Effective Project Management:
Traditional, Agile, Extreme
Managing Complexity in
the Face of Uncertainty
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Presented by
(facilitator name)
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Summary of Chapter 3
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Managing client expectations
Conditions of satisfaction
Planning and conducting a project scoping meeting
Gathering requirements
Diagramming business processes
Prototyping your solution
Business validation
Procurement Management
Writing an effective Project Overview
Statement (POS)
Approval to Plan the Project
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Tools, Templates & Processes used to Scope a Project
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Conditions of Satisfaction
Project Scoping Meeting
Requirements Gathering
Diagramming Business Processes
Prototyping
Validating Business Cases
Procurement Management
Outsourcing
Project Overview Statement
Approval to Plan the Project
Managing Client Expectations

Somehow clients always seem to expect more than
project managers are prepared for or capable of
delivering.
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This lack of communication starts at the beginning of a
project and extends all the way to the end.
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The project manager assumes he or she knows what
the client is asking for, and the client assumes the
project manager understands what they are asking for.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Client Wants vs. Client Needs Dilemma
NEEDS
WANTS
What your client wants may not be what your client needs.
Your job is to make sure that what they want is what they
need and that you will deliver what they need.
Client Wants vs. Client Needs Dilemma

The disconnect may come about because the client is
swept up in a euphoria over the technology (for
example, they may be enamored with what they see on
the Web)
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The disconnect can also come about because the
client does not really know what they need.

Wants tend to be associated with a solution that the
client envisions. Needs tend to be associated with the
problem.

To be safe, always ask the client why they want what
they want.
Conducting Conditions of Satisfaction

You should begin every project with a communications
tool called Conditions of Satisfaction (COS).

The COS is a structured conversation between the
client (the requestor) and the likely project manager
(the provider).

The deliverable from the COS is a one-page document
(with attachments) called the Project Overview
Statement (POS).
Conducting Conditions of Satisfaction…

The POS is a template that is used to clearly state
what is to be done.

It is signed by the requestor and the provider who
participated in the COS exercise.
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When the POS is approved by senior management, the
Scoping Phase is complete.
Conducting Conditions of Satisfaction…
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The process of developing the COS involves the
following four parts:
1. Request. A request is made.
2. Clarification. The provider explains what he or she
heard as the request.
3. Response. The provider states what he or she is
capable of doing to satisfy the request.
4. Agreement. The requestor restates what he or she
understands the provider will provide. The
conversation continues until the provider is satisfied
that the requestor clearly understands what is being
provided.
Establishing Clarity of Purpose

The next step in the COS process is to negotiate to
closure on exactly what will be done to meet the
request. Obviously, some type of compromise will be
negotiated.
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The final agreement is documented in the POS.
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As shown in Figure 3-1, this process repeats itself until
there is an agreed-on request that is satisfied by an
agreed-on response.
Establishing Clarity of Purpose

As part of this agreement, the POS should include a
statement of success criteria that specifies when and
how the request will be satisfied.
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The success criteria will become part of the POS.
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The result is documented as the COS and serves as
input to the POS.
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This early step of establishing and agreeing to what will
be done is very important to the project’s success.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Establishing Conditions of Satisfaction
Clarify
Request
Response
Request
Agree on
Response
Negotiate agreement and
write Project Overview Statement
Figure
03-01
Specifying Business Outcomes

it is a good idea to specify within the COS exactly what
outcomes demonstrate that the COS has been met.
The outcomes have been called success criteria

it is a quantitative measure (for example, profit, cost
avoidance, and improved service levels) that defines
success.
Conducting COS Milestone Reviews

The COS is not a static agreement. It is a dynamic
agreement that becomes part of the continual project
monitoring process.
Planning and Conducting the Project Scoping
Meeting

You may have had a COS session and agreed on a
high-level scope for the project but need more detail in
order to write a POS.

The Project Scoping Meeting takes the COS
deliverable to the next level of detail.

