MEC-3

Scope Control on Projects

Outline
▪ Product Scope & Project Scope.
▪ Documentation related to Product Scope & Project Scope.
▪ Changes to Scope:
- Good Changes
- Scope Creep
- Goldplating
▪ Scope Control
▪ Validating Product Scope and Quality Control
Readings
▪ PMBoK-7, pages 32S, 55-56S, 12, 40, 43, 54, 77, 81, 83-85, 87, 131, 188, 213, 224,
252
▪ Lecture Notes.

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Product Scope, Project Scope & Scope Baseline
Scope The sum Specifications, Features & Functions of Project Scope
the Deliverable(s) which the Project is required to
produce. It must specify what is included (Inclusions) Product Scope
and what is not included (Exclusions) (‘WHAT’ & ‘WHAT
NOT’ of the
Product Scope The features and functions that Product)
characterize a Product, Service, or Result, to be provided
Non-Product Scope
by the Project. WHAT & WHAT NOT of the Product (‘HOW’ of the Product)
How to achieve the Product:
❖ Build a new airport terminable capable of (meeting Planning, Execution,
these specifications) a…; b…; c…; …….. Management, Logistics etc)

Non-Product Scope All the work performed to produce

the Deliverables. The HOW of the Project Note: Scope ‘Exclusions’
must be in context & realistic
❖ Planning, Coordination, Management, Monitoring & Control activities,
Communications, Procurements, Site Cordoning Off, Offices, Labour Camps, etc
Project Scope is the Product & Non-Product Scopes put together; it is the sum
Specifications, Features & Functions of the Deliverables and all the work performed to
produce those Deliverables. The WHAT, WHAT NOT & HOW of the Project
Scope Baseline Documented and agreed upon Deliverables expected from the
Project; typically consists of Scope Statement of the Project, WBS of this Scope, and
details of the components of WBS (WBS Dictionary)
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Where to find Product & Project Scopes

Process Output Document Scope Contents

Develop • High-level Requirements;
Project Project Charter • High-level Project Description,
Charter Boundaries, and key Deliverables
Collect • Requirements Documentation
Require- • Requirements Traceability (on separate slides)
ments Matrix
• Project Scope Description
• Project Deliverables
Define
Project Scope Statement • Acceptance Criteria
Scope
• Project Exclusions
• *
• Project Scope Statement
Create
Scope Baseline • WBS
WBS
• WBS Dictionary

* Assumptions and Constraints deleted from Project Scope Statement in PMBOK6

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Product & Project Scope in the Project Charter

Project: The First Personal Assistant
Design a prototype and create the manufacturing plan for the first consumer product
that can act as a personal assistant. This product would be worn on the ear, respond
to voice commands, and do every thing that a human personal assistant can do.
Stakeholder Requirements As Known (Requirements related to both Project and
Product Scope)
Attached to this document are the detailed specifications for the personal assistant as
gathered by marketing research and as determined by potential customers of this
product. The product should be able to perform Internet searches; make hotel, flight,
and restaurant reservations; take dictation and fax or e-mail the results; and be able to
make phone calls itself using its own voice. It must be small enough to be worn on the
ear and respond to voice-only commands. The scope of this project does not call for
typed entry into the system. It will be entirely voice activated and managed. The
technical requirements consisting of acceptable weight ranges, acceptable materials,
and other needs are attached. Creating marketing, advertising, and promotional plans
are not part of this project; however, this work is authorized under a separate project,
requiring the project team to provide the needed information. A list of that
information and the schedule for its availability is also attached, but it is expected to
change as the project progresses. (Text in red are the exclusions)
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Requirements Documentation
• Full details of the Requirements (Requirements should be measureable,
testable, traceable, complete, consistent and acceptable to key
stakeholders)
• Include:

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 Business Requirements (issues, opportunities, reasons)
 Stakeholder Requirements
 Solution Requirements (Specifications, Features & Functions of the
product, service or result which will meet the Business and Stakeholder
requirements)
 Project Requirements (actions, processes, performance, safety or other
conditions the Project needs to meet)
 Quality Requirements (Validation/Acceptance criteria)
 Transition & Readiness Requirements (training etc to go from “as-is” to
“to-be” status
• Well-documented Requirements make it easier to detect any deviation in
the Scope agreed for the Project or Product 5

Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)

