Summary
Scope planning uses the output of the initiation process, the
project charter, to create the scope statement and the scope
management plan. The project scope statement is the basis for many
of the other planning processes. It is also the basis for setting
the boundaries of the project with the client and stakeholders.
A scope statement includes project justification, project
description, major deliverables, time and cost estimates, success
criteria, assumptions, and constraints. The scope management plan
documents how you will manage changes to the scope. The work
breakdown structure (WBS) is created by taking the major
deliverables from the scope statement and
decomposing
them into
smaller, more manageable components. The breakdown continues
through multiple levels until the components can be estimated and
resourced. Each lower level of deliverables includes the
components
that produce the
next
highest level in the tree. The
lowest
level
of decomposition is the work package. The WBS includes all of the
work required to complete the project. Any
deliverable
not listed
on the WBS is assumed to be excluded from the project. The WBS is
one of the most critical outputs of planning. A WBS is the basis
for time estimates, cost estimates, and resource assignments.
Certain elements in IT
shops
need to be taken into account when
dealing with IT projects. The
size
of the IT shop very definitely
affects the project's time estimates, as do deliverables that may
be challenging to define. Business
clients
may have some hidden
processes -'sidebars' that they've not revealed when you're busy
trying to discover the processes. Success criteria can be
especially
tough to define in IT projects. A key project team
member leaving can have a
remarkable
affect on the status of the
project's scope.
Exam Essentials
Understand the purpose of the scope statement.
The scope
statement is the basis of the agreement between the project and the
client. It defines the project objectives and the deliverables that
will meet those objectives.
Be able to list the
components
of a scope statement.
A
scope statement includes a project justification, product
description, major deliverables, success criteria, time and cost
estimates, a list of assumptions, and constraints.
Describe the purpose of a scope management plan.
A scope
management plan documents the procedures that will be used to
manage proposed changes to the project scope throughout the life of
the project.
Know how to define and create a work breakdown structure
(WBS).
The WBS is a graphical depiction of the work required to
complete the project. The WBS is a multilevel tree diagram. You
decompose the major deliverables into smaller activities and
continue to create lower levels for each
deliverable
until you
reach a point where a time and cost estimate can be provided and
resources assigned.
Understand the level structure of a WBS.
The highest
level of the WBS is the project
name
. The major deliverables are
the
next
level. The number of levels in a WBS will vary by project;
however, the
lowest
level is called a work package.
Be able to name the constraints common to all projects.
The constraints common to all projects are time, cost, scope, and
quality. The constraints commonly referred to as the triple
constraints are time, cost, and quality.
Understand the scope-
impacting
limitations that a small IT
shop might encounter.
Because IT
shops
aren't heavily staffed,
nor are they often staffed
specifically
with projects in mind, it's
important to understand how the scope of a project can be
impacted.