In this meeting, the core project team will be present,
as will the client, several key managers, staff, and end
users of the project deliverables.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Planning and Conducting the Project Scoping Meeting
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Purpose
 Document requirements
 Project Overview Statement
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Attendees
 Project Manager
 Client Group
 Core Team Members
 The Facilitator & Technographer
The facilitator group
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This group comprises two or three individuals who are
experienced in conducting scoping and planning
meetings.
The facilitator group will have a meeting facilitator, a
requirements gathering facilitator, and a position that
the author calls a technographer.
The two facilitators are often the same person.
A technographer is the recording secretary for scoping
and planning meetings who has solid experience using
a variety of high-tech tools. Larger projects may require
two such professionals.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Planning and Conducting the Project Scoping Meeting
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Agenda
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Introductions
Purpose of the Meeting (led by Facilitator)
COS (conduct or review if done earlier)
Description of current state (led by client representative)
Description of problem or business opportunity (led by client
representative)
Description of end state (led by client representative)
Requirements definition and documentation (led by facilitator)
Discussion of the gap between current and end state (led by
project manager)
Choose best-fit project management approach to close the
gap (led by project manager)
Draft and approve the POS (whole scope planning group)
Adjourn
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Planning and Conducting the Project Scoping Meeting
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Deliverables
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COS
Requirements Document
Best-fit project management life cycle (PMLC)
POS
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Who is Our Client?
Good Client
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Know what they want
Know what it takes to deliver
Work towards best solution
Easy to work with
Meaningfully involved
Not So Good Client
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Not sure of what they want
Constantly change their mind
Not interested in solving
project problems
Hard to satisfy
Not very involved
Project manager & team (PT) must satisfy the needs of both.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
What Are Requirements?
A requirement is something the product/project should
do/produce or a quality that it must have.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Different Perspectives on Requirements
How the customer
explained it
How the project
was documented
How the project
leader understood it
What operations
installed
How the analyst
designed it
How the customer
was billed
How the programmer
wrote it
How it was
supported
How the consultant
described it
What the customer
really needed
Figure
03-02
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Categories of Requirements
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Functional
Non-functional
Global
Product/project constraints
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Definition: Functional Requirement
Functional requirements specify what the product or
service must do.
For example: ‘‘The service shall accept a scheduled
time and place for delivery.’’
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Definition: Non-Functional Requirement
Non-functional requirements demonstrate properties
that the product or service should have in order to do
what must be done.
These requirements are the characteristics or qualities
that make the product or service attractive, usable, fast,
or reliable.
For example: ‘‘The product shall have a homemade
appearance.’’ or: ‘‘The product shall be packaged so as to
be attractive to senior citizens.’’
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Definition: Global Requirement
Global requirements describe the highest level of
requirements within the system or product. They can be
thought of as general requirements.
For Example: ‘‘The system shall run on the existing
network.’’ or ‘‘The system must be scalable.’’
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Definition: Product/Project Constraints
Product/project constraints are those requirements that,
on the surface, resemble design constraints or project
constraints.
Project constraints cover the areas of budget and
schedule along with deadlines and so on.
For example: ‘‘The maximum system response time for
any client-based transaction must not exceed 4
milliseconds.’’ or ‘‘The total cost plus five-year
maintenance must not exceed $35 million.’’
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Approaches to Requirements Gathering
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Facilitated Group Session
Interview
Observation
Requirements Reuse
Business Process Diagramming
Prototyping
Use Cases
Approaches to Requirements Gathering…
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Selecting the best methods to generate potential
requirements for the project is the responsibility of the
project manager, who must evaluate each method for
costs, ease of implementation with the client, and risks.
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Further, selection of a particular method should be
based on specific product and project needs, as well
as proven effectiveness.

