5.1 Plan Scope Management
Process Definition
Plan scope management deals with how the project scope will be defined. It provides procedures for scope validation and control. The inputs culminate into the scope management plan. This plan provides guidance on how scope will be managed throughout the project life-cycle.
Figure 8. Project Management Body of Knowledge Figure 5-2. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 107. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.
Process Assessment
Planning scope management is vital in setting up the standards for how the project will be defined. A poorly defined scope plan will ultimately lead to scope creep. While scope creep is difficult to control, a good scope management plan will at least provide more protection than if it was to be glazed over. When determining scope its important to collaborate with your project team, stakeholders and experts to come up with a well defined, reasonable, and achievable scope plan.
(Inputs) Project Charter
The project charter provides the ground work for creating the project scope plan. It gives details such as product description and characteristics needed to understand the scope of work required. This example is from a group project in PMGT 502 Effective Communications for Managing Projects, written by Jeremy Curbey, Reese Darlington, and Amanda Evans.
(Tools & Techniques) Meetings
Setting up meetings with your project team, stakeholders and subject experts to determine the project scope will set you up for project success. It is important to collaborate on the scope of the project. One technique that I like is the bottom up approach. The example provided is a case study on a team meeting from PMGT 502 Effective Communications for Managing Projects.
(Outputs) Scope Management Plan
The scope management plan provides the foundation for follow on processes such as creating the WBS. It also provides how changes to the scope will be handled. The example is an excerpt from a group project in PGMT 611 Anatomy of Project Organizations, that was written by Jeremy Curbey, Domingo Tuckler, and Reese Darlington.