How to Prevent Scope Creep

One of the most insidious problems project managers face is scope creep. Scoping is hard - perhaps the hardest discipline within project management. So knowing how to prevent scope creep will be critical to protecting all of your hard work.
You need to lock in your project scope as early as possible. So, in this video, I'll show you how to prevent scope creep on your project.
...What is Project Scope? • What is Project Scope?...
Do this with a 2-step process
1. Define the boundary with precision
2. Get sign-off
Yes, you need to deal with 'Autograph Top-trumps'.
But, even if you have to negotiate, at least you have a baseline for negotiation.
Get it right in the first place
a. Good requirements gathering
...What is a functional specification? • What is a Functional S...
b. Careful stakeholder negotiation
c. Tool: MoSCoW Analysis
...What is MoSCoW Analysis? • What is MOSCOW Analysi...
d. Thorough documentation of requirements and scope
Preventing Scope Creep is not always the right thing to do
1. Have a strong Change Control process
...What is Change Control? • What is Change Control...
Stops scope creep by exposing costs and risks vs benefits
2. When you have a lot of uncertainty:
Agile or Hybrid approach
...What is Agile Project Management? • What is Agile Project ...
Your objective is not to prevent change. It is to manage it.
You need to keep it under control and good governance
The key is value
You can also extend the ideas of Change Control and an Agile approach, but stop creep and gain even greater clarity...
A Phase 2 project.
We also recommend these videos:
...What is Project Scope? • What is Project Scope?...
...What is a Functional Specification? • What is a Functional S...
...What is MoSCoW Analysis? • What is MOSCOW Analysi...
...What is Change Control? / 7ju_g7l
...What is Agile Project Management? • What is Agile Project ...
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#ProjectManagement #ProjectScope #ScopeCreep

[@Onlinepmcourses]

I have a name for people who create scope creep on our projects...

[@Onlinepmcourses]

👻

[@bien_venu]

Those who are here from the AICE Programme at ALX. Good luck and see you at the graduation!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

...and let me wish you all good luck with your program!

[@bien_venu]

@@Onlinepmcourses Thanks for the well wishes! We appreciate your support and the helpful video. Best of luck with everything!

[@audreycharity]

We got this

[@Onlinepmcourses]

@@audreycharity Great!

[@AkogunMiracle.A]

Thanks for the wishes, I'm here from Cohort 2🎉❤

[@emeralde_]

great video and great explanation and what makes it better is your excellent english, British accent and soothing voice I honestly can listen to you all day you should consider making podcasts fr

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Well, my voice is just a product of where I grew up. But I am glad you like the explanation - that's the bit I work on!

[@roserobinson5059]

What fantastic videos Mike! I'm about to complete my Dip PM and have spent months watching many painful videos of Project Management. Today, I came across yours and find it easier to make sense of understanding PM. You speak slower than the others and give me time to take in the information. Also by breaking down the topics into small chunks it is certainly easier to digest. Well done!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Rose. Thank you very much. I wish you well with your diploma. Do check out the descriptions below the videos too. They will point you to relevant content on my website: onlinepmcourses.com

[@KM-un8ir]

Honestly, this is an amazing video. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You're very welcome.

[@katherinenowa68]

Thank you very much for your videos! These videos are really helpful and I use them for my lectures. ,☺️

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You're very welcome! It's great to hear.

[@mohamedrabiaa2765]

This a brilliant explanation of scope creep and how to manage it, Thanks for the greet efforts

[@Onlinepmcourses]

You are very welcome

[@ngungusonia6464]

This is great!! i love this

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you.

[@morelightvirima5429]

Very insightful! 👏

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you!

[@Alexander_PM]

Love your explanation!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you!

[@ashokmetha3373]

Great information on scope creep

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Glad you liked it

[@drmohamedsomali4353]

Thank you very much keep going

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you, I will.

[@devsinghnet]

Great channel. Also, you sound like the David Attenborough of project management. I mean that in a nice way. :D

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Wow, thanks, Dev! I want to frame this comment. 🙏🏼

[@ivettecarmen869]

Excellent information

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you, Ivette.

[@tkn140]

Great teaching techniques

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Glad you think so!

[@TheKopaul]

Awesome

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Thank you!

[@colek7641]

thank you

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Welcome!

[@kirbyman1kanden7pf]

working in software in a nutshell they keep moving the goalposts on you and the project drags on for months(or years), possibly even never gets done and is mothballed indefinitely

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Three things - 1. This is why Agile approaches are increasingly used in software projects. It allows for changes in functional specs and priorities as the project progresses 2. If the whole project goal is being shifted - that's not scope creep - it's a re-casting of the project and therefore needs stronger governance 3. If the project is no longer viable, then it SHOULD be mothballed have a video coming out on 9 July about this: What is Sunk Cost? ...and the Sunk Cost Fallacy? kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqbFmYqki76eeqc

[@kirbyman1kanden7pf]

@@Onlinepmcourses Bookmarking it

[@Onlinepmcourses]

@@kirbyman1kanden7pf Excellent!

[@dwiz_9336]

Hey there! Can you expand on the scope exclusions and or have any examples of how to find out what those are?

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Good question... Exclusions are usually the things you could do as part of the project, but that are neither of sufficient value to merit the priority, or can be put off to another time/project, or are being handled in a different way. It's impossible to give good examples because every situation is different. But as an illustration,: Say my project is to organize a conference. I may agree with my sponsor/client that I am not responsible for follow-up - that would be an exclusion. I may not be responsible for selecting attendees - another potential exclusion. My client may take complete control of the content of the keynote from their CEO - I'd treat that as an exclusion and merely schedule a slot and arrange the AV. But, of course, in each of these examples, an equally logical approach would be to include them in my project. It's all situational. That's why regard scoping as the single hardest part of Project Management

[@dwiz_9336]

@@Onlinepmcourses ah thanks for clarifying! I appreciate the quick reply!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

@@dwiz_9336 My pleasure!

[@kirbyman1kanden7pf]

lol 4:15 I wish haha doesn't work when it's the PMs at your own company ramping up the scope creep on you. (meanwhile adding on more projects at an ever-increasing rate before the original one is even done)

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Hi - adding extra projects is not scope creep - that is about portfolio creep and is a failure in corporate governance.

[@luvmj4ever904]

“Could you just...” omg... How I hate to hear these words!!!!!!!!!!

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Absolutely!

[@nagyhassan553]

i think the line which repent the depletion of resources yellow line should be under the completion curve at the beginning of project there is no depletion of resources at all

[@Onlinepmcourses]

If you look at the axis label I apply (in orange) when I add the depletion curve, I am plotting resources remaining - which deplete from 100% at the start to zero remaining resources at the end. I am not measuring the depletion level, ut illustrating the depletion of the total.

[@sas-lt4qv]

👍👍👍👍

[@Onlinepmcourses]

😀😃😄😁

[@amarachiuzoma4007]

Once you go above your scope, you are loosing resources quickly

[@Onlinepmcourses]

Indeed!