How to Prevent Scope Creep
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the project manager discusses the perils of 'scope creep,' a phenomenon where additional tasks are added to a project, potentially derailing its completion. The video outlines a two-step strategy to combat this: first, precisely defining the project scope and documenting both in-scope and out-of-scope items; second, gaining stakeholder agreement and signatures on the scope statement. It also addresses the inevitability of change, suggesting structured change control processes and agile methodologies to manage scope effectively. The ultimate goal is not to prevent scope changes but to control them with proper governance.
Takeaways
- 🚫 'Could you just...' are the three words project managers fear as they often signal the beginning of scope creep.
- 📈 Scope creep is dangerous because it can quickly deplete project resources, impacting deliverability, time, and budget.
- 🔍 The project's progress and resource usage typically follow an S-curve, with resources depleting rapidly after the initial phase.
- 📋 To prevent scope creep, define the project scope with precision, including what is in and out of scope.
- 🤝 Engage with the project sponsor or client to review and agree upon the defined scope, and obtain their authorization.
- 📝 Documenting and signing off on the scope statement provides a baseline for negotiating changes and managing expectations.
- 🤔 Recognize that scope creep can't always be prevented, as changes in the environment and stakeholder needs are inevitable.
- 🔄 Implement a structured change control process to manage requests for changes, weighing the benefits against the costs.
- 🔧 Utilize agile methodologies or hybrid approaches for projects with inherent uncertainty, allowing iterative scope definition.
- 🔑 Good governance around scope changes involves considering the value of changes, ensuring controlled and managed scope creep.
- 🔄 For traditional projects, consider accommodating significant scope changes in subsequent phases or versions of the project.
Q & A
What are the three words that project managers fear the most?
-The three words that project managers fear the most are 'could you just', which typically precedes a request for additional work or changes to the project scope.
Why is scope creep considered dangerous in project management?
-Scope creep is dangerous because it can lead to a significant impact on the deliverability of a project, potentially causing delays, exceeding the budget, and affecting the ability to deliver the project on time and within the specified quality standards.
How does the resource usage graph illustrate the danger of scope creep?
-The resource usage graph, which typically follows an S-curve, shows that resources are used very quickly once the project moves past the initial stage. Adding additional scope at this point can deplete resources rapidly, jeopardizing the project's successful completion.
What is the two-step process to control scope creep?
-The two-step process to control scope creep involves: 1) Defining the scope with precision, including what is in and out of scope, and 2) Gaining approval and authorization for the defined scope from the project sponsor, steering group, or client.
Why is it important to document a list of out-of-scope items?
-Documenting a list of out-of-scope items is important to clearly define the project boundaries and to anticipate and prevent potential requests that could lead to scope creep.
What role does the project sponsor play in controlling scope creep?
-The project sponsor plays a crucial role in controlling scope creep by authorizing and signing off on the scope statement, which outlines what is in and out of scope, providing a baseline for managing scope changes.
What is the significance of getting requirements right the first time in preventing scope creep?
-Getting requirements right the first time is significant because it involves excellent requirements gathering and stakeholder negotiation, which helps in balancing different needs and desires, thereby reducing the likelihood of scope changes later in the project.
What is Moscow analysis and how can it help in controlling scope creep?
-Moscow analysis is a prioritization technique that categorizes scope options into Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, and Won't-haves. It helps in controlling scope creep by clearly defining the priority of requirements and facilitating negotiations among stakeholders.
How can a structured change control process help in managing scope creep?
-A structured change control process helps manage scope creep by controlling requests for change, ensuring each request is supported by evidence of need and a statement of benefits that can be weighed against the costs.
What is the role of agile methodologies in dealing with scope creep?
-Agile methodologies, and hybrids between agile and traditional project management approaches, allow for iteration and controlled redefinition of scope, accommodating changes in a structured way without compromising the project's overall objectives.
Why is it not always the objective to prevent scope creep entirely?
-It is not always the objective to prevent scope creep entirely because the project environment, stakeholder needs, technology, and other factors can change, necessitating controlled adjustments to the project scope to adapt to these changes effectively.
