When I think about the project I have worked in my professional life I can think of multiple projects that have had scope creep; which is where the scope of the project exceeds the original defined scope.
The first project was a video production project that started out at an informal side project that I was doing for fun when I was supporting another work related project. I was support a system conversion project, and also video taping the associates feedback on change management. Although the project started out as an informal side project it, quickly became a high priority and the interviews became part of a company-wide presentation. This projects was scope creep was because a clearly defined scope wasn’t project was never identified. That defiantly taught me the value of having the project scope outlined and verified from the start of any project.
Another project where I have encountered a scope creep like situation is related to a project that was for building a virtual training environment. The scope of the project was defined out, the player that were related to the different areas were talk. The project was very well planned, we had business analyst assess the value of the project, we had sign off from half of the companies’ upper management. Now, if we fast forward 6-8 months to the system be done from a IS/IT building standpoint and handed over to the training department, this is where the issue started. Some of us were expecting a “turn key” system and other expect to have to do some work to make the new tool what we want!
The issue is that we couldn’t have the IS/IT department defining simulated training scenarios. It came down to the training department analyzing the core data and making adjustments to the data to design our go forward system.
So this project didn’t have a traditional scope creep, it had a miscommunication scope creep. In the end this situation came down to make sure every party understood why it was important for us to define our own scenario from the data.
It all comes down to communication!
Thanks,
Rob
Posts
Rob,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like miscommunication is often the problem with any kind of project in terms of scope creep. If any aspect of the project is not clearly communicated from the beginning, then there is often an extension in terms of time and/or money to make any necessary changes or additions that weren't established in the beginning. All of our readings and video presentations this week stressed the importance of good communication and planning from the beginning in order to minimize scope creep. That's good that you were able to identify this issue in your project and ensure that in the future it would never again be an issue.
Angela
Hi Rob!
ReplyDeleteYou wrote: "The issue is that we couldn’t have the IS/IT department defining simulated training scenarios. It came down to the training department analyzing the core data and making adjustments to the data to design our go forward system". Scope creep is a fundamental issue in a project management. Any PM could easily avoid scope creep through a clear and effective communication between all participants. The PM has the responsibility to have a sign off document listing agreed upon details for measures to avoid scope creep and have successful project outcomes.
The project management team would have to use work breakdown structure (WBS) and would have to develop and monitor a mechanism to enable team members to objectively identify and manage project risks. Consistent risk management and monitoring should surface in all stages of a design project to avoid a poor design project outcome (Yee, Lievesley, and Taylor, 2009). The PM would have to communicate clearly with the participants on agreed upon project details for a successful project desired outcomes.
Geer (2011) advised project managers (PMs), instructional designers (IDs) and team members to take stock at the end of a project and develop a list of lessons learned to avoid repeating their mistakes in the next project. I am sure you have done that.
References
Geer, M. (2011). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56611/CRS-CW-4894953/educ_6145_readings/pm-minimalist-ver-3-laureate.pdf.
Yee, J., Lievesley, M., & Taylor, L. (2009). Recognizing risk-of-failure in communication design projects. Visible Language, (43)2, 227-251.
Hi Rob,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely! Communication seems to be the biggest culprit throughout every assignment that I have accomplished in my career. My company values my work ethics as a result of my dedication to details on the job. I take the time to define the task and add as much detail in my SOW and WBS as possible. Yet one could never overlook scope creep as suggested by Stolovitch (2011). Yet the better organized and how well you communicate to your client and team members, the smoother the transition will flow in meeting deadlines for a project. Successful communication is the key!
Darlene Morris
Reference:
Stolovitch.,H. (2011) “Practitioner Voices: You can't win them all.[Video Podcast]. Retrieved April 6, 2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com
Rob, like many projects, change is inevitable(Portny, 2008). In reference to the videotaping project, change occurred resulting in scope creep. Even in side projects, a formal process must be introduced to structure, identify, evaluate, communicate, and incorporate a planned approach. I develop a lot video productions for television and web. Many times, individuals just want to cut to the chase and begin filming without a production plan, shot list, and script. This type of change control system provides structured methods for all stakeholders to follow (Portny, 2008). Inaccurately defining the initial process is always the root cause of scope creep.
ReplyDeletePortny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.