Certain methods have been proven effective for
specific client groups, industries, and products.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Facilitated Group Session Method
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
Excellent for cross-functional processes
Detailed requirements are documented and verified
immediately
Resolves issues with an impartial facilitator
Risks
1.
2.
Untrained facilitators can lead to negative responses
Time and cost of planning and executing can be high
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Interview Method
Strengths
1.
2.
End user participation
High-level description of functions and processes provided
Risks
1.
2.
3.
Descriptions may differ from actual detailed activities
Without structure, stakeholders may not know what information to
provide
Real needs ignored if analyst is prejudiced
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Observation Method
Strengths
1.
2.
Specific/complete descriptions of actions provided
Effective when routine activities are difficult to describe
Risks
1.
2.
3.
Documenting and videotaping may be time consuming,
expensive and have legal overtones
Confusing/conflicting information must be clarified
Misinterpretation of what is observed
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Requirements Reuse Method
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Requirements quickly generated/refined
Redundant efforts reduced
Client satisfaction enhanced by previous proof
Quality increase
Reinventing the wheel minimized
Risks
1.
2.
3.
Significant investment to develop archives, maintenance
and library functions
May violate intellectual rights of previous owner
Similarity may be misunderstood
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Business Process Diagramming
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
Excellent for cross-functional processes
Visual communications
Verification of “what is/what is not”
Risks
1.
2.
3.
Implementation of improvement is dependent on an
organization being open to changes
Good facilitation, data gathering and interpretation
required
Time-consuming
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Prototyping
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Innovative ideas can be generated
Users clarify what they want
Users identify requirements that may be missed
Client–focused
Early proof of concept
Stimulates thought process
Risks
1.
2.
3.
4.
Client may want to implement prototype
Difficult to know when to stop
Specialized skills required
Absence of documentation
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Use Case Scenarios
Strengths
1.
2.
3.
4.
State of system described before entering the system
Completed scenarios used to describe state of system
Normal flow of event/exceptions revealed
Improved client satisfaction and design.
Risks
1.
2.
3.
4.
Newness has resulted in some inconsistencies
Information may still be missing from scenario description
Long interaction required
Training expensive
Table
03-01
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Building the Requirements Breakdown Structure
Project goal
and solution
Requirement 1
Function
1.1
Function
1.2
Requirement n
Function
1.3
Sub-function
1.2.1
Sub-function
1.2.2
Feature Feature
1.2.1.1 1.2.1.2
Feature
1.2.1.3
Function
n.1
Function
n.2
Function
n.3
Sub-function
1.2.3
Feature
1.2.1.4
Feature
n.3.1
Feature Feature
n.3.3
n.3.2
Feature
n.3.4 Figure
03-03
Building the Requirements Breakdown Structure

The RBS is a hierarchical description of what the
solution has to do in order to acceptably meet client
needs.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
RBS – The Reality
Project goal
and solution
Requirement 1
Function
1.1
Function
1.2
Requirement n
Function
1.3
Sub-function
1.2.1
Sub-function
1.2.2
Feature Feature
1.2.1.1 1.2.1.2
Feature
1.2.1.3
Function
n.1
Functional
Requireme Function
Function
n.2nt n
n.3
Sub-function
1.2.3
Feature
1.2.1.4
Feature
n.3.1
Feature Feature
n.3.3
n.3.2
Feature
n.3.4
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Characteristics of the RBS
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The RBS is intuitive and most meaningful to the
client
The RBS is a deliverables based approach
The RBS is consistent with the PMI PMBOK
The RBS remains client facing as long as possible
into the planning exercise
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Advantages of using the RBS
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Does not require a trained facilitator
Does not require learning one of the contemporary approaches
to requirements gathering
Presents an intuitive approach to gathering requirements
Allows the client to work with the project team in an
environment familiar to them, i.e., to stay in their own comfort
zone
Paints a clear picture of the degree to which the solution is
clearly defined
Provides the input needed to choose the best fit PMLC Model
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
What is a Business Process?
A business process is a collection of activities that take
one or more inputs from one or more different sources
and produces a change of state that delivers business
value.
Input A
Change
of state
Input B
Input C
Business Process
Figure
03-04
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Creating a Business Process Diagram
Figure
03-05
Creating a Business Process Diagram….
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Operation— Denotes that a change has taken place.
The input is somehow changed as a result of having
gone through this process.
Movement —Denotes the movement of output from
one process step to become the input to the next
process step.
Decision —Denotes that a question needs to be
answered. There are two flow paths that emanate from
a decision box: Yes or True and No or False. You
follow one of these paths based on the decision.
Inspection— Someone other than the person
producing the output must inspect it for quality,
conformance, or some other tangible characteristic.
Creating a Business Process Diagram….

Document—Denotes a paper document.

Delay —Denotes a wait state in a process. It’s usually
associated with something joining a queue and waiting
for the operator of the next process step to become
available.

Storage— Indicates that an item has been placed in
storage and must wait for a release before moving to
the next process step. This usually represents wasted
time that must be removed from a process.
Creating a Business Process Diagram….

Annotation—Provides added detail about some
process, which is needed for clarification. It might also
include the position title of the person responsible for
the process.
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Direction of Flow — Denotes the order of process
steps.

Transmission —The interrupted arrow indicates when
information is to be transmitted from one physical or
virtual location to another.
Creating a Business Process Diagram….

Connector— Connects the flow between two separate
locations; often used as an off-page connector.

Boundaries— Denotes the initiating and closing
processes of a flow diagram. Usually the words START
or BEGIN are associated with the initiating process,
and STOP or END with the closing process.
Business Process Diagram Formats
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Three common formats are used:
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The top-down and left-to-right format: It is commonly used
in program and system flow charts.

