Can/should adding and accomplishing a certain level of additional functionality (not originally in scope) negate 1 portion of a project that may perpetually be in Red/Yellow status? Saving Changes...
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Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Absolutely. And both positively and negatively. You might "negate" one portion of the project in trouble as you say, but you also might "add" or contribute to other portions of the project becoming or staying in trouble. Many PMOs benefit from the use of PPM dashboarding techniques and the use of those green/yellow/red graphical indicators. Such dashboarding at the project level can include not just performance (time and cost) but other measures such as customer sat, scope management integrity, risk, project team performance, etc. For example, was the additional functionality (not originally in scope) authorized in accordance with policy? Was this additional scope appropriately determined (time, cost, benefit, impact to other project work) and managed via PMO/Project policy. Did addressing this additional scope compromise the progress (positive or negative) of the project in other areas? In projects that are perpetually in a Red/Yellow state, one should question the merits of taking on additional scope of any kind. In some cases, it is the right thing to do; in others cases it is not. Typically, for a project that is in trouble, you wouldn't expect additional scope to be addressed - unless that additional scope greatly helps get the project back on track. These kinds of business-driven issues are very helpful to dashboard. Great question. I hope we hear and learn from others. Saving Changes...
I agree with Mark, a troubled project should not have additional scope added unless it is to get it out of trouble.
Once the change has been agreed by the authorised parties a re-planning exercise is also necessary.
The re-planning and re-baselining of the project should re-set the status to green. The original baseline is no longer relevant given the new scope. Saving Changes...
All the contract document will have a clause for scope change.
If there is a scope change during the course of the project, then the vendor and supplier will discuss regarding the additional cost involved and the shift in the schedule!! Unless this is discussed and approved by the stake holders, project team cannot incorporate the change!