• Links Product Requirements from their Origins to the Deliverables that satisfy them
• Helps track requirements throughout the Project life cycle; helps ensure that the
requirements as per Project Documentation are delivered at the end of the Project
• Provides a structure for managing Changes to the Product Scope
• Can also carry/provide the following information:
- Business needs, opportunities, goals, and objectives;
- Project objectives;
- Project scope and WBS deliverables;
- Product design;
- Product development;
- Test strategy and test scenarios; and
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- High-level requirements to more detailed requirements

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 Requirements Documentation & RTM
Project: A multi-housing project; includes large houses
Situation: One customer demands a swimming pool in the house

Requirement Objective Deliverables Test/Validation

Swimming Pool in the Relaxation Pool Water tightness & No-

House Premises and Exercise Seepage tests
in the privacy Filtration & Pumping Tests iaw operating &
of own home Equipment maintenance manuals
Pumping Room

Lighting Standard Electrical Load,

Safety & Water Proofing tests
Cleaning Equipment Water proofing tests

Req Doc
• Stakeholder
Requirements RTM
• Solution
Requirements

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RTM (Very Simplified)
Requirement To make a swimming pool in the basement, measuring 30x15 ft2, depth 3 to 5 ft
Originator Customer
Objective Relaxation and Exercise in the privacy of own home
Main Deliverable Swimming Pool 8.3
Deliverable Sub-Deliverable Description Design Test/Validation
Pool D Main Deliverable, Rectangular with Water tightness & No-
8.3.1 D Tiled as per steps into the pool Seepage
d industrial Stds at one ends
Filtration & D Combined Off-the-shelf Tests iaw operating &
Pumping Equip D Filtration & D maintenance manuals
8.3.2 D Pumping action d
Pump Room D Self-descriptive Large enough to
8.3.3 D D permit dismantling
d d and maintenance
Lighting Overhead For ambient light Off-the-shelf Std Electrical Load &
8.3.4 8.3.4.1 dd d Safety tests
Underwater For underwater Off-the-shelf Std Electrical Load &
8.3.4.2 visibility d Safety, and Water
Cleaning Equip D To remove any Off-the-shelf proofing tests
8.3.5 D floating and settled d
d debris from water

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Project & Product Scope in the WBS Dictionary
The WBS dictionary is a document that provides detailed
deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each
component in the WBS. Information in the WBS dictionary may
include, but is not limited to:
• Code of account identifier,
• Description of work,
• Assumptions and constraints,
• Responsible organization,
• Schedule milestones,
• Associated schedule activities,
• Resources required,
• Cost estimates,
• Quality requirements,
• Acceptance criteria,
• Technical references, and
• Agreement information
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WBS Dictionary
Cont Account ID # Wk Pkg Name/No Date of Update Responsibility:
Work Package Deliverable Description
Work Involved to Produce Deliverable
Acceptance Criteria (how to know if the deliverable/work is acceptable)
Assumptions and Constraints
WBS Dictionary

Quality Metrics
(Ref: Rita 8th Ed, page 181)

Technical Source Document

Scope
Resources Assigned
Duration
Schedule Milestones
Cost
Due Date
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Interdependencies: Before this WP…………………….. After this WP……………………..

Approved by: Project Manager …………………….. Date ……………………..
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Changes to Scope
Good Change to Scope
• A good Change makes the product better with very little downside. It
doesn’t cost more time in the Schedule or more money from the Budget,
and it doesn’t destabilize the Product or otherwise threaten its Quality
• Good changes happen pretty rarely and nearly EVERY change has some
impact that should be fully explored before going ahead with the change

Bad Change to Scope

• A bad change is one that might seem from the outside like a good idea but
ends up making an impact on the project constraints
• Examples:
- Scope Creep
- Gold Plating

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Scope Creep
• The uncontrolled expansion to Product Scope or Project Scope without

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adjustments to Time, Cost and Resources
• Caused by:
- poor WBS Dictionary
- poor Change Control
- lack of proper Initial Identification of what is
required to bring about the project objectives
- weak Project Manager or Executive Sponsor Project
Manager
- poor Communication between parties
- lack of Initial Product Versatility

• Good WBS Dictionary prevents Scope Creep

(WBS Dictionary provides a description of the work to be done for each WBS work
package and helps make sure the resulting work matches with what is needed.
Therefore, a project manager can use the WBS Dictionary to prevent Scope Creep
before work even start on the project rather than dealing with Scope Creep while the
work is being done through the use of management skills and constant inspection)
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Gold Plating
• Giving the customer extras (e.g. extra
functionality, higher Quality components,
extra Scope, or better Performance)
• Manifests in the ‘exceeding’ part of a Ordered Delivered in
same price
company’s policy of ‘meeting and
exceeding the customers' expectations’
• A form of Scope Creep

