Why scoping a project often fails

So let’s face it – projects can be challenging.

Following the normal modus operandi of a business department needing to implement tasks from a strategic plan, a project manager inherits a project title and a due date. That can just mean a new scoping headache.

There are several methodologies that could be followed, but usually scoping sign-off is one of the early milestones.

But why scope at all?

There are many benefits and here are a few big ones:

• It informs the planning process tremendously, making it possible for a project manager to forecast a more accurate completion date and that helps!
• It prevents a thing that I like to call ‘scope-stripping’ which is the act of continuously removing work from the project, in order to declare it completed without really realising any business benefit. “At least we can say we completed the project!” we say is often code for “we stripped it out to hit the milestone” often.
• Scoping is a great starting place for stakeholder discussions. 
• The very process of defining a scope creates valuable insights – and it could show up potential risks and issues, constraints and conflicts, potentially preventing big mistakes and money wasted.

We have been helping clients scope and deliver for over 15 years so we do this all the time with success – even for budget conscious owners!

We help them by setting up the project, and often setting up their program and portfolio environments for success. We then monitor and assist where we can providing valuable insights to all levels with the project.

Call us and we would be glad to chat, to see if we can help you too. We would be happy to let you speak to one of our clients – to find out how we do it better.