It's commonly assumed that the success of a project depends on organization, and the management of resources and people. But in truth none of these matter if you don't start out on the right foot.
Which is exactly why writing a project scope is crucial for the success of any project.
This document is perhaps the most important one in your initial project plan. A
project scope statement provides a clear idea of what the end result of the project will be, and clearly states your limitations and assumptions when you're working on it.
If your scope statement is vague and unclear, however, it'll leave several things to open interpretation and might create confusion down the road. This could require the assistance of a professional writing service like
King Essays to ensure clarity of your writing. Your client (or manager) might assume you're promising one thing and you might assume something entirely different.
In order to help you avoid situations like this, we've collected the seven most important things you need to keep in mind when writing a project scope.
What's Most Important in Writing a Project Scope?
1. Clarity
Make sure you're clear when you write your project scope and that your clients will understand it! State all your points clearly and emphasize any aspects that you want your client to remember.
And try to make sure that your document is brief and to the point. Writing unnecessarily long scope statements will only result in everyone skimming through them, which will lead to problems later on.
Your scope statement is a way to protect your project - and yourself. So if your client rejects the results because of a limitation that you've already covered in the statement, you'll be covered.
2. Scope description
Your project will address a need, so make sure you highlight that in your scope statement. Essentially, you need to provide a brief description of the purpose of your project and how it's going to meet that need. For example, if you're required to build a website, you need to highlight how the site will help them and how it would function.
You should also mention all the problems - or opportunities - that might come along with your project. This gives everyone the full information. And if any issues emerge, they'll be aware of the cause and will understand the reasons for any delays. Full disclosure of potential problems and suchlike is important at this stage. Although mentioning them might make you uncomfortable, it also protects you and your team.
3. Design requirements
Here, you need to define the mode of communication, the format of documentation and the deliverables.
So if you need certain aspects of your project sent to you via email, or to a particular email address, make sure to mention it!
Similarly, you need to make it clear what kind of document format should be used. For example, you may need all documents in PDF format.
And you'll need to specify any labelling instructions and establish communication lines for every aspect of your project.
4. Technical instructions
Like the design requirements, technical instructions also need to be clearly defined when writing a project scope. This is because some projects might need a specific piece of hardware or software.
As a result, you may need to lay down procedures for maintenance and technical support. And there could be a need for different options for storage, and print and paper quality wherever required.
5. Target audience
Everyone also needs to understand and have a clear picture of the target audience.
For example, if your project involves creating a magazine for a particular business, your team needs to know who the target readers are. So if the magazine is catering to teenage boys, its content needs to reflect that.
You team also needs to know the level of sophistication of your target audience, and whether the audience has good knowledge of the industry, and maybe if they're comfortable with technology.
6. Project duration
After you've created a thorough and detailed plan for your project, you should have a reasonable idea of the timeline involved. So in your scope statement, make sure to calculate and specify the
estimated duration of your project and outline how much time each phase is going to take. Of course, you should emphasize that the timeline is a general estimate and doesn't account for any unexpected delays or problems.
7. Conditions and assumptions
Last - but certainly not least - one of the most important parts of a project scope is a list of all your conditions and assumptions. Make sure you explain what these specific conditions are, and make it clear that you and your team will work on the project only if these conditions are met. Again, this is necessary to protect you from any related adverse consequences.
This establishes the general guidelines that everyone involved in your project, from the client to your team, must understand.
If possible, it should include the number of hours you would work in a day, as well as payment schedules, mode of payment and other relevant information.
Only when everyone agrees to this section can the project move forward.
Wrap Up
As you can see, creating a comprehensive project scope is an essential part of achieving success with any project. So here's a recap...
Firstly, ensure absolute clarity among everyone so they're all on the same page.
Next the scope description, design requirements and technical instructions are your blueprint for how your project rolls out.
Don't forget to always keep your target audience at the front of your mind, because understanding their needs and expectations will always play a big role in the success of your project.
And accurately estimating the duration of your project will assist in resource allocation and effective planning.
Finally, it's important to communicate the conditions and assumptions that form the foundation of your project scope, as a kind of insurance policy against things going wrong.
So be sure to bear in mind these factors, because a well-defined project scope creates a strong foundation for success in your projects.
Happy planning!
