TABLE OF CONTENTS Two remaining risks plague every project. They re scope and schedule risks. Scope defines elements such as the goals, deliverables, and requirements of the project. The risk problem rears its head when scope isn t well thought out, isn t documented, and most especially isn t agreed to by the stakeholders.
Schedule risks are associated with elements such as incorrect estimates, unqualified personnel, and lack of resources, to name a few.
In my opinion, the two most important elements of the project plan include scope and schedule. Wait, I have to take that back. Budget is an important element as well. But if you ve done a good job planning, you ll know before you begin the work of the project if the budget is sufficient. The same isn t necessarily true for scope and schedule. In my experience, scope and schedule tend to undergo more fluctuations and change during the project than the budget does. This means you should also have a solid change management plan in place so that you can formally address the changes scope and schedule risks may pose to the project. And that leads us to the topic of this chapter, which is watching for and reducing scope and schedule risks.
A scope statement, prepared during the project planning iteration, documents the project goals, deliverables, and requirements of the project. The scope statement, in theory, documents all the work of the project and is used as a baseline for future project decisions. When questions concerning what s included in the...
