Chapter 5 - Project Scope Management

Refer to pages 105 through 140 in the PMBOK Guide

To work through Scope management effectively, you are going to need to invest some time in the
first four chapters of the Guide to the PMBOK Guide. The key is to study the other areas of the
PMBOK Guide and relate them back to their impact on scope.
Project scope management, according to the PMBOK Guide, constitutes 'the processes to
ensure that the project includes all of the work required, and only the work required, to complete
the project successfully. There are six processes of Project Scope Management:

Plan Scope Management

Collect Requirements

Define Scope

Create WBS

Validate Scope

Control Scope

Exam Notes - In project context, the term scope can refer to:
1. Product Scope - Features and functions that characterize a product, service or result
2. Project Scope - The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service or
result with the specified features and functions
3. Project Scope Management is the ability to get the required work done, and only the
required work, to complete the project.
4. Project Scope Management is measured against the Project Management Plan, Scope
Statement, the WBS and WBS Dictionary.
5. Product Scope is measured against the product requirements. The customer generally
provides this information.

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Project Scope Management Focus Areas

The following is a list of key concepts that you should understand for the PMP Exam. Refer
back to this list as you highlight key facts, terms and concepts as you read through the PMBOK
Guide.

Understand the Project Scope Management processes

There are two key themes in this chapter you'll encounter on the exam: Scope and the WBS

Know the Input, Tools and Techniques, and Output for each phase

Know the difference between project and product scope

Unless the exam is talking about features and characteristics of the project deliverables, it will
be referring to the project scope

Know what a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is and how it is used

Know what a work package is and how it relates to the WBS

The WBS is the one of the most important outputs from this process. The WBS is used as
input into seven other processes and is an element of the Scope baseline

Know that WBS templates can come from previous projects and/or the project management
office if the organization has one

There are bound to be questions on Validate Scope. Know that Validate Scope is the process
of formalizing acceptance of completed project deliverables. By contrast, Control Quality is
interested in making sure the deliverable is correct and that the deliverable meets the quality
criteria. Know the difference between these two processes.

Know what Control Scope is and how it is used

Be familiar with Scope Creep and that it is managed through the Control Scope process

Be familiar with the Scope Management process flow and how the deliverables in Project
Scope Management flow to Project Time Management to create the full schedule.

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Plan Scope Management

This process creates the plan that documents the processes that will be used to manage the
scope and requirements of the project. The primary purpose of these plans is to reduce the
probability of scope creep thereby preventing risk to the project constraints (i.e. time, cost,
resources). Scope creep is defined as the uncontrolled expansion of product or project
scope. without adjustments to these constraints.
The two outputs from this process are the plans for managing both scope and requirements and
are components of the Project Management Plan.

Scope Management Plan

This plan contains all of the processes to define, develop, monitor, control, and verify the project
and product scope. It is a major input to the Develop Project management Plan and three other
scope management processes: Collect Requirements, Define Scope, and Create WBS. and the
Scope Management Plan also details the processes used for creating the outputs from these
three processes.

Requirements Management Plan

The phase to phase relationship in the project life cycle (described in section 2.4.2.1) has a
significant influence in the creation of this plan. It takes into account the type of life cycle that will
be utilized in the project work (e.g. Iterative, predictive adaptive) and is documented in this plan. It
also can include how the requirements will be tracked and reported along with the planning
approach, how they will be prioritized, any configuration management activities and how they will
be measured to determine progress against the schedule.
Traceability structures may also be described (i.e. requirements traceability matrix) and how they
would be utilized to ensure all requirements are included in the project deliverables.

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Collect Requirements
Be familiar with the description for project requirements (project management concerns, delivery
requirements, etc.) and product requirements (technical specifications, security, performance,
etc.). Also remember that the PMBOK Guide is not stating that all requirements should be
gathered at once or that they all must be gathered in the early Planning Process Group. The
requirements are gathered in enough detail to understand the deliverables and to build the WBS.
However, the detailed requirements can be gathered later or iteratively once the project begins
execution.

