A great project scope example is an effective tool typically used in project management. It is used to explain the most important deliverables of a project. These include the major milestones, top level requirements, assumptions as well as limitations. It’s extremely useful to make such a document to aid in decision making throughout the project process. Especially when requests for change are thought about to modify the project scope. Aside from that, it also establishes the restrictions of a specific project and makes clear which deliverables are within and out of the scope.

A project scope template is used to establish all of the work and the tasks which need to be completed in the project. It describes:

  • everything which needs to be accomplished throughout the project,
  • the results or end products which are to be supplied by the customer at any given time, within a specific budget,
  • the limitations of the work and tasks, which will allow the project members to correctly evaluate which is part and not part of the effort needed.

To be able to make the scope of the project, the project manager needs to work with all other project participants. The participants include the members of the team, the customers or clients, the executive sponsors and the major stakeholders. They all work together to understand and be able to describe the output which is required for the initiative of the project. This output is also known as the deliverable. The cost or at least a satisfactory range of cost is verified in planning out and estimating the activities in the project. This is included in the deliverables.

Project Scope Examples

Once you’ve determined the deliverables, it’s time to make the scope. It will define the major features which need to be included and the schedule for the completion of the whole project. Once everyone agrees on everything, then it can be finalized. Once finalized, any modifications to this document have to be made through a change process which is carefully controlled and recorded.

Once the scope document has been finalized, the participants of the project make use of the information in it to make an estimation of their tasks, the time-frame which they need to work with and the budget. The more specific the document is, the higher the likelihood is that the participants will be able to come up with accurate estimates. However, there are also cases when the document also includes some items which are not part of the actual scope, so they are not part of the work which is to be supplied. 

The Key Elements of a Project Scope Statement

Making such a document is easy if you know what elements need to be included in it. To be able to make an effective document, then you will be able to use it as a powerful tool for your project. Read on to learn about the key elements of a good project scope example:

ObjectivesDeliverablesMilestonesHigh-Level RequirementsAssumptionsRisks or IssuesReview and Approval
These are the overall objectives which will meet the needs of your customers. This is in terms of the product, the service or the result of the project. The project participants need to understand the objectives. This is because it gives a justification for any decision making in the future. It also allows the participants to compare the most recent status of the project against the original objectives which had already been set.

To be able to make effective objectives, make sure to include the time the results are to be supplied along with the estimated budget or cost.

These are all the expected results of the project. Projects are created to be able to meet specific objectives. So the deliverables of the project should support these objectives. Have a brainstorming session with your project team to be able to establish the deliverables which should be the final outcome of the entire project.
These are the significant events which indicate progress which happens within the project schedule. Therefore, the most important milestones can be used to measure or keep track of your project progress. By establishing the milestones, timelines and budgets can be managed a lot more effectively.
These are the requirement specifications for the project. These are summarized and typically involve a technical description. The requirements also have descriptions which are functional so that the project participants can implement them.
These, along with the exclusions, are used to make clear the scope. These include any decisions and disclaimers about your project. It’s essential to make clear any and all high-level assumptions and establish the boundaries of the scope. This is so that key stakeholders understand the scope of your project. By establishing the assumptions from the beginning, discussions about them can be started. And if needed, you can discuss the details of the assumptions further.
These are any potential risks or issues which are foreseen within the project. This is an important part of your document. When you identify these risks and issues, you can refine your scope further, taking reference from the known challenges in the project. It’s also important to include these so the members of the team will be able to respond appropriately when these risks or issues arise.
This is the last part of your document. In organizations where contracts are a mush, stakeholders may have to review and approve the document and sign off on it before finalizing the document. In organizations which are less formal, a verbal approval may be enough. Whether your organization is formal or not, you have to get an agreement before finalizing your scope document.

Include all these elements when making your scope so that you’re sure it’s complete. Before we move on to making your actual document, it’s helpful to know the benefits of making it. As you will see in the next section, it’s very beneficial to make a scope of your project.

