The Problem With Scope Creep

Scope creep is the natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the project’s output as the project progresses (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  Scope creep is an inherent problem in any project and can be the result of many different factors ranging from people to new ideas.  All project managers must take an initiative to prevent this from occurring.  The results of scope creep can derail projects and lead to budget issues, bad reputations for the project manager, or poor results from the project (Doll, 2001).

In an article written by Shelley Doll, seven steps give assistance to a project manager in order to prevent scope creep from occurring or at least reduce its effect on a project. These steps are (Doll, 2001):

1. Be sure you thoroughly understand the project vision. Meet with the project drivers and deliver an overview of the project as a whole for their review and comments.
2. Understand your priorities and the priorities of the project drivers. Make an ordered list for your review throughout the project duration. Items should include budget, deadline, feature delivery, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. You’ll use this list to justify your scheduling decisions once the project has commenced.
3. Define your deliverables and have them approved by the project drivers. Deliverables should be general descriptions of functionality to be completed during the project.
4. Break the approved deliverables into actual work requirements. The requirements should be as detailed as necessary and can be completed using a simple spreadsheet. The larger your project, the more detail you should include. If your project spans more than a month or two, don’t forget to include time for software upgrades during development and always include time for ample documentation.
5. Break the project down into major and minor milestones and complete a generous project schedule to be approved by the project drivers. Minor milestones should not span more than a month. Whatever your method for determining task duration, leave room for error. When working with an unknown staff, I generally schedule 140 to 160 percent of the duration as expected to be delivered. If your schedule is tight, reevaluate your deliverables. Coming in under budget and ahead of schedule leaves room for additional enhancements.
6. Once a schedule has been created, assign resources and determine your critical path using a PERT Chart or Work Breakdown Structure. Microsoft Project will create this for you. Your critical path will change over the course of your project, so it’s important to evaluate it before development begins. Follow this map to determine which deliverables must be completed on time. In very large projects, try not to define phase specifics too early, but even a general plan will give you the backbone you need for successful delivery.
7. Expect that there will be scope creep. Implement Change Order forms early and educate the project drivers on your processes. A Change Order form will allow you to perform a cost-benefit analysis before scheduling (yes, I said scheduling) changes requested by the project drivers.

In 2004, my job role as a teacher expands to duties as department chairperson of the history department for the high school that employs me today.  This new job role comes at a time when our department is up for new textbooks.  The high school where I teach has a large population, and our department has over 15 different courses (core curriculum and electives).  Textbook adoption is a massive undertaking and normally takes about a year to complete the project thoroughly.  I was in a position of organizing the adoption of the new textbooks, but the project management of it takes place from an administrator at our educational board office.  At this time, this administrator is new.  She is a formal elementary school teacher and not familiar with high school textbooks or the adoption process.  It is not much help that it was a new experience for me too.  To begin, I start process off by assigning committees for each course.  Most committees consist of 2-3 members, and the majority of the teachers take part on multiple committees since we only have 12 history teachers in our department. 

The issue of scope creep begins a few months into the project.  Most of the committees began work on reviewing the multitudes of textbooks and evaluating them for content.  The first evidence begins with the introduction of more textbooks to evaluate.  In addition, the amount of paperwork is now double the amount from the beginning.  The timeline sets back the end date of the project by several months.  It takes the committees about three additional months to complete the projects.  The problem with the setback is the new textbooks did not make it to our school on time for the following school year. They did not arrive until the middle of the first grading period.

The way to better manage this project is by frequent meetings with the administration.  After the initial meeting at the beginning of the textbook adoption, there is no communication until the new and additional textbooks and paperwork presents itself.  As project manager, it is more efficient to meet frequently and keep in constant communication.  In addition, a statement of work, project scope, and timeline and budget is a vital part of avoiding scope creep.  Looking back on this project, the lack of communication and lack of proper project planning are the main causes of the scope creep.  This project is a lesson on proper planning and implementation. 

References

Doll, S. (2001).  Seven steps for avoiding scope creep.  Retrieved on February 10, 2013 from

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/1045555

Portny, 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.

Using the Internet and Search Engines to Create Project Budgets

The idea of calculating and budgeting time and money can make for a difficult task for a project manager.  If a manger is relatively new at developing a budget, it can seem like an overwhelming task (Stolovich, 2012).  Thankfully, the Internet and search engines give a new project manager many resources to understand and develop his or hers budget.  Projects will always have deadlines and budgets for a manger to handle.  It is important that a manager learn to handle all these tasks in an effecient manner (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  Many companies or blogs out on the Internet offer free software and advice and tips to help someone produce an effective budget. 

In reviewing multiple websites on a search engine, it is evident how much assistance there is for a project manager.  There are two particular websites I find helpful in assisting me in understanding the different parts and areas of budgets.  There are thousands of sites out there to assist anyone, and these two specific sites may not be as beneficial to another person, but it gives some insight to the type of assistance the Internet has to offer a project manager.

Social Signal – How to Create Budget Estimates for Proposals and Project Management

http://socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management

The first website comes from a company out of Vancouver, British Columbia and is a company that specializes in assisting companies in marketing or creating their products to sell on the Internet or other multimedia forms.  This blog entry gives practical advice on how to use software the company owns to assist a project manager in creating a budget spreadsheet.  The software uses Google Docs and contains four areas to assist the manger. 

