Developing the Preliminary Project Scope Statement

The second process in project initiation is developing the preliminary project scope statement. The project scope statement states what the project will and will not accomplish. The reader of the project scope statement should understand what the project is expected to produce and when it completes without possessing any prior project knowledge. The project scope statement defines the actual boundaries of the project. This process does not develop the complete project scope statement only the preliminary version. The development of the complete project scope statement occurs in the planning process group, which is discussed in the next chapter.

One change in the PMBOK, Third Edition is that the process to develop the preliminary scope statement has been added to the project initiation process group. You'll likely see a question that addresses this new process.

The preliminary project scope statement should include as much of the available information about the project as possible. Much of the information will come from the project initiator and other stakeholders. Although the amount of information included in this preliminary scope statement differs based on project complexity and environment, here are some common types of information it should include

• Approval and acceptance requirements

• Assumptions

• Constraints

• Deliverables

• Estimated budget

• Milestones

• Objectives

• Preliminary work breakdown structure (WBS)

• Project boundaries

• Project risks

• Quality requirements

Many of the items included in the preliminary project scope statement are similar, if not identical, to items in the project charter. The main differences between the two documents are their purpose and audience. Whereas the project charter's purpose is to formally authorize a project, the preliminary scope statement's main purpose is to provide a statement of overall project intent. The audience of the preliminary scope statement is anyone who wants to know about the project, whether internal or external to the project team.

The process to develop the preliminary project scope statement uses the project charter and its supporting data and inputs. The tools and techniques are the same as the project charter's tools and techniques; there is only one output; and the only output is the preliminary scope statement. Table 2.4 lists the inputs, the tools and techniques, and the output for the develop preliminary scope statement process.

Table 2.4. Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Output

Inputs	Tools and Techniques	Outputs
Project charter	Project management methodology	Preliminary project scope statement
Project statement of work	Project management information systems
Enterprise environmental factors	Expert judgment
Organizational process assets

Remember to avoid just memorizing each of the process inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs. Think about why each element is needed. Notice that the inputs are the same for the develop preliminary project scope statement as for the develop project charter process (except that the project charter is included as an input for this process). The elements are similar, but the purpose of this process differs from creating the project charter in that the main purpose of this process is to start narrowing the focus of what the project will and will not do.

As with all processes defined in the PMBOK, think through why each element in Table 2.4 is needed to complete the develop preliminary project scope statement process.