Exercise 1: Project Scope Management

I. What is involved in project scope management, and why is good project scope management so
important on IT projects?

1. What is involved in project scope management?

Project scope management is a crucial aspect of project management that involves defining, controlling,
and managing what is included and excluded in a project. It ensures that the project team and
stakeholders have a clear understanding of the project's objectives, deliverables, constraints, and
acceptance criteria. The primary components of project scope management include:

 Project Scope Statement:

Objective Definition: Clearly define the project's objectives and goals.

Deliverables: Specify the tangible and intangible outputs that the project will produce.

Acceptance Criteria: Define the criteria that must be met for the project to be considered successful.

 Scope Planning:

Scope Management Plan: Develop a plan that outlines how the project scope will be defined, verified,
and controlled.

Scope Definition: Work with stakeholders to further elaborate on the project scope and requirements.

 Scope Verification:

Formal Acceptance: Ensure that the project deliverables meet the defined acceptance criteria.

Inspections and Audits: Conduct reviews and inspections to verify that the work meets the specified
requirements.

 Scope Change Control:

Change Requests: Establish a process for submitting, reviewing, approving, and implementing changes
to the project scope.

Configuration Management: Maintain documentation of project changes and their impact on scope.

 Scope Control:

Monitoring and Controlling: Regularly review and compare actual project performance against the
planned scope.

Preventing Scope Creep: Take steps to prevent uncontrolled changes to the project scope.

 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

Decomposition: Break down the project into smaller, more manageable components.

Hierarchical Structure: Organize the components in a hierarchical structure to show the relationships
between them.
Requirements Management: Elicitation: Gather and document the project requirements from
stakeholders.

Prioritization: Prioritize requirements based on their importance to the project's success.

 Scope Communication:

Stakeholder Communication: Regularly communicate with stakeholders to ensure a shared

understanding of the project scope.

Documentation: Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation related to the project scope.

2. Why is good project scope management so important on IT projects?

Project scope management plays a key role in Information Technology (IT) projects with the complexity
of technical requirements and industry dynamics. Defining scope helps all stakeholders, from technical
to non-technical teams, clearly understand what needs to be achieved. Scope management also helps
control risk, allocate resources more effectively, and keep projects on time and on budget. With factors
such as responding to risks, controlling resources, maintaining budget, and ensuring customer
satisfaction, scope management is critical to IT project success. It also helps prevent scope creep, keeps
the project focused on its goals, and ensures the quality of the final product. In the rapidly changing
landscape of the IT sector, scope management is not only a tool for project control but also the deciding
factor between success and failure, especially when faced with challenges. fluctuations in requirements
and technology.

II. What is involved in collecting requirements for a project? Why is it often difficult to do?

1. What is involved in collecting requirements for a project?

Collecting requirements for a project is an important process in project management. Key steps include:

 Identify relevant parties:

Identify the people or groups that influence the project.

 Stakeholder analysis:

Assess the interest and influence of each stakeholder.

 Interaction with relevant parties:

Organize conversations, meetings, surveys to understand their opinions and expectations.

 Collect requirements:

Use methods such as brainstorming, document analysis, and observation to clearly understand
requirements.

 Record request:

Store required information in an organized manner.

 Classification and organization of requirements:

Group requests into categories for easy management.

 Request priority:

Collaborate with stakeholders to identify key requirements.

 Verify request:

Ensure requirements are correct and complete by getting feedback from stakeholders.

 Manage change requests:

Establish a change management process to control scope changes.

 Create a requirements tracking matrix:

Link requirements to origin and final product to ensure consistency.

 Review and approve requests:

Conduct a formal review with the relevant party to ensure understanding and approval.

 Communicate requirements:

Plan communication of required information to maintain common understanding.

2. Why is it often difficult to do?

Collecting project requirements is often difficult due to ambiguity, diverse perspectives, and constant
change. Poor communication, lack of expertise, and a volatile business environment add to the
challenge. To overcome requires flexible planning and a deep understanding of real needs. Managing
limited scope and resources requires flexibility and skill to ensure common understanding and project
success.

III. Discuss the process of defining project scope in more detail as a project progresses, going from
information in a project charter to a project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.

The process of defining project scope involves progressively detailing project requirements, objectives,
and deliverables as the project progresses. It typically evolves through several key documents, including
the project charter, project scope statement, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and WBS dictionary.
Here is a detailed breakdown of each step:

Project Charter:

 Initiation Stage:
 The project scope definition begins with the initiation stage, where the project charter is
developed.
 The project charter outlines the project's high-level information, including objectives,
stakeholders, constraints, assumptions, and initial project scope.
Project Scope Statement:

 Planning Stage:
 Building on the information in the project charter, the project scope statement is created during
the planning stage.
 It provides a more detailed description of the project scope, objectives, deliverables,
constraints, assumptions, acceptance criteria, and the criteria for project success.
 The project scope statement serves as a reference point for all stakeholders to understand the
boundaries and expectations of the project.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

 Planning Stage:
 The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is developed as part of the planning process.
 The WBS breaks down the entire project into smaller, more manageable components called
work packages.
 It represents a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the
project team.
 The WBS visually organizes and defines the scope of the project, providing a clear structure for
planning and controlling project work.

