What is scope management?

Scope management is the process of establishing boundaries and defining the work necessary for completing a projectwhile staying within the established scope. Managing project scope involves outlining the key components of a project and ensuring those components are properly defined and controlled during project completion. By developing a project management plan,youfocus on the designated tasksduring a project’s phases.

Related: 5 Phases of Project Management

What is mission creep?

Mission creep, or scope creep, refers to straying from the project’s original mission or scope because of uncontrolled changes. It often happens due to a lack of scope management and poorly defined project requirements. Mission drift usually occurs after the project starts and includes anything outsidethe original plan.

Usually, mission creep happens when the requirements increase or new ones are added that don’t align with the original plan. For example, say you’re developing a new project management software program. The client originally requested five core features. However, additional collaborators started sharing their ideas and wanted to double the core features after programming began.

Mission creep vs. scope creep: What’s the difference?

Mission creep is the gradual expansion of a project’s original objectives. It often leads to teams taking on additional goals, and can happen when a project moves away from its initial purpose. Mission creep can result in broader and less focused objectives for the team.

Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion of a project’s deliverables. It can happen when new tasks, features or requirements are added to a project without proper approvals or adjustments to timelines and resources. Scope creep can often lead to increased costs and delays.

Importance of scope management

Scope management is essential for keeping the project on track and avoiding mission creep. Specific benefits include:

• Focused tasks: A well-defined scope helps the team stay focused and work more efficiently toward project goals.
• Improved delegation: Scope management allows team leaders and supervisors to delegate the appropriate amount of tasks to each team member.
• Burnout prevention: Team members can become frustrated with a lack of scope management and increased scope creep. Burnt-out employees may show decreased performance and an overall lack of job satisfaction.
• On-time deliverables: Scope creep may alter the project timeline, causing missed deliverables. Sticking to the original plan without uncontrolled changes helps you deliver on time and keep your customers happy.
• High-quality results: Making several uncontrolled changes can result in an inferior product. Adding too many features into a deliverable might make it impractical. When you keep mission drift under control, you produce the best possible results for your clients.

Components of scope management

During the initial planning stages, scope management typically involves several elements that enable supervisors and team leaders to identify and outline each process. The components of scope management include:

• Objectives and goals
• Work processes and tasks
• Resources and tools
• Budget
• Timeline
• Scope statement

1. Objectives and goals

One of the most important components of scope management is defining and setting clear objectives or goals for the project.These are based on what the client wants from the project deliverables. List all the project requirements in a document to show you and the client collaborated and agreed upon those details.

2. Work processes and tasks

The work component of scope management includes defining the project tasks that need to be completed. Thiskeeps team members on track with the project goals.

3. Resources and tools

Identify the tools and resources available for the project to help your team plan for the workload, such as project management software and workflow tracking systems. This element ensures you allocate resources properly and your team has the support they need to complete the work.

4. Budget

Identifying clear cost parametersmakes your team aware of what they can and cannot spend while completing a project.Most changes to a project affect the budget, whether by increasing labor costs to complete the work or allocating more funds to tools, materials and supplies.

5. Timeline

Projecttimelines help ensure you hit project milestones and complete the work on time. Scheduling all project tasks also helps you prioritize the most important tasks.It allows team members to track the time it takes to complete each task to ensure all project stages stay on schedule.

6. Scope statement

The scope statement is an important component of the management scope because it defines the parameters and criteria of a project and establishes specific responsibilities for each team member. Collaborators and shareholders use it to review the procedures and the work that needs to be completed to finish the projecton time and within budget.

Best practices for managers

Perfecting your scope management strategies helps keep mission drift from happening. The following best practices can help:

• Refine your project management methodologies. Solidifying your organization’s project management tools or methods can improve processes and help you better control changes. Choose the best method for your organization or the specific project. You might have your Project managers or people in other leadership roles earn project management certifications and serve as experts for the company.
• Use technology. When you use the righttools for planning, your team works more efficiently and can maintain better control of the project. Project management software organizes all aspects of the project and allows team members to easily access the necessary information.
• Monitor progress. Having specific metrics and monitoring the data throughout the project lets you track how well you’re sticking to the original plan.
• Establish change control processes. Consider creating a change request form that needs to be reviewed and approved by the project manager to address updates once the project has already started. By establishing change control processes, you prevent uncontrolled changes.
• Consider consequences for changes. Sometimes, a project’s scope may need to be adjusted. Charging for the changes encourages clients to take their time before the project starts to avoid rash decisions that lead to changes.
• Identify risks or limitations. Identify potential challenges or risks to project completion that could lead to mission creep. For instance, during the development of a new software program, programmers might identify its functionality limitations. From there, they can make a plan to overcome those limitations should they arise during the project’s phases.
• Be prepared to reject changes. If you can’t reasonably accommodate changes to the project requirements, share that with collaborators. Be prepared to explain the refusal and offer alternative options if possible. If the collaborator insists on the changes, request flexibility on the delivery date.
• Improve communication. Clear communication between team members and collaborators helps prevent confusion that could lead to scope creep. Before you start, make sure the collaborators understand the scope of the project and express their needs fully. Keep them updated throughout the project. When they bring up potential changes, communicate the complications that could arise.

Related:8 Effective Skills to Help You Become a Better Leader

FAQs about scope management and mission creep

What are examples ofscope creep?

Scope creep applies to any of the project’s components that creepoutside the originally set parameters. Examples include going over budget, taking longer than the scheduled amount of time to complete a project or bringing in additional resources thatweren’t in the original plan.

How can you avoid scope creep?

You can avoid scope creep by establishing firm boundaries and expectations for each project before it starts. For example,set clear expectations for objectives, budgets, timelines and other critical aspects.Additionally, teams working on specific projects should monitor, track and document each process to spot the potential for mission drift when they can easily correct it.

What is a scope management audit?

A scope management audit assesses the final project deliverable. These assessments compare a project’s results and final product to the initial plans defined during development. Scope audits also enable managers to evaluate the effectiveness of various methodologies, which helpsdefine and develop strategies for future projects.