Every project follows a lifecycle from initiation through execution and closing. As a project progresses through these phases, the scope of work that defines the project will often evolve and change. This blog will explore how and why a scope of work typically evolves throughout the different phases of a project lifecycle. It will discuss the key elements that make up a scope of work and how those elements change as a project moves from planning to implementation. Understanding how scope changes over time is important for project managers and teams to properly manage expectations and deliverables.
Initiation Phase
The initiation phase is when a project is first proposed and initial planning begins. At this early stage, the scope of work will typically be very high level and general. The key elements included in the initial scope of work during initiation usually include:
Business Need/Objectives - A brief statement of the overall reason the project is needed and the business goals it aims to achieve. At initiation, these objectives will likely be broad and lacking detail.
High-Level Deliverables - An overview of the major end products or outputs that completing the project will provide. During initiation, these deliverables are defined at a summary level without specifics.
Milestones - Key points in the project timeline that signify important stages of completion. Milestones set during initiation will establish only major checkpoints rather than an exhaustive schedule.
Resources - A preliminary identification of the types of skills, personnel, equipment, facilities etc. that will likely be required but without a full resource plan.
Budget - A rough order of magnitude cost estimate rather than an itemized budget at the early stages.
Timeframe - A high-level projected start and end date rather than a detailed schedule.
Risks - Broad, strategic risks rather than an exhaustive risk register.
Planning Phase
As planning progresses, more details are added to the scope in order to transform the initial concept into an actionable work breakdown. During this phase, scope elements expand to include:
Detailed Business Case - Deepening the justification for the project through ROI analysis, cost-benefit assessments etc.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - A hierarchical decomposition of the deliverables into smaller, more manageable components with assigned owners.
Resource Plan - Specifying the number and skills of personnel, equipment requirements etc. required to complete each WBS item.
Detailed Schedule - Finite timeline setting intermediate phase objectives and deliverables.
Milestone Schedule - Populating milestone dates for completion of each WBS item.
Budget Specifications - Cost estimates for all planned activities, resources, purchases etc.
Risk Register - Catalogue of potential threats with quantified impacts and response strategies.
Stakeholder Engagement Plan - Outlining communication and management approach for all involved parties.
Governance Model - Establishing decision rights, change control procedures etc.
Execution Phase
As implementation begins, the scope shifts to focus on delivery against the plan through issues management and changes. Key aspects included are:
Status Reporting - Tracking progress, updates to schedule, budget against the baselines set in planning.
Issues Log - Documenting challenges arising and resolutions needed outside the initial scope.
Change Control - Formal process to evaluate scope variances and obtain approvals for necessary scope adjustments.
Scope Verification - Confirmation that completed deliverables match their scope descriptions.
Stakeholder Feedback - Gathering input to identify needed scope enhancements or reducements.
Continual Improvement - Leveraging lessons from experience to refine processes, tools and templates for future projects.
Control Phase
During project closure, the focus of the scope is on validating that business objectives were fully met through the delivered work. This includes:
Business Benefits Review - Assessing actual vs. planned outcomes, ROI and overall success.
Final Acceptance - Sign-off from key stakeholders that contractual obligations within scope were fulfilled.
As-Built Deliverables - Documentation of work products as they exist at project end state.
Handoff to Operations - Knowledge transfer ensuring smooth transition of in-scope deliverables to business-as-usual processes.
Retrospective - Gathering perspectives on what went well and opportunities for enhancing future project scoping.
Lessons Learned - Formal capture of efficiencies identified for replicating successes and avoiding past issues across other initiatives.
Conclusion
In summary, a project scope serves to define expectations and guide effort throughout the project lifecycle. It will typically become more refined and less abstract as planning progresses and implementation commences. Continuous scope management allows it to flexibly accommodate new information while maintaining stakeholder agreement. Proper evolution of scope from its initial concept through delivery and closeout is crucial for completing initiatives on time, on budget and meeting strategic goals.
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