TO: Senior Project Managers

FROM: Head of PMO

DATE: August 16, 2022

SUBJECT: Scope Creep

Even the most carefully managed projects can fall prey to scope creep. If project scope is defined as the sum of the products, services, and results to be provided as a project, when new requirements unexpectedly or even expectedly arise this can create scope creep (PMBOK Guide, n.d., p.84). Experience suggests that there are certain factors which can increase the risk of scope creep, such as a complex work breakdown structure (WBS), where a delay in one area of the project can lead to a cascading spiral of delays elsewhere, or if there is a lack of clarity about which group is doing what, which can lead to redundancy and inefficiencies (PMBOK Guide, n.d.). The definition of done (DoD) can likewise create scope creep; although having rigorous beta-testing and controls regarding such a definition may seem optimal and admirable, if such standards are very high, this can create a cascading series of delays (PMBOK Guide, n.d.).

There must also be clear definitions of quality standards before the project begins to prevent scope creep. Standards must be...

While it is tempting to say that the ideal is the highest possible quality that can be realized, time demands and the actual resources at...…goals and objectives must be clear in a concrete fashion relative to the project, for the project to succeed (Banister-Hazama & Hazama, 2014). Again, this may vary greatly depending upon the nature of the project, as a project which merely revamps an existing product to generate excitement and buzz will have a much narrower scope and a much shorter timetable than a revolutionary project which entirely shifts the way the company does business. Even relatively small organizations must cope with projects that have different standards, team components, and levels of quality expectations. But such expectations and requirements must be determined beforehand, versus allowing projects to spiral out of control due to unclear or shifting scheduling…