Project Definition & Minimising Risk

Project Definition & Reducing Risk


Subsequent to submitting a project proposal and potentially getting the approval from management to go ahead - (whaahoo!) -  the next step is to define the project, its goals & objectives.

Defining the project comes in the form of a project scope. The scope is the clear, defined and envisioned goal & outcome of the project for the end users. The end users can be a customer, the general public or employees within an organisation, depending on the project & its goal to either create a new improved product - the newest smartphone, new infrastructure such as the M7 extension or employees to have a more sustainable work environment with green initiatives such as compostable cups, reusable water bottles & solar panels. 

The definition of a project, as a project scope allows the project manager, project team & top management who approve the project proposals to use the scope as a guide to make decisions, measure the performance of the team & the project as a whole - to ensure its moving in the right direction & within the boundaries set of time, money and scope. 

In order to create a project scope it will require the following generic elements: objectives, deliverable, milestones, technical requirements, limits & reviews. The elements can vary and depending on the project & industry the elements will be unique. 

Establishing project priorities can be done visually with a priority matrix to determine which of the project criteria are required to be constrained, enhanced and accepted. 

After the scope and the priority matrix complete, the next step is to create a work breakdown - a map of the project in order to all elements are identified, establishing a control and to ensure the project is is integrated into the organisation & the project portfolio held by the organisation. The work breakdown structure can be further detailed and broken down into a clear and defined when the work breakdown & organisation breakdown structures  are combined. The below image illustrates the integration. 

(Pintrest)
Image result for Integration of WBS and OBS



The output of creating a project scope are guided decisions being made to deliver the project and its deliverables. Without a project scope, the project may fail by not achieving its deliverables and objectives in order to meet the demands of the end users. It avoids the possibility of scope creep which can occur without any project scope in order to guide & steer the team to achieve the desired outcome. Scope creep is when the project scope changes and expands to include more than intended as team members get somewhat carried away to create the best of the best when in reality, that is not the project objective. If a project scope needs to be changed, it can be changed in a controlled and proper manner taking into account the elements of constrains, enhancements & accepted.

FYRE Festival is an example to what may occur to a project, without a scope, at the very beginning of a project - the idea. The idea was very detailed, extravagant and held hundreds of deliverables and limits - without a scope & project definition. 

In order for the project to fail & result in a waste of resources - a project scope is required. 

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