Requirements Gathering Techniques

Be aware of the techniques available to gather requirements, including interviews, focus groups,
facilitated workshops, group creativity, group decision-making techniques, questionnaires,
observations, prototypes, benchmarking, context diagrams, and document analysis. Some of
these are highlighted below:

Group Creativity Techniques

The section also describes a number of group creativity techniques

Brainstorming

Nominal group

Idea/mind mapping

Affinity diagram

Multicriteria decisions analysis

Group Decision-making techniques

Unanimity

Majority

Plurality

Dictatorship

Whenever the PMBOK describes a list of techniques in this way, it is possible that there could
be questions on the exam.

Context Diagrams
This is a visual representation of the scope in a model that can show a business system and how
people and systems interact with it. It can show the inputs and how the actors (system or people)
can provide input, how the outputs are produced and the actors actually receiving the output. This
technique can provide a means to present the proposed solution in a more graphical way to
visualize how the scope will be developed.

Requirements Documentation
This can be a very simple list of all the requirements or more sophisticated containing detailed
descriptions of the requirements, an executive summary and attachments. Some of these
components can include a number of sections:

Business requirements:

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Business/project objectives for traceability

Business rules (performing organization)

Guiding principles

Stakeholder requirements:
o

Impacts to other organizational areas/ entities (internal and external)

Stakeholder communication/reporting requirements

Solution requirements
o

Functional/non-functional requirements

Compliance requirements (Technology/Standards)

Support/Training requirements

Quality requirements

Reporting requirements

Project requirements
o

Service level (i.e. performance, safety, compliance)

Acceptance criteria

Transition requirements

Requirements assumptions, dependencies, and constraints

Requirements Traceability Matrix

It is important that you are able to track your requirements through the project. This ensures all of
the approved requirements are in the final solution, and it also ensures that no requirements are
added that are not a part of the approved requirements. This helps with the main purpose of
scope management which is to ensure all of the approved work gets done, but only the approved
work.
The Requirements Management Plan and Requirements Traceability Matrix are key outputs of
this process and both will help ensure that only the approved requirements are in the final
solution.

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Define Scope
Define scope takes the Project Charter and develops a more detailed description of the project
and the product.

Project Scope Statement

The major deliverable of this process, the Project Scope Statement, is used as input into the next
process of Create WBS, but it is used as input into four other processes as well in this Knowledge
Area and in the Project Time Management Knowledge Area. This document contains items such
as

Product scope description

Acceptance criteria

Deliverable

Project exclusions

Project constraints

Assumptions

It is extremely important for the PM to identify the influence and interests of the various
stakeholders and document their needs, wants, and expectations.
The project scope statement goes into more detail about the project than the project charter. Here
is a short comparison of the two documents.

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Exam Notes:

The project scope statement contains detailed description of both project and product
scope elements. The project charter contains high level information that is used in the
Define Scope process to develop this detail.

The project scope statement contains both project and product scope and the work to be
performed to create the major deliverables to fulfill this scope.

Be sure to thoroughly review the different sections of the Project Scope Statements. This
is one of the most important deliverables coming out of the Planning Process Group.

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Create WBS
The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the work required to complete the project. WBS
elements are usually numbered, and the numbering system may be arranged in various ways.
Creation of the WBS also generates a companion document called the WBS Dictionary that has
additional details to further explain and describe each component. (See WBS Dictionary below.)
The primary purpose of the WBS is to develop or create small manageable chunks of work called
work packages.
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a central point of the project planning effort. No realistic
overall project plan is possible without first developing a WBS that is detailed enough to provide
meaningful identification of all project tasks that must be accomplished. The process of creating
the WBS is very important, because during the process of breaking down the project, the project
manager, the staff, and all involved functional managers are forced to think through all aspects of
the project.
In Create WBS, the focus of the WBS is to identify all of the deliverables and work packages.
Work packages are groupings of activities, which are distinct, assignable work that is performed
that result in work products or deliverables.
The Project Scope Statement, WBS and WBS Dictionary are elements of the Scope Baseline.
This Scope Baseline is an input to seven other processes in the Project Scope Management,
Project Time Management, Project Cost Management and Project Quality Management
Knowledge Areas.

