Chapter Nine. Project Scope Management
| We have already looked at scope as a part of the Planning phase of a project in Chapter 2, "Initiation and Planning." Some of the materials in this chapter will be redundant. This is intended. The Planning phase is important both to the practicing project manager and for the exam. If you read both of the chapters, you will examine scope management from two different viewpoints. This should help you to better understand the topic. This chapter will focus solely on how to break down the tasks that are needed to "ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully" (PMBOK). There are five process areas in scope management: Scope Planning, Scope Definition, Create WBS, Scope Verification, and Scope Change Control. Each one has its own inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. Although you can memorize each of the processes, the key is to know when they occur in the scope sequence and what major parts of scope management occur in each of them.
The answer is C. These two types of scope are discussed in the PMBOK. They are on the exam and are helpful to the project manager in differentiating between tasks that he or she must do to be successful on a project. Without either of these scope types, the project is in trouble because what is expected of the project manager and project team is not clearly delineated. Note also that a project results in a single product or service but that the product or service itself may include many components. You do not need to write a separate scope plan for each component, but they should be in your original project plan.
The answer is D. In order to complete a project, the entire project plan must be executed. It is not simply a matter of working with a Scope Statement. Completion of the project includes everything within the project plan.
The answer is D. Putting the two questions together may result in a question like this on the exam.
The answer is C. It is helpful to know both of these definitions. You will see them on the test. Both scope types must be integrated to ensure successful completion of the project. This means that the product outlined in the product requirements is successfully delivered against the schedule and full project plan.
The answer is C. This is a part of the scope management knowledge area.
The answer is B. For the most part, small projects do not include formal authorization of advancement to each phase as a part of the overall scope management of the project. The project should be linked to the overall mission or vision of an organization. For certain projects, a formal analysis is done to determine the feasibility of the project and its link to the overall strategy of the organization. Some projects, particularly small internal ones, are initiated without a formal initiation for the most part. (However, some internal projects may be so large that a formal initiation plan is needed from the very beginning.) No matter what the size of the project is, it is a good idea to get clear authorization before beginning to work on the project. Sometimes, such as in product development projects, some work will have to be done to establish the feasibility of a project, which may include preliminary work on the product itself. This is not generally thought of as work done on the project but rather work done to establish that a project needs to be done.
The answer is A. Unless you are independently wealthy and enjoy paying for projects you work on, someone has to authorize the project. This someone has to have the authority to release resources to get the project done.
The answer is B. There are many reasons for authorizing a project. The PMBOK lists several others under section 5.1. Remember that the reasons for authorizing a project are most often market-driven and usually contain the constraints of cost and schedule. For instance, just because there is market demand for a particular product doesn't mean your organization should authorize a project to plan and build it if the product is not in the organization's strategic plan. The product description itself is an important part of scope management. The description should include the requirements and as much detail as possible about the product. The more detail, the better the chance of the final project deliverable matching what was expected. The earlier you can include detail, the better off you are from a planning standpoint. Although it is likely that more and more detail will emerge as you go through the planning, it is the project manager's job to make sure that detail is sought as early as possible and that until the final product is clear in the Scope Statement, the team keeps working with the definition of the product.
The answer is C. Do not leave the details for a later date if you can get them early in the planning process. The more clarity you have about the details of the project's product, the better you will be at writing the overall plan. Answer A does not work because you can begin doing various types of planning, such as risk management planning, without knowing the complete details of the product itself. As mentioned before, the product description should create a viable connection between the product or service being created by the project and the overall strategic considerations of the organization, and of course the choice of a project should always be in line with those considerations. Although it is true that the project manager will not generally be given responsibility for making strategic decisions for the organization, it is necessary for the project manager to have a clear understanding of why the project is being undertaken. This will help in his or her management of the project and will give guidance for handling various issues that may arise during the execution of the project. If the project is outsourced to a vendor, the buyer of the services has the responsibility of providing the initial product requirements and descriptions. Failure to do this may result in misunderstanding between buyer and vendor. If you are the project manager for the vendor, it is always a necessity to get clear information concerning product description as soon as possible. One of the phrases you do not want to hear or say as project manager is, "But I thought you meant..." Do not guess. Ask for a clear product or service description, and you can save a great deal of grief as the project progresses.