‘‘Swim-lane’’ format: It identifies the actors who participate in
the business

Context Diagrams: One way to describe your process at a
very high level
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
The Top-Down Left to Right Format
Figure
03-06
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
The Swim Lane Format
Figure
03-07
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Context Diagramming Process
Figure
03-08
Context Diagrams
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Describes a rough process or a set of processes.
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It generally has only the following few components:
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A stick figure representing the external entity that is triggering
the process
A large circle representing the organization responding to the
request
A text block showing each organization or process acting to
fulfill the request
Arrows showing the rough flow between text blocks
Prototyping Your Solution

Many clients cannot relate to a narrative description of
a system but they can relate to a visual representation
of that system.

Its original purpose was to help clients define what they
wanted.

By showing them a mock-up of a solution, they could
comment on it and give the developers more insight
into what constitutes an acceptable solution.
Use Cases

Figure 3-9 depicts the position of use cases in the
overall project scoping.
Use Cases…
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Project scoping can be part of the Scoping Process
Group or Planning Process Group.
In Figure 3-9, project scoping is between the Scoping
Process Group, which has the POS as output, and the
Planning Process Group.
Requirements gathering consists of several different
approaches of which use cases is but one.
After the use cases have been defined and
documented, a single requirements document is
assembled, and the project can move to the approval
stage or, if the approval stage has already been
reached, to the Planning Phase.
Use Case Diagrams

A use case diagram is a simple way to describe how
an individual interacts with a business process.

It consists of one of more stick figures (the actors),
ovals (the process steps), and connecting arrows (the
interactions)

An actor initiates the use case by interacting directly
with the system. The system gathers information from
the actor, processes it, and returns a result to the actor.
Use Case Flow of Events

This document reads like the script in a play.

It is initiated with an action by the primary actor, the
system responds, the actor takes another action, and
this back and forth exchange continues until the use
case ends.
Validating the Business Case

A very important question will be, ‘‘Does the resulting
business value exceed the total cost of the
deliverables?’’

You can expect to provide any number of financial
analyses such as cost/benefit, Return on Investment
(ROI), breakeven, and cash flow analyses, among
others.

Some of these might accompany the POS.
Use Case Diagram
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Outsourcing to Vendors and Contractors
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You do not have the necessary skills and
competencies on your staff
Buying the solution is less costly and more effective
than building the solution
There is a commercial product available that will
meet your needs
It is more cost effective to have a specialist provide
the service
It is not part of your core business activity
You would like to develop the skills by first using a
contractor
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management – The Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management





Publish Request for Information (RFI)
Advertise
Rent a targeted list
Include previous vendors
Attend a trade show where potential vendors
are likely to have a booth
 Preparing and Distributing a Request for
Proposal
 Manage RFP responses and questions
 Respond online
 Answer questions individually
 Hold a bidders conference
Preparing and Distributing a Request for Proposal

You need to state the time conditions for
response, which means that you state


how many days you will give people to respond, as
well as
how long you will need to review the responses
before making a choice.
RFP
RFP should contain the following:
 Introduction
 Business profile
 Problem or opportunity
 POS (optional)
 RBS (optional)
 Vendor responsibility
 Contract administration
 Instructions to vendors
 Vendor point of contact
 Time and cost estimates
 Pricing
 Evaluation criteria
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
 Establish Vendor Evaluation Criteria
 Evaluate responses to RFP
Reduce list of companies
Conduct onsite presentations
Vendor evaluation consists of
creating a rule by which all RFP
responses are evaluated on the
same scale.
Establish Vendor Evaluation Criteria

an evaluation team is involved

criteria that ‘‘might’’ be necessary should be
eliminated.

Criteria might be classified as ‘‘must have,’’ ‘‘should
have,’’ or ‘‘it would be nice to have,’’

There are several quantitative models for evaluating
and ranking vendors such as:


Forced Ranking, and
Paired Comparisons
Establish Vendor Evaluation Criteria
There are several qualitative factors that might be used.
They include the following:








