WK 5_Tony_Causes & Control of Scope Creep

Scope creep is a process where additional work is added to the project after the scope has been established [1]. Scope creep can be an aggregation of small changes or a fundamental change from earlier established scope.
Most projects I have been involved in do not end with the scope they started with. This is commonly seen in construction projects and it is one of the many problems that make a project to fail. According to Alev David, Scope Creep has been recognised for a long time as one of the top cause of project failure [2]. A failed project is one that did not meet the project objectives in terms of cost, schedule and quality.
Many reasons account for scope creep and some of these are;
• Poor project scope definition
• Changes in customer requirements over time
• Wrong people defining scope
• Lack of change control process
The alternative solutions revolve around the root causes of the problem and these alternatives are;
1. Better scope definition at the pre-project planning phase. Get the stakeholders to verify and sign off on the scope as defined
2. Put a change control process in place which will show the project owner the impact of the change on cost and schedule before a final decision is made on implementation of the change request
3. Ensure that people involve in scope definition thoroughly understand the product of the project and the processes involved in getting this product
Our goal in looking for an alternative solution is to minimize scope creep to the barest minimum.
Alternative 1 above can help to reduce scope creep but more often than not, project owners are not willing to commit the extra money required for a thorough scope definition. At other times they are in a hurry to commence the execution phase of the project.
Alternative 2 requires the presentation of the cost and time implications to an owner who wishes to make an addition to a project scope. Many owners assume that what they want to add can be absorbed without any impact on the project. When presented with the facts in terms of cost and timeline, they tend to reconsider their intention.
Alternative 3 requires that people with thorough knowledge of the end product of a project define the project scope. They can prompt the client on things that would add business value but are not in the client’s scope statement.
It may not be possible to completely wipe out scope creep so our search for best alternative is to look at what can minimize it. Even with good scope definition and the use of experienced and knowledgeable professionals, a client may still desire to make changes which are additions to scope. Putting a change control process in place seems the best option as the client will think twice about the additional budget he has to secure before committing himself to change that will involve cost. Furthermore he would consider the effects of delayed benefits as a result of the required change. These to my mind would be deterrents to un-necessary change to project scope.
References
1. Kuprenas, J., & Nasr, E., Controlling Design-Phase Scope Creep. 2003 AACE International Transactions
2. Alev, David “ The scope went through the roof” http://consultingacademy.com/a07.shtm