Scope
creep is when a change, either an update or addition, happens as part of a
project and alters the original scope of work and initial request (Stachowiak,
2014). Scope creep can happen as part of a request by the client to add new
features or because of poorly outlined initial requirements and project
planning. Currently, I am working with a project team to design and develop
training materials for our upcoming technology launch in November. The business
had previously decided to roll out the new technology in January of 2017 but
then decided to change the plan and finalized the November 2016 launch; here in
lies the source of my current scope creep situation.
When I
was designated as part of this project team, we were under the impression that
we had until January of 2017 to conduct our analysis, design and development of
the training materials. After presenting our initial project plan to the
steering committee we were given the go ahead to continue with our outline. We
took our time laborious conducting a thorough needs analysis, learner analysis,
and task analysis to determine the foundation of our design. About 2 months
after being told that we could proceed with our initial plan, the announcement
was made that instead of January we would go live in November and the users
needed to be trained accordingly in advance. The training plan called for 2
months of prior ongoing training before the actual implementation. That brings
us to today, August 4 and we have exactly one month before we have to start
implementing the training that hasn’t even been storyboarded yet. Queue the
mini freak out session!
Not
being the project manager, I am at the mercy of what I am told to do. Although I
have a very strong voice as both a SME and an instructional designer, the
deadline is not moving. Had I been the project manager, I would have ensured
that we had a scope of work document signed and agreed upon by the stakeholders
(Portny et al, 2008) and project drivers ensuring that we would be afforded the
amount of time necessary to produce an effective training. When the steering committee
and stakeholders decided to change the date of the launch, I could have
provided the signed and agreed upon document and fought for the time needed to
complete the project. Also, with the pushed up date, came updated requirements
which have altered the amount of resources needed to complete the work. As the
project manager, I would have drafted a change of scope document requesting
additional man power hours and outlining the change in timeline and budget in
order to receive the necessary resources (Laureate Education, n.d.)
Lastly,
as the project manager, I would start to provide weekly project status reports
giving detailed information on current timeline status (Harned, 2015). This
critical communication will inform the steering committee and project drivers
of any potential need to delay the launch due to the scope creep issues forced
upon us by the decision to change the date.
Scope
creep is inevitable and usually controllable by the project manager. Detailed
planning, careful communication, and documented agreements can contribute to
successful scope creep prevention and management. Project managers should act
as gatekeepers and cheerleaders to monitor, manage and report on any potential scope
creep issues.
References
Harned, B.
(2015). Taming the scope creep. Retrieved from https://www.teamgantt.com/guide-to-project-management/taming-scope-creep/
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Monitoring projects [Video
file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Portny, S. E.,
Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B.
E. (2008). Project management: Planning,
scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
https://www.teamgantt.com/blog/scope-creep-the-two-dirtiest-words-in-project-management/
Your blog posting is similar to the experience I described. Lacking proper documentation, such as the statement of work, as well as a formalized control process that includes a change of scope document, leaves the project vulnerable to scope creep. Vince Budrovich (Laureate Education, n.d.) shared an example where the change to a project would result in five mediocre outcomes versus delivering two really good ones. He suggests getting such decisions in writing so there is proof as to who made controversial decisions despite knowing the negative impact on the project deliverables.
ReplyDeleteLaureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: You can’t win them all [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu