Scope creep is typically the result of project requirements not being outlined appropriately. As a result, while it proceeds, new issues and stakeholder conditions surface, requiring substantial changes to accommodate them. Ultimately, the project extends substantially beyond its original goals, and large schedule and budget extensions surface. To prevent this phenomenon, it is vital to clearly outline the project’s requirements and discuss all potential contingencies. Then, the emergence of these new demands will not be a surprise to the project manager, and appropriate management procedures will be in place and ready for application.
To comprehend the entirety of the project’s requirements, the project manager should identify and engage all of the project’s stakeholders. They need to understand their expectations for the project, which they may not specify adequately in the initial scope outlines. The manager can then document all of these requirements, organize them, and decide which ones they will satisfy. Different stakeholders’ requests will often conflict, while some will have goals that cannot be reasonably accomplished. By resolving these contradictions and limiting the project to achievable targets, the manager can outline a practical scope that is resistant to creep.
The last step is to verify this scope with stakeholders and obtain their understanding and approval. Each party involved needs to understand which of their needs will be satisfied and which cannot be accomplished. If they are dissatisfied, they can negotiate to add particular objectives to the project. Disputes between stakeholders with different interests can be arbitrated or mediated by a third party until they resolve. Once this stage is settled, the project can proceed, though the manager should keep monitoring stakeholders and their evolving situations.
Scope creep is a substantial issue in many projects, one that has the potential to extend their duration and cost substantially. It is the result of large changes that are not planned for being introduced into the project while it is ongoing. Hence, the first and foremost issue that needs to be addressed is the reason why these new requirements are surprising. The project manager should contact stakeholders ahead of time and identify their requirements to be prepared for future requests. Moreover, they should also manage their relationships with involved parties throughout the project, remaining aware of how their needs change over time.
With that said, it is highly challenging to understand and reconcile the entirety of the different stakeholders’ goals. As a result, changes throughout the project’s duration will be unavoidable, and the project manager needs to plan for them and be prepared to consider and incorporate proposals. To that end, they have to create a formal change control framework when planning the project. It will require any change proposal to be clearly defined and limited before it is reviewed and approved or rejected. As a result, the changes in the project will be controlled and avoid overextending due to unexpected additional demands, which form a large portion of scope creep.
The change management process needs to be introduced to both stakeholders and team members before the project commences. Team members may be willing to informally accommodate a stakeholder’s request, believing it to be inconsequential, only for it to turn out dependent on other, more lengthy, and expensive items. They have to understand the purpose of the formal process as well as the necessity of following it. If the framework is implemented and explained appropriately, it will help retain the project’s integrity while keeping stakeholders and team members satisfied.