Project Management > How to manage a small project > Define the Project Scope

3. Define the Project Scope

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Discover what results the customer is expecting, then get everyone to agree on what you are trying to accomplish. 

Defining Project Scopell projects are defined by their goals, objectives, boundaries and constraints. Getting a detailed but clear picture of your project scope will put you a long way toward completing your project successfully.

Goals and objectives define what has to be done. Not everyone agrees on what is meant by goals and objectives, so for our purposes we'll define them as follows: A goal is simply a broad statement of what you want to do. The objectives are sub-goals, more detailed, that explain what must be done to achieve the goal. Your project should have only one goal, but may have several objectives. If it looks like you have more than one goal, all but one should be reclassified as an objective or else handled as the goal of a separate project. Defining the project scope can be challenging because you need to get everyone to agree on the final product.

Here is an example of a goal with several objectives.

  • Goal (more broad): We want to move the office to Houston, Texas. 
  • Objective (more specific): Locate an office in Houston. 
  • Objective (more specific): Arrange for personnel and equipment transfer 
  • Objective (more specific): Transfer equipment and furnishings 
  • Objective (more specific): Transfer personnel 
  • Objective (more specific): Maintain business-as-usual during the transition 
Project Boundaries identify inclusions and exclusions -- things that we do or don't want to do in conjunction with the goals and objectives.  These are things that may not be related to the project, but that must be considered anyway. For example:

  • Personnel not wishing to transfer will be replaced and arrangments made for outplacement. 
  • Company vehicles will be sold and replaced with new ones in Houston. 
  • Disposal of current facilities is not part of this project. 

Project Constraints define cost, schedule, or quality requirements.  These may include budget limitations or schedule requirements or minimum acceptability. For example:

  • The cost of the entire move can't exceed $50,000. 
  • The move must be completed during the month of June, next year. 
  • Payments on outplacement services can't exceed $1200 per employee. 
  • The new Offices must support 200 office workers. 

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Involve others in defining the project scope. Unless you are the only one involved, you shouldn't be defining the project scope by yourself. You can't go off and start putting down ideas in a vacuum. You need to get the sponsor, the customer, and other stakeholders involved. If it's a family project, you'll want to get family members involved. A business project may require a more formal approach with meetings and written documentation. You may even want one or more of your team members involved to validate the definition and to begin translating it into requirements and workload.

Be prepared to multi-task. Remember that project management is not done step by step. If you're working with a tight deadline then managing your project may involve several activities that may need to take place at the same time and be part of a repeating process. For example if your goal is to relocate the company headquarters, you may not know the location that you are moving to until the first phase of the project, an analysis, is finished. You may have to perform the same steps several times until you find a suitable location -- and you may be doing that at the same time you are making arrangements for the move.

Beware of the pre-defined project. You may be handed a "project scope definition" when you first pick up the assignment. If that's the case, you'll need to go through the motions of defining the scope, just to be sure that the definition is complete and accurate. You should always verify information that is given to you that you haven't helped develop.

Guard against creeping project scope. Once your project definition is completed you will want to guard against scope creep. This happens when work is added that wasn't in the original definition, requirements or tasks list. The project scope is developed as you define the project. It includes goals and objectives, descriptions, constraints and boundaries. The scope is further defined by the list of requirements and the task list. You'll want to avoid adding requirements or tasks that are outside the original goals and objectives, but just as important, you'll want to watch for work being performed that isn't in the requirements or the task list. Make sure you keep a copy of the original project scope for comparison purposes. You can use it to call attention to work that is out of scope and initiate a redefinition if necessary.

Get the ball rolling early. When it comes to defining the project scope, you should get started early, get everyone involved that should be involved, and get agreement on the goal, objectives, boundaries and constraints. Not until this is done can you start listing requirements, building a task list and moving forward in earnest.

Next in the series: Determine Required Project Results

 - Jake Alexander

 

 

 


 

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