The answer is D. Unless this connection is made, the project will almost always be unsuccessful.
The answer is A. Before an organization engages an outside project manager, a clear product description should be constructed. There are many different types of project selection criteria from which to choose a project. Some of them were listed earlier, such as market demand or legal requirements. Some projects are mandated, such as new changes in consumer laws, and some are done to gain market entrance or enlarge market share. Almost all projects are done with some kind of financial consideration about the cost of the project as it relates to the benefit of the project to the sponsoring organization. Usually the project manager is not a part of the group that determines why the project is being done. Rather, the project manager's responsibility is to make sure that the project is being done in accordance with the project plan.
The answer is B. All of the other answers may be important, but for most organizations, the justification of a project has to be done on a financial basis before considering other areas. The only instance where financial considerations are not the top consideration is when regulatory control forces a project to be done in order to comply with the law. A variety of historical information gleaned from the results of previous projects that are like the current one to be undertaken is another helpful way to look at potential projects. Anything that gives the project manager information to measure his or her current project will be helpful. Project selection methods are extremely important in the life of a project. In order to initiate the project, you can use a variety of methods to measure the value of the project to the organization. In some cases, these methods are exact and mathematical; in other cases, they are more subjective in nature when there are no exact measurements to be had. Either way, some type of selection process goes on before a project is authorized. (I have been in organization where "rogue" projects got started because of the talents or wishes of a group within the organization. Very seldom did these projects get finished.) There are two broad categories of project selection. The first is the benefit measurement method. This method measures the potential benefits of executing the project against the potential benefits of other projects put before the organization. If benefit measurement is to take place, it usually is used to decide between two or more projects. Because organizations' resources are limited, deciding which projects to execute is one of the most important decisions that can be made for an organization. Some of the measurements can include contribution to the organization, individual scoring models, and economic models, which generally will show how the investment in the project will contribute to the organization for all choices of projects that are proposed.
The answer is B. Benefit measurement measures one project against another and gives the organization information with which to select projects by comparing the benefits of each. Only in the case of a mandated project is there little concern about the benefits derived from the project. A second type of selection method is termed "constrained optimization models." The main techniques that have been proposed for solving constrained optimization problems are reduced-gradient methods, sequential linear and quadratic programming methods including the augmented Lagrangian/multiplier, and sequential quadratic programming methods. If you feel lost at this time, you are not alone. These types of models are in use only in certain types of projects and are not going to be used for simpler projects. There are several websites you can turn to if you want more information on constrained optimization models, but this book is not the place for lengthy explanation of a very difficult concept. These models, which can include decision trees and others, are among the most complicated of all project selection criteria and are used only in complex projects themselves. They can be very useful and are often found in major scientific projects such as those done by NASA.
The answer is D. Although these are important methods only for a limited number of projects, they can be very valuable. You certainly do not have to know how to run these methods for the exam. Another tool found in scope management is expert judgment. This type of judgment can be found internally and externally. The internal experts may be found among your own stakeholders or other divisions or units of your own organization. The external experts can be consultants, industry groups, technical associations, or professional groups. For instance, a technical association may have information on past projects that will help in determining which projects to choose for your organization. Whichever you use, internal or external, expert judgment is a valuable tool for any project manager. In general, it is much better to use expert judgment to make choices concerning the projects to execute than it is to use expert judgment to help correct mistakes made.
The answer is A. Expert judgment is often the most effective way of dealing with questions concerning choices of projects. Experts should save time for you but will cost something. Use them; they are worth it.
The answer is B. The project manager should be assigned as early as possible so that control of the project begins immediately. There will be times when a project manager is not assigned until the project has started. Usually this means that someone is actually acting as the project manager but that the title and position are not filled. If you come into a project after it is started, look for as much documentation as you can. It is particularly important to understand the assumptions and constraints that are part of the project. It is also extremely important that you know the business reason for the selection of the project and how the project fits into the priorities of the organization.
The answer is C. As discussed previously, this document does not always get done. But the areas is it supposed to control are ones that a project manager should view and manage for the project to be successful. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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