Corporate experience with similar work
Financial stability
Technical approach
Personnel experience, skills, and competencies
Risk management processes
Location
Applicable tools, templates, and processes
References for similar work
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Evaluation Criteria – Forced Ranking
Consultant
A
B
C
D
Rank
Sum
Forced
Rank
1
2
3
2
4
11
3
2
4
1
1
2
8
1
3
6
2
5
5
18
5
4
1
5
3
1
10
2
5
3
4
4
3
14
4
6
5
6
6
6
23
6
Vendor
Table
03-02
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Evaluation Criteria – Paired Comparisons
1
2
3
4
5
6
SUM
RANK
1
X
1
1
0
1
1
4
2
2
0
X
1
0
1
1
3
3
3
0
0
X
0
0
1
1
5
4
1
1
1
X
1
1
5
1
5
0
0
1
0
X
1
2
4
6
0
0
0
0
0
X
0
6
Table
03-03
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
 Select the final vendor(s)
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
 Negotiate the final contract
 No award
 Single award
 Multiple awards
Contract Management
deliverable dates
WBS
Regular status meetings
 Types of Contracts
 Fixed Price
 Time and Materials
 Retainer
 Cost Plus
 Discussion points for negotiating final contract
 Final negotiation of contract
Discussion Points for Negotiating the Final Contract









Work schedule
Payment schedule
Fees
Personnel assigned to the contract
Rights in data
Other terms and conditions
Ownership
Warranties
Cancellation terms
Final Contract Negotiation








Statement of work for the vendor
Terms and conditions
List of deliverables, schedule, and budget
Defined acceptance process, including acceptance criteria
Identification of the project and supplier representatives
responsible and authorized to agree to changes to the vendor
agreement
Description of the process for handling requirements change
requests from either side
The processes, procedures, guidelines, methods, templates, and
so on that will be followed
Critical dependencies between the project and the vendor
Final Contract Negotiation…

Descriptions of the form, frequency, and depth of
project oversight that the vendor can expect from the
project, including the evaluation criteria to be used in
monitoring the vendor’s performance

Clear definition of the vendor’s responsibilities for
ongoing maintenance and support of the acquired
products

Identification of the warranty, ownership, and usage
rights for the acquired products
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
 Expectation setting
 For whom does the vendor work?
 What is expected of the vendor?
 What tools and facilities are available to
the vendor?
 What training is available to the vendor?
 What must the vendor deliver?
 When must it be produced?
 Who will receive the deliverables?
 How will the deliverables be evaluated?
Vendor Management
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You should make the vendor feel like an equal partner
in the project.
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That means including them in every team activity
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Communication needs to be established early among
all relevant stakeholders
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Conducting meetings and having face-to-face
discussions are the easiest and best ways to set clear
expectations and gain a mutual understanding of the
requirements and expected performance.
Ch02: Project Life Cycle Processes
Procurement Management Life Cycle
Vendor
Solicitation
Vendor
Evaluation
Vendor
Selection
Vendor
Contracting
Vendor
Management
 Monitor Progress and Performance
 Monitor Requirements Change Requests
 Monitoring the Performance of Standard
Project Activities
 Labor hours
 Cost (Earned Value)
 Schedule (Earned Value)
 Frequency of change requests over time
 Incidence of bugs
 Risks
 Issue resolution
 Staffing levels and changes by position
 Transition form Vendor to Client
Monitoring the Performance of Standard Project
Activities
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key metrics need to be provided by the vendor to track
actual versus planned contract performance:
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Labor hours
Cost
Schedule
Other performance metrics that should be tracked by
both the vendor and the project manager include the
following:
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Frequency of change requests over time
Incidence of bugs
Risks
Issues resolution
Staffing levels and changes by position type
POS

The POS is a short document (ideally one page) that
concisely states what is to be done in the project, why
it is to be done, and what business value it will provide
to the enterprise when completed.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Purpose of the Project Overview Statement
A one-page description that is:
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A general statement of the project
A reference for the planning team
A decision aid for the project
To get management approval to
plan the project
POS
The POS can serve other purposes as well
 Inherited Project

Briefing Tool
Inherited Project
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Sometimes you inherit a project.
In these instances, the project has been defined and
scoped. A budget, staff resources, and a completion
date have also been determined.
In this scenario, do you write a POS? Yes!
Why? Two reasons:
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to become familiar with and understand the project as well as
the client’s and management’s expectations.
the POS will become the referent for the planning team.
Briefing Tool

