Lecture 5 - Understanding the scope

Question 1

What are the 3 points of planning scope management?

Answer 1

1. A scope management plan documents ‘…how the project scope will be defined, validated and controlled’ (PMBOK 2013).
2. Establishes the direction and guidance parameters on how the scope itself (project or product/service based) will be managed.
3. Provides a formal mechanism to limit, assess and authorise changes on a consistent and
   transparent basis.

Question 2

What defines a scope?

Answer 2

-What is (inclusions) and what isn’t (exclusions) required
-Establishes a scope baseline for comparisons and updates
-Forms the foundation of the project plan
-Investigates if expectation meets capability
-Identifies the project deliverables, results and benefits

Question 3

What is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

Answer 3

Decomposes the project:

• What work must be performed? Identifies all required activities;
• How long will each activity take? Determines the duration;
• What resources can perform the work? Determines who is needed;
• How much investment is required? Determines what budget is needed.

Question 4

What is objective validation criteria

Answer 4

➢Client acceptance will never be automatic in any project. Consider the following criteria to add a little formality to the process:
*Issuing compliance certificates
*Measuring work performance
*Conducting variance analysis
*Undertaking physical inspections
*Conducting quality testing

Question 5

What are the 3 levels of client satisfaction?

Answer 5

Highly satisfied (over performance)
> 100%

Satisfaction (agreed performance)
= 100%

Dissatisfaction (under performance)
< 100%

Question 6

What is the understanding of controlling the scope?

Answer 6

-Scope will always change over time (scope creep);
-Other words for scope creep are innovation, continuous improvement, a client change of mind or just poor management;
-Scope control requires a written process with formal approval;
-Proposed changes should be assessed against all other project variables (time, cost, risk, contracts, quality, …) and approved by key stakeholders;
-Implemented changes must produce updated project plans and related documents;

Question 7

What are the steps to starting a project?

Answer 7

1. Identifying key stakeholders
2. Assigning the project manager
3. Creating the project charter
4. Developing preliminary project scope statement

Question 8

What are some tangible benefits of the scope?

Answer 8

Nominates key stakeholders
Defines baseline
Authorizes scheduling
Facilitates management
Pre-empts scope changes

Question 9

What are some latent dangers of the scope?

Answer 9

Imprecise language
Inaccurate estimates
Lack of detail
Schedule delays
Unavailability of resources

Question 10

What is the SMART Framework?

Answer 10

Used to set project objectives

SMART Framework
*Specific
*Measure
*Achieve
*Realistic
*Time frame

Question 11

What is the intent of the concept stage?

Answer 11

-Document the key project stakeholders
-Confer project status on the idea/initiative/change
-Describe what is to be accomplished
-Document the project in all essential respects before final estimates are made Time, cost, quality, resources, TBL and life cycle
-Communicate the size, complexity/potential risks, TBL & life cycle & interdependencies of the project
-Identify how much is to be achieved (& what will not be achieved)