Outlines
🚧 Managing Scope Creep in Project Management
This paragraph discusses the concept of scope creep in project management, which is the uncontrolled addition of new requirements to a project that can lead to delays and budget overruns. The speaker emphasizes the importance of defining the project scope with precision and getting it right from the start. They introduce a two-step process to control scope creep: first, by clearly defining the project scope and documenting both in-scope and out-of-scope items, and second, by presenting this documentation to stakeholders for approval. The speaker also acknowledges that sometimes scope changes are inevitable due to external factors, and having a structured change control process or adopting an agile approach can help manage these changes effectively.
🔍 Strategies for Controlling Scope Creep
The second paragraph delves into strategies for controlling scope creep, starting with the importance of getting requirements right the first time through effective stakeholder communication and negotiation. The speaker mentions the use of MoSCoW analysis, a prioritization technique, to help balance stakeholder needs. They stress the necessity of documenting the agreed-upon scope and having it signed off by stakeholders. The paragraph also addresses the reality that some changes are necessary and suggests a structured change control process to evaluate and manage these changes. The speaker introduces the concept of agile methodologies and their hybrid forms as a way to iteratively redefine scope in a controlled manner. Lastly, they propose the idea of accommodating significant changes through subsequent project phases, thus integrating agile principles into traditional project management structures.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Scope creep
💡S-curve
💡In scope
💡Out of scope
💡Project sponsor
💡Change control process
💡Requirements gathering
💡Moscow analysis
💡Agile methodology
💡Governance
Highlights
Scope creep is one of the most feared issues in project management as it can significantly impact project deliverability.
The danger of scope creep is illustrated through a graph showing the relationship between project progress and resource usage.
Resource depletion follows an s-curve, highlighting the rapid consumption of resources post-project initiation.
Adding scope after the project's initial stage can lead to resource shortages and affect the project's time and budget.
Controlling scope creep involves a two-step process: defining scope with precision and managing scope approval.
Defining the project scope requires clearly articulating what is in and out of scope.
Documenting a list of out-of-scope items is crucial for anticipating and managing future requests.
Getting stakeholder buy-in through a signed scope statement is essential for managing expectations.
The video discusses the 'autograph Top Trumps' phenomenon where higher authority can override scope agreements.
Having a documented scope provides a baseline for negotiating changes and managing scope creep.
Excelling at requirements gathering is key to preventing scope creep from the outset.
The Moscow analysis is introduced as a valuable tool for prioritizing scope options.
The importance of documenting and signing off on the statement of scope is emphasized for governance.
The video acknowledges that preventing scope creep is not always the objective due to changing circumstances.
A structured change control process is suggested for managing scope changes effectively.
Agile methodologies and hybrid approaches are recommended for projects with inherent uncertainty.
The video suggests that sometimes accommodating significant scope changes through project phases can be beneficial.
The ultimate goal is not to prevent scope creep but to control it with good governance and value consideration.
Uncontrolled scope creep is identified as a killer of good projects, emphasizing the importance of control.
