Overview
Anyone who has ever worked on a project knows that, as it develops, change is inevitable. Changes occurring in the scope of a project – the timelines, the deliverables, the budget – are perfectly natural, not a sign of something going wrong. As long as these changes are proactively managed, the project should still be a success. It's when changes aren't managed appropriately that ‘scope creep' becomes a factor. Even seemingly harmless changes can have a significant impact on the direction of a project. Scope creep is therefore something which requires careful management at all times.
Description
This topic is designed to introduce you to the processes for managing the scope and quality of a project. You will learn how and why things can change within a project, considering factors such as political developments or changing customer requirements. You will find out how change can be accommodated, managed and communicated through a change control process.
Thinking of project scope as a triangle, with the three corners representing time, cost and performance, you will discover how changes to any of the three can quickly distort the balance of that triangle. You will learn that distortion, if left unchecked, can make the project no longer fit for purpose.
What's the outcome?
By completing this topic, you will understand the relationship between time, cost and quality and the project trade-offs which may be required in order to accommodate change. You will be aware of the principles for controlling change within a project and your responsibilities for recognising and reporting change. By doing this, you will ensure that both scope and quality are effectively managed, resulting in more efficient project delivery and a reduced likelihood of failure.
What does it involve?
A variety of learning activities over a day. Activities cover how to define scope and quality, the value of upfront planning and the impact that optimism bias can have on this process. Different change control processes will also be examined as well as the concept of tolerance; just how much change can be accommodated within a project's contingency plan?
You will finish with a quiz to test what you have learned and will be provided with top tips for implementing what you have learned back in the workplace.
Are you interested in this course?