Scope Control in PMP

What is Scope Control?

Scope Control is the process of holding changes to project scope in check by:

• ensure that changes are agreed upon.
• evaluate change requests to determine the actual need and impact of the change to the project objective.
• manage the actual change to ensure that they are implemented correctly and effectively.

Scope control must be integrated within the other controlling processes because a change in scope is likely to affect cost, time, quality and other areas.

Scope Verification with Inspection

What is Scope Verification?

• Scope verification is a process of formalizing acceptances of the completed project deliverables and project scope by stakeholder.
  

What is Inspection?

• Inspection is the tools and technique required for Scope Verification. It includes product reviews, audit, walkthru, etc. This ensure all work and deliverables meet the requirements and acceptance criteria.
  

Create WBS with Bottom Up Approach

When creating a WBS, a bottom-up approach is a thorough and easy way to validate a WBS. This ensure that:

• The lower-level components are necessary and sufficient for the completion of each decomposed item.
  
• Each element is described as a deliverable and is distinguishable from all other deliverables.
  
• Each element can adequately budgeted, scheduled and assigned to an individual or group.

Key Terms in WBS

Some of the key terms used in Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) includes:

• Code of Account / Control Accounts
  - a system by which WBS elements are uniquely numbered.
  - allows these individual WBS components to be more easily tracked, especially in the area of performance and costs.
  
  
• Work Packages
  - A deliverable or project work component at the lowest level of each branch of WBS.
  - Divided further into scheduled activities.
  
  
• WBS Dictionary
  - Can be used as part of a work authorisation system to inform team members of when their work package is going to start, scheduled milestones and etc.
  - It also contains a number identifier, control account, who is responsible for the work, schedule and milestones.
  

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in PMP

What is Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

• A WBS is a logical grouping of project deliverables arranged in a hierarchical structure.
• A WBS defines the total scope of work required to complete the project.
• The deliverables and their component sub-deliverables are represented on the WBS in levels of descending order.

Introducing Scope Definition in PMP

Scope Definition is shaped by deliverables, assumptions and constraints that are documented during project initiation.

• What is Project Objective?
  Project Objective is the criteria used to measure whether a project is successful or not. Specific in terms of scope, Quantitative Approaches, Realistic and attainable, Consistent / compliant with plans.
  
  
• What is the difference between product and project scope?
  Product scope is requirements that related to the product of the project.
  Project scope is the work you need to do to deliver the product of the project.
  
  
• What is the scope baseline?
  Measurement of success on the project include whether the requirement have been met and whether the scope baseline has been met. It includes the project scope statement, WBS and WBS dictionary.

Scope Management Plan in PMP

A thorough scope management plan will prevent "Scope Creep" and the guidelines are:

• Identify a process that all deliverables will be accepted by the customer.
• Develop and maintain the project's WBS.
• Identify and control changes in project scope.

* Scope Creep refers to any uncontrolled change in a project.

Project Scope Management

In PMP, Project Scope Management includes the following aspects:

• Create a Scope Management Plan
  This includes documenting how the project scope should be defined, verified, controlled and how Work Breakdown Structure will be created and defined.
  
  
• Create a Scope Statement
  This includes developing a detailed project scope statement as the basis for future project decisions.
  
  
• Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  This includes subdividing the major project deliverables and project work into smaller and more manageable components.
  
  
• Scope Verification
  This includes formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.
  
  
• Control a Project Scope
  This includes controlling changes to the project scope.