To give your team briefing information on the project.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Contents of the Project Overview Statement
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
PROJECT
OVERVIEW
STATEMENT
Example POS
Project Name
Project No.
Project Manager
PAUL BEARER
Office Supply Cost Reduction
Problem/Opportunity
Our cost reduction task force reports that office supply expenses have exceeded budget by an
average of 4% for each of the last three fiscal years. In addition an across the board budget cut of
2% has been announced and there is an inflation rate of 3% estimated for the year.
Goal
To implement a cost containment program that will result in office supply expenses being within
budget by the end of the next fiscal year.
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
Establish a departmental office supply budgeting and control system.
Implement a central stores for office and copying supplies.
Standardize the types and brands of office supplies used by the company.
Increase employee awareness of copying practices that can reduce the cost of
meeting their copying needs.
Success Criteria
1.
2.
3.
4.
The total project cost is less than 4% of the current year office supply budget.
At least 98% of office supply requests are filled on demand.
At least 90% of the departments have office supply expenses within budget.
No department office supply expense exceeds budget by more than 4%.
Assumptions, Risks, Obstacles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Central stores can be operated at or below the breakeven point.
Users will be sensitive to and supportive of the cost containment initiatives.
Equitable office supply budgets can be established.
Management will be supportive and consistent.
The existing inventory control system can support the central stores operation.
Prepared By
Olive Branch
Date
9/2/04
Approved By
Date
Del E. Lama
Figure
03-11
9/3/04
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Problem/Opportunity
A problem needing resolution or an
untapped business opportunity.
A statement of fact that everyone
would agree to. It stands on its own.
This is the foundation on which the
proposed project will be based.
POS Problem/Opportunity…
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Examples of situations that will lead to a statement of
the problem or opportunity:
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Known Problem or Opportunity
Client Request
Corporate Initiative.
Mandated Requirements
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Project Goal
A one or two sentence statement of
how you intend to address the stated
problem/opportunity.
A scoping statement that bounds the
project you are proposing.
POS Project Goal
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A project has one goal
it defines the final deliverable or outcome of the project
in clear terms so that everyone understands what is to
be accomplished.
The goal statement must not contain any language or
terminology that might not be understandable to
anyone having occasion to read it.
the goal statement is short and to the point.
you do not control the start date and therefore you
cannot possibly know the end date. Your objective
is to postpone giving any fixed duration or completion
date until you have completed the project plan.
POS Project Goal…
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S.M.A.R.T. characteristics provide the following criteria
for a goal statement:1
Specific—Be specific in targeting an objective.
Measurable — Establish measurable indicators of
progress.
Assignable— Make the object assignable to one
person for completion.
Realistic —State what can realistically be done with
available resources.
Time-related — State when the objective can be
achieved—that is, the duration.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Project Objectives
 5 or 6 brief statements that further
bound your project goal statement.
 From these statements it is clear what
is in and not in the proposed project.
 These statements might identify major
project deliverables.
 These statements form a necessary and
sufficient set of objectives.
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An objective statement should contain the following
four parts:
An outcome —A statement of what is to be
accomplished.
A time frame —A preliminary estimate of duration.
A measure — Metrics that will measure success.
An action —How the objective will be met.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Project Success Criteria
IRACIS
IR
AC
IS
Increase Revenue
Avoid Costs
Improve Service
Use quantitative metrics only!
How much and by when?
Example: This reengineering project is expected to
reduce order entry to order fulfillment cycle time by
6 percent.
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Assumptions, Risks and Obstacles

Technological
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Environmental
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Working relationships
Cultural
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Management change
Staff turnover
Interpersonal
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New to the company
Obsolescence
Fit to the company
Causal Relationships
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Will the solution solve the problem
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
POS Attachments
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Risk Analysis
Financial Analyses
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Feasibility studies
Cost/benefit analysis
Breakeven analysis
Return on investment
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Gaining Approval to Plan the Project
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Expected Review Questions from Management
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How important is the problem or opportunity to the
organization?
How is the project related to our CSFs?
Does the goal statement related directly to the problem or
opportunity?
Are the objectives clear representations of the goal
statement?
Is there sufficient business value as measured by the
success criteria to warrant further expenditures on this
project?
Is the relationship between the project objectives and the
success criteria clearly established?
Are the risks too high and the business value too low?
Can senior management mitigate the identified risks?
Ch03: How to Scope a Project
Participants in the Approval Process

Core project team (managers, the professionals, and
perhaps the client)
 Project team (review the POS before submitting it to upper
management.)
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Project manager
Resource managers
Function/process managers
Client
Senior management
Project Approval Status

Senior management may not be ready or willing to give
their approval to plan the project:

They may reject the proposal out of hand. (based on a
comparison of expected benefits versus total cost coupled with a time
frame as to when the benefits will be realized.

They may request a recalibration of the goal and scope of the
project followed by a resubmission

They might decide that a later resubmission is in order. (they
are not ready to commit to the project at this time)

The approval may be associated with a consideration to add
the project to the organization’s project portfolio.