Why Project Scope Matters
"Project Scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines."1
Many project managers would go so far as to say that defining your project scope is the most crucial aspect of any project. Think about it... if you don't know what your scope is then you really can't manage the project. Without a clearly defined and articulated scope who can say whether or not this widget should be included or that feature should be deleted? Even more important, without a clear and concise scope how will you know if your project is completed and completed successfully?
Project Scope Creep?
Ever heard of it? Ever experienced it? Talk to any experienced (or inexperienced) project manager and will you hear a lot of moans and groans. No question that scope creep is one of the biggest causes of project failure - not to mention career catastrophe!
"Scope creep (also called requirement creep, function creep and feature creep) in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled."2
In an article from Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Guide to Project Management, Sid Kemp, PMP shares his "20 Tips for Project Management Success." Tip #2 on Sid's list is to "Define scope clearly and precisely."
Want to know what Sid's #1 tip is? Want to learn more about effective project management? Check out Sid's tips and check back here, we're going to be posting more about project management.
