All About Project Scope

Simply put, scope is the size of

the project. But there’s more to it
than that!
 What is Project Scope?
• Simply put, project scope is the size of the
project.
• Project scope includes one or more of the
following considerations:
– How much is to be achieved in the project?
– What is the length of the project window, i.e.,
when does the project start and when must it
finish?
– What is the obligation of resources (money,
people, equipment, supplies, etc.)?
 Adjusting Scope
• If you squeeze a project’s scope, you
might end up spinning off additional
subprojects.
• If you make a project’s scope too broad,
you add complexity and will have to
manage many disparate elements
simultaneously.
 Establishing Project Scope
• The scope must be clearly defined and agreed
upon when a new project is established.
• Scope defines the assumptions for making all
the cost, schedule and resource projections in
your project planning.
• Scope established for a project puts boundaries
on the planning process and deliverables.
• In defining scope, the specific outcomes or
deliverables of the project should be delineated
along with those activities and deliverables
outside the scope of the project.
 Scope Creep
• When you add work to a project, little by
little, insidiously, until the original schedule
and cost estimates are completely blown
and meaningless, you’ve attained scope
creep.
• Make sure that any scope creep in either
the statement of work or project plan is
agreed to in writing, along with the
resulting budget and schedule changes.
 Complexity vs. Scope-1
• As scope width increases, the project has
fewer tasks.
• As scope width decreases, more projects
may spin off.
• In the diagram on the following page,
where the lines meet is the ideal point
where a balance of complexity versus
simplicity is achieved.
Complexity vs. Scope-2

SCOPE Target for the Project COMPLEXITY