A Project Scope Statement outlines the project’s objectives, deliverables, constraints, assumptions, and other critical information to provide a clear understanding of what the project entails. It serves as a foundation for project planning and management, helping stakeholders, including the project team and clients, to have a common understanding of what will be accomplished.
The document is essential for managing the project scope, preventing scope creep, and ensuring that the project stays on track. By defining the project’s scope upfront, the team can stay focused on the project’s objectives and deliverables, increasing the chances of a successful outcome.
Here’s what should typically be included in a Project Scope Statement, along with an example:
Project Objectives:
- A clear and concise statement of what the project aims to achieve is essential.
- Example: “The objective of this project is to develop and launch a new e-commerce website for our company, enabling online sales of our products and improving customer engagement.”
Project Deliverables:
- A list of tangible items, services, or results the project will produce.
- Example: “The project will deliver a fully functional e-commerce website, including product catalog, shopping cart, payment gateway integration, and user registration functionality.”
Project Constraints:
- Limitations or restrictions that may impact the project, such as budget, time, resources, or regulatory requirements.
- Example: “The project is constrained by a budget of $200,000 and must be completed within six months to align with the holiday season sales.”
Assumptions:
- Assumptions are factors or conditions that are assumed to be true but are not guaranteed. Assumptions can influence project planning and risk assessment.
- Example: “We assume that the existing hosting infrastructure can support the new website, and that no major changes to the technical environment will be necessary.”
Stakeholders:
- A list of individuals or groups involved in the project, along with their roles and responsibilities.
- Example: “Stakeholders include the project manager (John Smith), the development team, marketing department, and external web development contractors.”
Scope Description:
- A detailed narrative that elaborates on the project’s boundaries, inclusions, and exclusions.
- Example: “The scope of this project covers the design, development, and testing of the website. It does not include ongoing website maintenance or marketing activities beyond the initial launch.”
Acceptance Criteria:
- Clear criteria that must be met for the project to be considered successful and ready for acceptance by the client or stakeholders.
- Example: “The project will be considered complete when the website is fully functional, tested, and approved by the client, with no critical defects.”
Change Control:
- An explanation of how changes to the project scope will be managed, including the process for requesting, evaluating, and approving changes.
- Example: “Any proposed changes to the project scope must be submitted in writing to the project manager and will be assessed for impact on budget, timeline, and resources before approval.”
Risks and Dependencies:
- The project scope statement should also include identification of potential risks and dependencies that may affect the project, along with initial strategies for mitigating or addressing them.
- Example: “A key project risk is the availability of skilled developers. To mitigate this risk, we have identified a list of potential backup contractors who can be engaged if needed.”
Sign-off:
- A section for stakeholders to formally acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of the project scope statement is typically included in the document
- Example: “By signing below, the project sponsor, client, and project team members indicate their agreement with the contents of this project scope statement.”