Transcripts
as a project manager there are three
words that we fear more than any other
because our project is going well and
someone comes up to us and says could
you just could you just are the three
words that mean somebody wants something
extra from your project and that opens
the door to one of the most dangerous
things in project management scope creep
so in this video I want to look at how
you can prevent scope creep
[Music]
the reason why scope creep is so
dangerous is easy to understand if we
look at a simple graph
this graph represents the progress of
your project going from the start to the
end of your project it goes from zero to
100% completion it also represents the
usage of your resources be they hours of
people's time materials or budget once
again it goes from zero to 100% and it
typically follows this kind of s-curve
what's important about this curve is
what happens if you subtracted from 100%
to give you the curve for the depletion
of your resources the amount of resource
you have remaining which will now go
from 100 to 0%
the danger of scope creep is that once
you move past the initial stage of your
project you're using resources very
quickly
that means that if someone tries to add
additional scope to your project
you rapidly find that you don't have the
resources you need to accommodate that
change of scope without having a
significant impact on the deliverability
of your project and on your ability to
deliver that project to time and within
budget
therefore scope creep is dangerous and
we must do what we can to control it
the basic approach to control is scope
creep is a two-step process and step one
is to define your scope with precision
if this circle
represents the complete scope of your
project with everything inside the
circle being the things that are in
scope for your project and everything
outside the circle being out to scope
your first job is to characterize that
boundary to define your scope with
precision you must not only articulate
precisely what is in scope for your
project but you must also anticipate
that could you just that lead to things
falling out of scope so document a list
of out of scope items as well the
exclusions from your project
once you have all that documented
second stage of the process is to take
that to your boss to your project
sponsor to your steering group or to
your client show them your documentation
of what you believe is in scope and what
is out of scope and ask them this simple
question if we deliver everything that
is in scope to the budget given us to
the time specified until the quality
standards you require will you be happy
and if we deliver none of the exclusions
will you be happy if they say yes and
get them to sign to show that they
authorized your scope statement
once they've done that then when someone
comes up to you and says hey Mike could
you just you can look them in the eye
inside
I'm sorry I wish I could
I can't because my boss my client my
sponsor has signed to specify that this
is the scope I must deliver
now the thing is I'm not naive I know
there is a tendency within your
organization and many others to play a
game that I call autograph Top Trumps
that's to say my boss's signature is
better than your boss's signature
but even if that happens
because you've done the work of
documenting precisely what is in and out
of scope and therefore what your sponsor
will get for their money and in the time
available you have a firm baseline from
which to negotiate changes to scope
because this other person has a more
senior role than your boss than your
sponsor they can authorize the removal
of items from scope in order to
accommodate their desired changes or
they can authorize the additional budget
or the additional time add those extra
scope items to your project
the second thing I'd say is that in
order to control scope you need to get
it right the first time that's to say
you need to be excellent at requirements
gathering understanding the needs of the
different stakeholders and then
conducting a negotiation among those
stakeholders to balance the desires of
one stakeholder with the needs of
another and the needs of a third stake
holder with the Preferences of yet
another
valuable tools this you can use to help
you do that is Moscow analysis an
analysis of the musts the shirts the
Kurds and the once among scope options
and we have a video describing that in
detail
once you've conducted that negotiation
and recognized that you can please all
the people some of the time and some of
the people all of the time but you can't
please all of your stakeholders all of
the time once you've conducted that
negotiation it's essential then to
document that carefully to make sure
that the requirements are reflected by a
statement of scope and that statement of
scope is properly documented and signed
off
but remember preventing scope creep is
not always your objective because the
world changes the needs of stakeholders
changes the competitive environment
changes technology changes legislation
changes everything changes and to be
dogmatic and to say no we are not going
to change the scope of this project ever
it's just foolish
there are two main solutions to this
problem and the first is a structured
change control process and again we have
videos on controlling change and a
long-form article on our website
change control is the process whereby
you control requests for change and you
make sure that each request for change
is supported by evidence of need and by
a statement of benefits to match up
against the costs
the other approach is to recognize that
some projects are inherently uncertain
at the outset we don't know for sure
what the right solution is going to look
like maybe the problem isn't fully
characterized and that's where the agile
style of project and hybrids between
agile and the more traditional
predictive approach to project
management really come into their own
because these approaches allow us to
iterate and successively redefine our
scope in a controlled way
your objective is not to prevent changes
in scope or scope creep your objective
is to control it to manage the process
and to ensure that there is good
governance around any scope changes and
good governance means a proper
consideration of the value of any
changes you make
a third approach suitable for more
traditional predictive project
management is to recognize that
significant changes of scope can be
accommodated by a second or a third
phase of your project a version 2 of the
product you're producing perhaps
this is a way of incorporating some of
the ideas of agile in to a more
traditional project structure
so the answer to the question how to
prevent scope creep is by careful
definition of scope and careful
management of the approval of that scope
but remembering that preventing scope
creep isn't your prime objective it's
controlling it as with everything in
project management bringing it under
control is what really matters
however you choose to manage it
controlling scope creep is vital
because uncontrolled scope creep
a killer of good projects please give us
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to seeing you in the next video so to
answer the question how to prevent
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