The WBS:

Identifies the deliverables and the smaller work packages that make up each deliverable.
When the deliverable and work packages are identified, the WBS is completed.

Is one of the most important project management tools

Serves as the foundation for planning, estimating, and project control

Visualizes the entire project

Notes that work NOT included in the WBS is NOT part of the project

Builds team buy-in to the project

The project managers ability to plan, manage, and control the project is enhanced when
the work is decomposed at a greater level of detail

Although greater detail is optimal, excessive decomposition can actually be nonproductive since this may prohibit efficient use of resources and the ability to aggregate
over different levels of the WBS

Allows for more accurate cost and time estimates

Serves as deterrent to scope creep

Includes project management work as well

These smallest tasks, called work packages, must be identified as manageable units that can be
planned, budgeted, scheduled, and controlled. The WBS indicates the relationship of the

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organizational structure to the project objectives and tasks, and so provides a firm basis for
planning and controlling the project.
WBS should not be confused with:

Organizational breakdown structure

Bill of Materials

Risk breakdown structure

Resource breakdown structure

Decomposition
Decomposition is the process of breaking the deliverables into smaller, more manageable
components, or work packages.

Expert Judgment
It is likely that the project team does not fully understand the nature of all deliverables that are
built far in the future. In that case it is not possible to identify the work packages. These
deliverables and work packages need to be defined further as the project progresses. This
technique of building some deliverables while continuing to plan for others in the future is called
rolling wave planning.

WBS Dictionary
The WBS Dictionary is a document generated as part of creating a WBS. The dictionary includes
the account identifier, statement of work, responsible organization and a list of scheduled
milestones along with other pertinent information. As the WBS is a hierarchical diagram of the
project work packages, the dictionary provides additional detail information to help everyone
better understand each component in the WBS.
Exam Notes:

You should know all the benefits and uses of the WBS. Most importantly, you should
know that a work breakdown structure is a decomposition of the project work that has to
be done.

Remember that the WBS contributes to customer communication.

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Validate Scope
Scope verification is the process of formalizing acceptance of the project scope by the
stakeholders. It requires reviewing work products and results to ensure that everything was
completed correctly and satisfactorily. Scope verification occurs at the end of each project phase,
and as part of the project closeout process. Scope verification is concerned with stakeholder
acceptance of the work. When acceptance is not received, the component or task must be
reworked.
Dont get this confused with a related activity, Quality Control (QC) (see Project Quality). QC is
concerned with the correctness of the work. Scope verification and quality control happen in
tandem as the quality of the work contributes to scope verification. Poor quality will typically result
in scope verification failure.

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Control Scope
Control Scope is the process of monitoring the status of project and product scope and managing
changes to the scope baseline (remember that the baseline is the initial approved scope plus all
approved changes). Because changes are likely to happen within any project, there must be a
way to process, document, and manage the changes.

Scope Creep
Scope Creep in project management refers to uncontrolled changes in a project's scope. Scope
creep occurs when either new products are added without authorization, or new features are
added to already approved products without approval.

Integrated Change Control

Control scope and Perform Integrated Change Control (4.5) are closely tied. The project manager
should identify changes to scope in Control Scope. The actual changes can be managed in this
process. However, all changes must also be processed through Perform Integrated Change
Control. This ensures that all aspects of the change are analyzed and managed. A scope change
request might impact the project budget, schedule, quality, etc., and all of these aspects need to
be understood and managed.
Exam Notes:

Know and understand Scope Creep.

Integrated change control refers to the idea that scope changes may lead to and require
changes to cost, time, quality, or other project aspects. If a scope change is approved,
there are many baseline deliverable that may need to be updated, including the scope
statement, WBS, scope baseline, schedule baseline, etc.

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Learning Project Scope Management Inputs, Tools/Techniques,

Outputs
Plan Scope Mangement

Collect Requirements

Define Scope

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Create WBS

Validate Scope

Control Scope

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