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• Gold plating often results from:
- project team's impression, or fear, of customer’s expectations
- previous projects which did not meet customer’s requirements
- a team member's efforts to do the best, or to demonstrate how well he/she is
doing (this is unplanned or inadvertent gold plating)
• Since most projects have difficulty meeting the Proj Objectives, all available
effort should go into achieving those objectives, instead of gold plating

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Gold Plating vs Scope Creep

• Both are unwarranted, are best avoided and are considered unhealthy
project management practices
• If the Customer asks for MORE Scope, it is just Scope Creep. (On an
internal project, the CEO or Project Sponsor is the ‘Customer’). Go for
Change Requests to change the Scope Baseline. In the Public Sector
projects, it is covered under the provisions of ‘Variation Order’ and
‘Escalation’
• If the Project Team, or the Company, decides to ADD to Scope to please
the Customer, it is Gold Plating. The Company will either reduce its profit
margin, or offset the cost of gold plating by cutting on Quality or making
cuts on Scope elsewhere which the Customer will be unable to notice

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Gold Plating or Scope Creep? … Example
Project: Development of a new Computer Game by SoftSkills
Situation 1: Internal Proj for SoftSkills which will market the Game under its own
brand name
The head of New Programmes Dept of SoftSkills asks the Project team for the
following changes to the Project Scope:
“We need to create a screensaver to market the game. Let’s kill two birds with one
stone and test out a brand new graphics engine on it. Oh, and we’ll need a story
for the screensaver, so we should write that too. Of course we have to recruit
some killer voice talent for the screensaver. Memorable names sell more games”

Situation 2: External Proj for SoftSkills which it is developing for a customer,

SmartGames, who will market the Game under their own brand name
The Project Manager of SoftSkills makes the following changes to the Project Scope :
“Let us create a screensaver which will help the customer market the game. A
brand new graphics engine will be the perfect add-on. The customer will feel really
happy if we can write a story for the screensaver. And if we can recruit some killer
voice talent for the screensaver, we are assured of the next project from the
customer.”
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What is Controlling Scope? … 1/2

‘Controlling Scope’ is a tripartite activity consisting of:
1. Monitoring the status of the Project Scope; WHAT is being produced
and HOW
2. Controlling the Project Scope:
▪ Making the deliverables meet documented requirements (WHAT of the
Project), and to make the Project processes proceed as documented
(HOW of the Proj)
▪ Ensuring that requirements of all stakeholders are met
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▪ Preventing Scope Creep and Gold Plating

Maintaining the Scope Baseline throughout the Project
3. Managing Changes to the Project Scope Baseline:
▪ Processing of Change Requests and recommended Corrective or
Preventive actions
▪ Updating Scope Baseline, Requirements Documentation, RTM, etc
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What is Controlling Scope? … 2/2
▪ In short, the essence of Control Scope is:

If, as per the Contract, this is 1.0 1.0

what the Customer wants → then produce this →
m3 m3

0.6 1.0
not this → m3 not this →
m3
(Underscoped) (Incorrect Design)

not this → 1.03 not this → 1.4 m3

m
(Goldplating)
(Incorrect Design)

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Scope Validation, Scope Verification & Quality Control

Scope Validation The assurance that a Product, Service, or Result meets the Needs of
the Customer and other identified Stakeholders
Scope Verification The evaluation of whether or not a Product, Service, or Result
complies with a Regulation, Requirement, Specification, or imposed Condition
Quality Control (not carried by PMBOK-7)
Monitoring and recording the results of executing the quality management activities
to assess performance and ensure the project outputs are complete, correct, and
meet customer expectations (PMBOK-6)
Measuring and ensuring the completeness, compliance, and fitness for use of a
product or service prior to user acceptance and final delivery (PMBOK-6)
A system of maintaining standards in manufactured products by testing a sample of
the output against the specification (General Literature)

By and large, Scope Validation, Scope Verification and Quality Control mean the same

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 Scope Change – Nandipur Project

Petroleum Fuel → Natural Gas

Fuel Tanks

MEhsanSaeed A case where Uncontrolled Scope led to Cost Escalation 19

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Scope Change – Nandipur Project – Cost Escalation

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 Scope Change – Centaurus Project

Hotel deleted

A case where Scope Curtailment became necessary due to Cost Constraints

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Stretching the concept of ‘Scope Control’ a bit too far!

Moving the
Why did rock is not
you do in the Scope
that? of Work

Customer Project
Manager

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