Content and scope management
The content and scope management (English scope management ) as part of the project management serves to ensure that exactly the tasks are carried out in the project that are necessary for a successful conclusion.
This includes planning and verification that, on the one hand, nothing has been forgotten and, on the other hand, that no unnecessary work is carried out. In the project context, the term content and scope can stand for the project itself (“What needs to be done?”) And for the product (“What will the project do?”). The result types for the project (eg. As analysis document, design document) are available for all projects of the same category (eg. As IT projects) similar. The desired product properties, however, are different for all products.
PMBOK Guide
The PMBOK Guide project management standard provides five main processes for this:
- Initiation: Authorization / start of the project or the next project phase .
- Planning of content and scope: Creation of a written content and scope statement as the basis for a project decision . In many companies, the content and scope description is part of the project application process.
- Definition of content and scope: subdivision into result types. These small, manageable units for describing the content and scope are the basis for later effort estimation and planning processes.
- Verification of content and scope: Among other things, the verification checks the completeness , correctness and consistency of the defined content and scope. The test is completed by the formal acceptance by the client .
- Change control of content and scope: Here it is checked whether approved changes (and only these) have been implemented correctly.