open communication, which

strives to keep team members and stakeholders in the loop to ensure the project is being handled

correctly. Number four is careful risk management, which focuses on understanding the

problems and risks associated with the project and how to avoid them. Lastly, number five

focuses on strong project closure. Project closure is a key part in ending a project, otherwise you

may risk continuing to waste resources, time, and staff.

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Risk Characteristics

This article covers some general characteristics of risks. The article starts right off with

situational risks. Situational risks are risks that arise from changes within a given situation. Next

is time-based risks, this describes the probability of risks arising at any given point in a project.

Interdependence is next and it covers the connection between the tasks and deliverables. By

correlating these two aspects one can understand how they interact and how they are important to

the project. Magnitude dependent risks cover how dangerous a risk is and how it will impact the

project or organization. Last is value-based risks, these are risks that are associated with the

values of the team, team members, or stakeholders. An example of this would be an employee

not being able to work due to a religious event.

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References

Heldman, K. (2005). Chapter 4. In Project manager's spotlight on risk management. San

Francisco: Harbor Light Press.

The High Cost of Low Performance: Pulse of the Profession. (n.d.). Retrieved September

24, 2020, from https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/the-high-cost-of-low-

performance-2013

Palmer, E. (2019, February 08). Five Factors That Lead to Successful Projects. Retrieved

September 24, 2020, from https://project-management.com/five-factors-that-lead-to-successful-

projects/

Project-Management.com. (2019, September 18). Risk Characteristics. Retrieved

September 24, 2020, from https://project-management.com/risk-characteristics/