BUS605: Strategic Project Management

Once the project's MOV has been defined and agreed upon, the organization must make a commitment, in terms of time and resources, to define the project's scope in order to estimate the project's schedule and budget. Scope includes the products or services to be provided by the project and includes all of the project deliverables. One can think of scope as the work that needs to be completed in order to achieve the project's MOV. Project scope management is covered in more detail in the next chapter; however, the basic processes include:

• Planning - The project team must develop a detailed scope statement that defines the work to be included, as well as the work not to be included in the project plan. The scope statement will be used to guide future project-related decisions and to set stakeholder expectations.
• Definition - The project's scope must be organized into smaller and more manageable packages of work. These work packages will require resources and time to complete. This may include more detail than the preliminary scope statement in the project charter.
• Verification - Once the project's scope has been defined, the project team and stakeholders must verify it to ensure that the work completed will in fact support the project in achieving its MOV.
• Change Control - Controls must be in place to manage proposed changes to the project's scope. Scope changes can either move the project closer to its MOV or result in increased work that drains the project's budget and causes the project to exceed its scheduled deadline. Proper scope control procedures can ensure that the project stays on track.