Importance Of Defining A Scope In Project Proposal

One of the challenging tasks in initiating a project is defining a solid scope for the project. The scope of the project is a kind of statement that defines its boundaries. The project scope should clearly define what will be done during the project, and cover items which will not be included. Most of the time, the scope is usually called the Statement of Work. To ensure the perfect understanding of the expectation of the project, it is important that the project scope socializes with all party involved with the project.

                                    

Be that as it may, writing a brief and effective project scope may seem easy at first, however, it is not. As a matter of fact, it is one of the toughest tasks to do in the initiation phase of a project. It is paramount to get it right to ensure the successful completion of the whole of the project. Creeping of the scope of a project is one of the things that impact the scope of the project. It means a change in the scope during the course of the project. Of course, when or how this will happen will not clear but it’s the duty of an effective project manager to plan for it in order to avoid surprises.

All in all, defining a scope of the project proposal is important for the successful completion of the project. The project scope will cover essential elements of the project, such as the expected product of the project, the solution proposed to achieve the results, roles and responsibility of each individual on a project team, the milestones of the project, and other related details. In the scope, the factors on which the success of the project depends must be clearly outlined, including the risks involved in carrying out the project and all associated mitigation. In the event that a third party is involved in the project, all assumptions made must be indicated in the project scope. The scope should also indicate if the project has any exclusions, the project cost, the bill of materials, and a clear indication of what defines the project as successful.

When you have clearly defined scopes for your project, you stand a better chance of successfully completing the project flawlessly. Some benefits of doing so are to:

• ensure clearly defined goals and objectives for the project,
• promote better understanding between the team members,
• reduce risks and ambiguities involved,
• ease the realization and management of the expected outcomes,
• get the team and management committed to successfully completing the project, and
• develop criteria for evaluation and determining the quality of work done.

All in all, the project scope helps the person going through it to get the overview of the project. Once you have successfully documented all the requirements and received a sign-off from the customer to commence the project, you can be confident that with all care taken, your project will be a success. Although there are many other elements that need to be in place, project scope is a right place to start.