Every project manager fear one thing the most – scope creep. Most of the times, a project starts a certain way but as it progresses, it takes a different shape and doesn’t even look the same project you started. This often is a result of the expansion of a project outside of the planned objectives – aka scope creep.
This can put project managers and team members in a difficult spot as unpredictable or new changes can often lead to the project failure. Remember, a lot of little changes are as bad as one big change.
Solution???? Saving Changes...
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George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Hi Reza,
In my experience, scope creep is most often rooted in organizations that are risk-averse. In these organizations the scope of the project is initially set through risk aversion precepts, but then as you move forward in the projects life-cycle the realization of "missing the mark" forces what we view as scope creep. This cycle will continually occur unless new principles are set within the organization. To re-calibrate the organization, the following principles (and others) should be considered:
1) Managing and embracing risk finds reward; rejecting risk is an illusion. Risk is unavoidable; to reject its existence invites it to visit in an unmanaged state. However, when embraced from the beginning, it will become a welcome partner and a catalyst for success.
2) Risk aversion appears rational until you have a successful project with NO adoption. Risk has a symbiotic relationship with adoption; providing success with little adoption when one takes the route of least resistance, and success with high adoption when risk is managed and pursued for its value.
3) Risk is a moldable substance and finds reward when the sculptor renders from a model of success. A properly molded and managed risk becomes an ordinary deliverable when one sculpts from a successful pattern. However, consequences will be realized if the sculptor is never engaged.
4) Risk perception directs projects; risk mitigation reduces exposure; and risk enhancement is usually ignored. Aversion-based perceptions of risk lead one down a path that reinterprets deliverables under the guise of mitigation. This apparently reasonable approach gets one to the finish line, but finds little reward.
The more traditional answer to Scope Creep is a "well defined change management process" which is absolutely needed, but if you want to get to the core concerns then you need to look at what is causing the behavior of which Risk Tolerance is one. Good topic! Saving Changes...
I find scope creep is often about people wishing to exceed the customers' expectations rather than working to the requirements. Effective change management with an eye on requirements validation (ensuring you have a complete set of correct requirements) is critical. On programs I've worked where scope creep has become a major issue, all changes which exceed the authority of an individual manager (trivial impact), must go through the change board. The default position of the change board is "NO" before you have even made your change request, and it is the job of the person requesting the plan change, to convince the board otherwise. Saving Changes...
Document the project requirements and schedules clearly. Verify the scope with project team, customers, and other stakeholders and engage them proactively. Explain to customers to reach a mutual understanding of the constraints and impacts of changing and increasing project scope. Saving Changes...
