How to define the scope of a project?

A project scope is the essential part of the project planning phase. The scope may include the project goals, deliverables, tasks, cost estimation, deadlines and specific areas of a project.

Identify Business requirements

The Project Management Improvement project is an initiative of process improvement efforts at Organization, which is sanctioned by Organization executive management through “Project Management at Organization – A Social Contract.”  This project will produce tangible products and will initiate actions to improve project management practices at Organization. The following are some anticipated benefits of the project management improvement initiative:

• Greater customer satisfaction with the quality of Organization’s products and services
• Increased expertise and consistency in project management practices throughout the organization
• Better understanding on the part of stakeholders regarding a specific project’s status and how a project is being managed
• Enhanced communication and participation among project stakeholders and team members
• Greater management control of Organization budget, timeline, and staff resource allocations
• Ability to measure continuous improvement of project management processes and practices through the establishment of baseline data

Define your project goals

>> Just example as below: 

• Goal 1:    Continuously improve Organization’s organizational competency in all components of project management, thereby satisfying our customers with high quality products and services delivered on time, within budget, according to customer requirements
• Goal 2:    Establish and implement mechanisms for continuous improvement of project management competencies, providing for measurable improvements in the near and long term
• Goal 3:    Model exemplary behavior in project management by conducting ourselves openly, honestly, respectfully, with integrity and civility

Describe your product details 

Effective project management involves multiple components.  This project will deliver all components in multiple phases, thereby producing gradual improvements in staff effectiveness and project outcomes.  Some components provide technique support mechanisms; others develop and support human and technical competencies and behaviors. The components are briefly described in the following list:

• Framework - provides a mechanism that guides users through a proper order of project activities
• Tools - support project team use of the framework and good project management practices
• Project Management Skills – assure effective use of project management techniques and behaviors
• Culture - provides an environment that nurtures, promotes, and expects well-executed projects
• Thinking - encourages project visioning and problem solving
• Politics - aligns project staff and customers in shared goals and efforts toward effective results
• Communication - binds all components into a foundation that supports successful projects

Understand your Project Boundaries

In Scope

• Developing and continuously refining a rollout strategy for project management improvements
• Coordinating phased development and implementation of a project management framework and supporting tools
• Coordinating efforts to improve project management competencies and behaviors at Organization
• Measuring usage and improvements in Organization’s project management practices

Out of Scope

•    Managing any projects that are not part of project management improvements

Identify Critical Success Factors

• Project management gaps closed at Organization per project management measurement
• Quick and early prioritized success
• Leverage prior work of QTSI and other efforts
• Success of on-going communications
• Successful delivery of training
• Successful peer feedback
• Successful customer evaluation and feedback
• Firm foundation for continuous improvement

Project Assumptions

• The goals of this project support the vision, mission, and goals of Organization, helping faculty, staff and students realize their visions through the use of information technology.
• The project helps Organization achieve its goal of outstanding customer service.
• Organization management actively supports improvements in each of the seven component areas: framework, tools, project management skills, thinking, culture, politics, and communication.
• Organization management and staff comply with specifications for all project management responsibilities as stated in the “Project Management at Organization – A Social Contract” document.
• The timeline is reasonable and doable. The phased rollout supports early success and continued improvement.  The project includes a lengthy implementation as components are developed and implemented, followed by sustained competency and improvements in the seven component areas.
• Organization management assigns key project roles and adequate budget for the development and implementation of this project.
• Effective, adequate, and appropriate levels of communication occur between Organization management, the sponsor, and the project team during all phases of the project.
• The framework deliverable avoids excessive detail to ensure common understanding, flexibility, and adoption.
• The deliverables of the project are implemented Organization-wide, supporting many diverse functional groups, projects, and customers.

Project Constraints

•    Show definite project management improvement in six months
•    Deliver results within the project management capability level of the organization
•    Use peer reviews to ensure successful roll-out

Project scope template