Project Scope Templates

The project scope is an essential part of the project process. It contains important information about what is included in the whole project and what isn’t. In any organization, you will be tasked to start a project, which has its own objectives. Before starting, coming up with a document containing the whole scope is very beneficial. Here are the reasons why:

  • The document will permit the project participant as well as the clients or customers to make sure that they are on the same page. It shows that they all share the same view of what features are to be expected as well as the quality and the timeframe of the whole project.
  • It gives the project participants the ability to clearly establish and have conversations with the major stakeholders. These are the people or groups of people who have a great impact on the project, so it’s important for you to acquire their support.
  • It serves in aiding the project participants to focus on the work they need to do specifically, in order to meet the needs of the clients or customers.
  • If there are any modifications to be made, the statement will serve as a reference for making estimations and proposal for the said modifications. If the changes are approved by the major stakeholders, then the statement can be modified.
  • It helps the project participants prioritize the work they need to do. This saves the organization a lot of time, money and effort too.
  • It is used as an effective tool in project management. You can use it to manage the expectations of your clients or customers, balance the workloads and up the morale of the team, especially in the case where you are able to accomplish milestones.

As you can see, making such a statement is very important. It works for the benefit of your organization mainly because it keeps everyone involved in the loop and well informed. Now let’s go through some helpful tips you can use to write your document.

 

Tips for Writing a Great Project Scope Example 

To be able to make a great project scope example, you will need a few helpful tips. These tips will guide you in making a SMART document. This is an acronym which you can keep in mind as you are writing your template. 

Specific
S stands for specific. This is an important tip for you to keep in mind. When you are writing your document, make sure that you clearly state the objectives and all other data which need to be written down. To check, read your statements and try to determine if a child will be able to understand it. If not, then you will have to rewrite your statements. Remember, different people will be reading your document, so it has to be easily understood. To do that, you have to be as specific as possible.
Measurable
M stands for measurable. You have to set standards to be able to measure the progress of your project. This is important so that you have concrete proof that your project is progressing. Also, it’s important so that when your project ends, you can verify that all the tasks have been completed. Think about how you will measure the progress of your project and include it in your scope.
Achievable
A stands for achievable. Make sure the objectives in your scope are achievable. If you won’t be able to achieve the objectives, then your project will fail. Also, make sure that the people involved in the project will be able to achieve the objectives together.
Realistic
R stands for realistic. Aside from the project being achievable, it also needs to be realistic. To be able to ensure this, then you have to set a realistic timeline. You have to consider everything about the project to make sure that the schedule and the timeline you make is realistic enough for your project.
Timely
T stands for timely. Time is an important element of your scope. It is a big part of your project and you have to think about it very well. When making your scope, make sure you also make a good timeline and schedule to go along with your project.
These are practical tips to help you make your statement. Actually, these are practical tips which can help you make different kinds of documents. Keeping these guides in mind will allow you to make effective templates and reports. Now let’s go to learning how to actually write your statement for your project scope. This is the final section of this article and it will guide you on how you will write your project scope statement well.

Project Scope Statement 

Writing a project scope example involves a lot of time and effort, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. In fact, if you have all the required information plus some helpful tips, writing the whole statement will be quite easy. Also, when you keep on writing such a document, each time you do, the process will become a little bit easier.

As you’ve read in one of the previous sections, it’s very beneficial for you to make such a statement before starting your project. Without this document (and the research which goes along with it), you might have a hard time implementing your project. The people involved in the project won’t be very well informed, which will lead to poor performance and productivity. The scope defines the limitations of your project so if it isn’t clearly established, the project might suffer. You may encounter delays or you might go over the budget which you have for your project.

The Role in Project Management

A project is basically a non-permanent venture to come up with a particular service, product or result. Therefore the scope of the project plays a big role in it. It established what tasks or work is part of the project and what isn’t. It identifies the purpose of your project, the objectives and how the project will accomplish the objectives. So basically, it defines your entire project. 

