Project Scope and Context

As you read, consider the importance of a clear scope statement in avoiding scope creep throughout the project.

Glossary

  • business case – An "argument, usually documented, that is intended to convince a decision maker to approve some kind of action. The document itself is sometimes referred to as a business case. As a rule, a business case has to articulate a clear path to an attractive return on investment (ROI). At its simplest, a business case could be a spoken suggestion…. For more complex issues, a business case should be presented in a carefully constructed document. A business case document should examine benefits and risks involved with both taking the action and, conversely, not taking the action. The conclusion should be a compelling argument for implementation".
  • context – According to Merriam-Webster, the "situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens".
  • idea averaging – Taking a little from one idea, and a little from another, and a little from another – without fully committing to any.
  • linear responsibility chart – See RACI chart.
  • organizational breakdown structure (OBS) – A description of the project team. It explains "who reports to whom, the details of the hierarchy, and the reporting structure…. Organizational breakdown structures are normally communicated visually through the use of graphs or charts. A project or general manager is listed and underneath the PM several divisions might be created, such as product development, design, materials management, and production". See also responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), below.
  • planning bias – The tendency to optimistically underestimate the amount of time required to complete a task.
  • project charter – A "single, consolidated source of information" for project initiation and planning. It describes your current knowledge about the project and includes information such as the names of all stakeholders, a statement of your organization's needs, the history leading up to the project, the project's purpose, deliverables, and roles and responsibilities. A project charter is also sometimes called a project overview statement. It's sometimes helpful to think of the project charter as a contract between the project team and the project sponsors.
  • project initiation – The early phase in which you lay the groundwork for the entire project.
  • project overview statement – See project charter.
  • project scope – All the work "that needs to be done to provide the product or service your project is delivering".
  • responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) – A type of organizational breakdown structure in the form of a grid that typically lists project tasks in the first column, and stakeholders across the top row, with tasks assigned to the various stakeholders. You can use it to determine if you have enough resources for a project, and to record who is responsible for what. See also RACI chart.
  • RACI chart – A type of responsibility assignment (RAM) matrix. Also known as a linear responsibility chart. The name "RACI" is an acronym of "responsible, accountable, consult, and inform".
  • stakeholders – The people who will be affected by or who can affect a project.
  • scope creep – Uncontrolled changes to a project that occur with no corresponding authorized changes in budget and schedule.
  • scope statement – A document that defines the project's scope (or requirements).
  • work breakdown structure (WBS) – A description of the tasks associated with project deliverables, often in the form of a tree diagram. A work breakdown structure "displays the relationship of each task to the other tasks, to the whole and the end product (goal or objective). It shows the allocation of responsibility, and identifies resources required and time available at each stage for project monitoring and management".
  • work package – A "group of related tasks within a project. Because they look like projects themselves, they are often thought of as sub-projects within a larger project. Work packages are the smallest unit of work that a project can be broken down to when creating your Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)".