In this chapter I will present the main aspects involved while preparing the project scope. Please remember that the objective here is not to actually plan the work, but to make sure that the product or service will be obtained using the least possible amount of effort.

This activity is extremely important and it is the base of all planning. It's about the eternal challenge of making more with less.

Some of the fundamental tools, like the work breakdown structure (WBS), will be presented and explained to demonstrate that the scope is nothing more than a detail, but clear and precise, of everything that must be done on the project, thus creating a solid base for the following planning activities, including determining the necessary schedule dates, costs, team, and risks.

When we adequately manage the project scope, we make sure the work to be done is clear and we also minimize the risks that usually arise from a distorted view of the desired products and services.

The scope should clearly separate what will and what will not be done. It is like a frontier. If something is not defined as part of the scope, then it MUST be considered as out of the scope.

Scope is the project's DNA. It is impossible to know its risks or who will execute its tasks if we don't know anything about the required work.

The WBS, or work breakdown structure, is the basic tool for project scope. It's like an organizational chart, but instead of roles and functions, it contains the project work divided into its necessary components.

Each descending level of the WBS means an increase in the level of detail for the work to be done. The lowest level is usually known as a work package. It is inside this package that the work is actually executed.

The creation of a WBS allows for a better assignment of responsibilities and project costs, once each work cell is clearly specified.

There are two classic ways to build a WBS: top-down, by using a decomposition technique, or bottom-up, through aggregation.

When building a WBS using decomposition, one should start with the major phases of the project, which are then successively decomposed into smaller work groups until the desired level of detail is reached.

The creation of the WBS using aggregation is more complex. It begins with a random generation of the work to be done and then these are grouped by similarities until you reach the project phases. It is like building up a Lego structure.

If you have to choose just one document for your project, the WBS is the one. Believe me, it is more important than the schedule and the budget, for example.

The only way to effectively assign responsibilities is through a clear and detailed definition of the project scope.

Two of the most indisputable evils regarding the scope of a project: Uncontrolled increase in scope (Scope Creep) and delivering more than planned (Gold Plating).

The uncontrolled increase in scope happens when the already defined work starts to grow and incorporate even more work in a constant manner, thus damaging the deliveries. It is usually called the Since We are Already Here Syndrome.

Gold plating the work and products represents adding a series of functionalities that take time and use resources, but that does not add value to the product. If we gold-plate a metal, that does not turn it into gold.

Manage the scope or suffer the consequences of the Porter Law: “You will always be asked to do more with less, until you can do everything with nothing.”