The Relevance of the Scope

Without a scope, your project has a high likelihood of failure. If you don’t define the limitations of the project, you won’t be able to expect the risks and issues which will come up. When that happens, then the project participants will have no idea what to do when these issues arise, and so your project might end up crashing and burning. The scope contains all this important information, which is why you must come up with it as a first step. 

The Statement

The actual document is important to avoid any unpredicted and unpleasant occurrences which can happen while the project is in implementation. The scope is an important statement for the project participants and for the major stakeholders. It allows for communication before the project is actually started, therefore saving your organization a lot of time and money.

Writing the Project Scope Statement

  • When writing the scope of your project, you have to pace yourself. Don’t rush through it as you might miss important details and elements. But don’t take too much time when writing it too. Chances are you have a deadline to submit this document for the project to be able to start on time too.
  • Be very specific. The more specific you are, the better it is. When you specify all the information in the document, the readers will understand it easier. Also, you won’t have to answer to many questions just because your statements are vague.
  • Make your document a good length. It should not be too long or too short. The very minimum length of a statement is that which still gives all the relevant information which needs to be communicated about in the project. If you want to make a brief scope, then don’t include information which is of no value. General statements aren’t very useful so you can choose to omit them. Instead, use specific data which will reduce the risk of having to modify your statement later on.
  • If you make a document which is too lengthy, your readers might not be very interested reading the whole thing. Don’t take too much time when writing your document. As long as you have written everything important down, then that’s enough.
  • Include all the important elements in your document. Those which we’ve discussed previously. Pay attention to and spend the most time writing the:
    • Overall description of the work which is to be done;
    • The deliverables which will be produced by the project along with the major features;
    • The justification for your project to be able to give your readers a better understanding of the whole scope;
    • The limitations of your project or any risks which you might run into throughout the entire process;
    • The assumptions which are relevant to the project;
    • And the inclusions and exclusions to provide more clarity to your project.
  • Create objectives for your scope which are very much achievable. Don’t make-up objectives which are impressive, but hard to achieve. Then you might end up ruining your project from the beginning.
  • Also, try listing down all the uncertainties you can think about. At this stage, you may not know all the limitations of your project, but you may have a better idea about the uncertainties. Uncertainties can become risks while the project is being implemented. And these risks may turn into issues which will delay your project or cause problems in terms of costs or budget. When listing down your uncertainties, you must also write down how you will be dealing with them. You can:
    • Accept the uncertainties as risks. If the risks do happen, then at least you’re prepared for them. Write down what needs to be done if you end up having to deal with them. The more prepared you are for the risks, the better it is for your project.
    • Transfer the risk to another party. If you run into the risk you had listed down, then you may transfer the responsibility to a third party. If the third party agrees, then you are covered and your project won’t have to be delayed.
    • Mitigate the risk. Once you know what the risks are, you can do something about it. Work with the plans you’ve made to lessen the risks of uncertainty.
  • Defining uncertainties is important in your statement to keep yourself prepared for anything.
  • When you’ve gathered all the information you need, then it’s time for you to start writing your document. This is the longest step in the process which will involve a lot of thought and effort. If you haven’t already made a draft, make sure to include the following:
    • Make a list of all the major stakeholders of your project. This is important so you have an idea of your audience and you will be able to write your document for them.
    • When writing the limitations of your project, write them in bullet form. Also, try writing the information while thinking about the point of view of the stakeholders. Make sure that your points are easy to read and understand.
    • Take note of all the major risks which might hinder the success of your project. This will help you plan necessary steps to take when they arise.
    • Take note of the most major objective of the project. Your project may have more than one objectives, but you have to know which one is the most important one.
    • List down all the most relevant boundaries as well as the risks of the project.
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Tagged:BusinessPlanningProject Scope
TemplateLab April 29th, 2021