WBS Dictionary:

 Planning Stage:
 The WBS Dictionary is created in conjunction with the WBS and serves as a companion
document.
 It provides detailed information about each element in the WBS, including work package
descriptions, dependencies, resources, and acceptance criteria.
 The WBS Dictionary acts as a reference guide, ensuring that everyone involved in the project has
a common understanding of the scope of work defined in the WBS.

IV. Describe different ways to develop a WBS and explain why it is often so difficult to do.

How to Develop a WBS:

 Phase-Based:

Divide the project into major phases of the project life cycle.

 Deliverable-Based:

Build the WBS around the project's end products or outcomes.

 Organization-Based:

Develop the WBS based on the project's organizational structure.

 Mind Mapping:

Use mind mapping techniques to represent the project's hierarchical structure.

  Top-Down:

Start with the overall goal and gradually break it down into its components.

 Challenges in Developing a WBS:

Lack of information

Lack of detailed information in the early stages can make developing the WBS difficult.

 Ambiguity About Scope:

Unclear or changing project scope can complicate the WBS development process.

 Complex Projects:

Highly complex projects may have many dependencies and complex relationships.

 Subjective:

Stakeholders may have subjective views on how the project should be divided.

 Skipping Important Work Packages:

There is a risk of overlooking or missing important work packages.

 Uncertain:

Risk and change may cause the WBS to need to be adjusted regularly.

 Not Paying Attention to Human Resources Factors:

Resistance from the team or lack of cooperation can hinder the adoption of the new WBS.

 Limited time:

Projects with tight deadlines may have difficulty spending enough time developing the WBS.

 Lack of Stakeholder Involvement:

A lack of engagement from key stakeholders can result in a WBS that does not accurately reflect project
requirements and objectives.

V. What is the main technique used for validating scope? Give an example of scope validation on a
project.

1. What is the main technique used for validating scope?

Scope validation in project management typically uses a "Check" or "Accept" approach. The inspection
process involves a thorough evaluation of the completed deliverables with the participation of relevant
stakeholders. If the product meets the acceptance criteria, it is officially accepted. If there is a problem,
a correction procedure will be applied. This process ensures consensus on completion, paving the way
for the next steps of the project.

2. Give an example of scope validation on a project.

  Building projects:

Scope: Construction of a 5-storey office building.

Check scope: Check that all floors have been built according to drawings and meet safety standards.

 Software Project:

Scope: Develop a simple mobile application for personal health monitoring.

Scope test: Test the app's functionality, including measuring heart rate, tracking health history, and
providing alerts if there are health issues.

 Event Project:

Scope: Organize a trade show event.

Range check: Check the exhibition space, sound and lighting systems, ensuring all booths are set up
properly.

 Information System Project:

Scope: Implementing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.

Scope testing: Test the system's functionality, from human resource management to inventory
management, to ensure every process works as expected.

 Water Treatment Project:

Scope: Building a water treatment system to provide clean water to the community.

Range testing: Tests the performance of filters and water treatment equipment to ensure desired water
quality is achieved.

VI. Why do you need a good WBS to use project management software? What other types of software
can you use to assist in project scope management?

1. Why do you need a good WBS to use project management software?

A well-crafted Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is essential when utilizing project management
software. It provides the necessary clarity, organization, and structure for inputting tasks, assigning
responsibilities, allocating resources, and tracking progress within the software. The WBS serves as a
foundational tool, enabling effective communication, collaboration, and adaptability, all of which
contribute to successful project management.

2. What other types of software can you use to assist in project scope management?

To support project scope management, there are many types of useful software:

 Project Management Software:

Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, Jira: Used to create and manage plans, tasks, and track progress.
  Management Software Requirements:

IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, Jama Connect: Focuses on project requirements
management and tracking.

 Collaboration and Communication Tools:

Slack, Microsoft Teams: Create opportunities for continuous communication and collaboration between
project members.

 Document Management System:

SharePoint, M-Files: Supports organization and management of project documents.

 Mind Mapping Software:

XMind, MindMeister: Helps organize and understand project scope elements.

 Charting and Drawing Tools:

Lucidchart, Visio: Create charts and drawings to show relationships and dependencies.

 Risk Management Software:

RiskWatch, Active Risk Manager: Supports identification, assessment and management of project risks.

 Time Tracking and Resource Management Software:

Harvest, TimeCamp: Supports time tracking and resource management.

 Test Management Software:

TestRail, Zephyr: Support for managing and executing tests to ensure project scope quality.

 Workflow Automation Tools:

Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate: Automate repetitive tasks and workflows to optimize processes.