Blog Assignment: Analyzing Scope Creep

Describe a project, either personal or professional, that experienced issues related to scope creep.

Scope creep is a phenomenon that becomes apparent during a project that can be caused by new technologies, materials, new requirements, needs, the client, and project team members that “try to improve the project’s output as the project progresses.”   (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  346)  “Project managers must expect change and be prepared to deal with it.”  (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  346)  I experienced scope creep on several projects I worked on many years ago for the Y2K.  I worked for a company converting all its mainframe computer programs to the Y2K scope / guidelines.  Everyone was under a lot of pressure ….. the programmers, management and the clients.    

 

What specific scope creep issues occurred?

One of the scope creep issues that occurred were the “informal process of handling requests for change.”  (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  346)  If a request came in from the client, the project manager would just give it to someone that is working on that particular clients programs and tell him/her to just make this change.  The project manager would not go through the proper channels of submitting a request.  Since everyone was under a lot of stress and it was getting down to the crunch wire, the project managers just wanted it to get done ASAP.

 

How did you or other stakeholders deal with those issues at the time?

Since I was just a programmer, I just did what I was told to do by either the project manager or the team leader.  No one wanted to cause any extra stress.

 

Looking back on the experience now, had you been in the position of managing the project, what could you have done to better manage these issues and control the scope of the project?

“Project managers must expect change and be prepared to deal with it.”  (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  346)  “Avoiding scope creep is not possible.”  (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  347)  The project manager must monitor, and control their projects.  A few simple guidelines can be followed to reduce scope creep: 

• “Include a change control system in every plan
• Every project change is introduced by a change order that includes a description of the agreed-upon change including the plan, process, budget, schedule, or deliverables
• Require changes be approved in writing by the client and representative of senior management
• Amend and update all project plans and schedules to reflect the change after the change order has been approved.”  (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer.  2008.  P.  347)

 

 

Reference:

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008).  Project Management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects.  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.