They are (Samuel, 2010):

·         Title page

·         Internal estimating spreadsheet

·         The client budget

·         Project timeline

The blog also goes into a five step instruction on how to use the software appropriately. 

This website and software are useful because it gives a basic but useful starting point software for any project manager free of charge.  It is not an overwhelming and complicated piece of software to use.  In addition, it utilizes Google Docs and can be done using any web browser.  This blog also gives some reflections and the writers own personal experience using the software.  The website is attempting to sell their own companies assets and resources to others, but it does give some useful and advantageous software that any project manager can use (Samuel, 2010)

Tech Republic:  Creating Your Project Budget:  Where to Begin?

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

The second Internet source I find useful is not so much offering software but is offering advice on how to begin a project budget.  I now understand from this course the amount of time and effort goes into creating and managing a budget.  This website gives me insight to understand where to begin (Doll, 2002).  The author of this entry goes into seven easy steps in beginning to plan out your project budget.  Her useful advice such as labeling your budget as an estimate is useful because it points out that no budget is final until upper level administration or project owners approve it.  In addition, the site gives helpful advice in remembering direct and indirect costs of a project.  The part of this blog entry I find most useful is the section on including risk analysis inside a budget.  Many times, a project manager may forget to include items for unforeseen circumstances.  Risk management and evaluation of a budget is vital in creating a successful budget (Doll, 2002).

The Internet and search engines are vast and valuable resources for any new or seasoned project manager.  Everyone needs assistance at times in performing their jobs and creating a budget for a project.  If one finds themselves stuck, the Internet is a great place to gather new ideas.  If someone else creates a piece of software for one to use, then why is it necessary to reinvent the wheel?

References

Doll, S. (2002).  Creating Your Project Budget:  Where to Begin?  Retrieved on February 2, 2013 from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

Portny, 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.

Samuel, A. (2010).  How to Create Budget Estimates for Proposals and Project Management.  Retrieved on February 2, 2013 from http://socialsignal.com/blog/alexandra-samuel/how-create-budget-estimates-proposals-and-project-management

Stolovich, H. (2012).  Project Management Concerns:  Locating Resources.  Retrieved on February 1, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097260_1%26url%3D

The Meaning in a Message

            The key to being a successful project manager is to use effective communication.  Informal and formal communication is a vital part of any project, and effectively communicating our needs and desires to others is a crucial aspect that many of us sometimes forget (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  The American society and culture is accustom to portraying messages through various forms of medium such as email, voicemail, text messages, and face to face interaction (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  The medium and tone of a message is an extension of us, and at times the way others perceive that message can be incorrect.  This can cause conflict and possibly error (Federman, 2006). 

            Society over the past twenty years now contains new forms of ways to communicate a message, but it is many times leads to confusion or misinterpretation of the message.  Items such as voice tone, body language, and the formation of our sentences and words we choose can all impact communication of a message.  In the scenario, this week, Jane needs additional information from Mark in order to complete her tasks on time.  The three forms of mediums she uses are email, voicemail, and face to face conversation (laureate, 2012).  All three messages take on a different tone and meaning.  After examining the three forms of communication, the reader sees how important choosing the correct form of communication is when dealing with certain issues.  How do the three different mediums change the meaning of the message?

Email Communication

            Email is an efficient and quick way to convey a message to a friend or colleague, and it is common place to use it more than the telephone or face to face communication.  It is true that email is making workers more efficient, but it can also cause problems with the meaning of a message taking place.  In our scenario, Jane’s email comes across as abrupt, and she has a sense of frustration with Mark.  Any email etiquette article will inform a person that using simple manners and words such as “please” and “thank you” can change the entire meaning of a message (McKay, n.d.).  It is possible that Mark can perceive this message in the wrong way, and it can change the entire working relationship between Jane and Mark (laureate, 2012).  Any time, one uses email to convey an urgent message, it is important to use the proper tone.  It is even appropriate with people you are familiar with in a workplace to use a more personal tone such as, “hope all is well with you” (McKay, n.d.).  Using email without thinking about the message we send can cause negative effects on a project or personal relationships.

Voicemail Communication

            The use of voicemail is sometimes a better way to communicate our messages.  The tone of a person’s voice can have a major impact on conveying a message.  A harsh or abrupt tone or not beginning our message with cordial introduction such as “hello Mark…” can portray the wrong meaning of a message (wikihow, n.d.).  In addition, a pleasant tone is much more effective way in communicating.  Jane’s message in this scenario is better than the email because of the tone she uses with Mark.  It is much more pleasant, and she begins her message with “Hi Mark”.  This message takes on a much different meaning and may not be as abrupt sounding to Mark as the email message did (laureate, 2012).  Voicemail is a better way to get an important message to a co-worker, and one should consider using it the next time an important deadline or a sense of urgency is necessary. 

Face to Face Communication

            The new forms of technology in communication make the art of face to face meetings a scarce source by some people in the corporate world.  With budget crunches and more job responsibilities for a person, it is not always possible to meet in person with co-workers or clients.  It is a form of communication that is sometimes the most effective way.  Hand gestures, arm positions, proximal distance to a person, eye contact, and facial expressions all play an important role in conveying a message (wikihow, n.d.).  Jane uses a formal but polite way to speak with Mark in the scenario.  Her smile, arm position, and eye contact makes her message much friendly and will allow Mark to respond to her requests and needs much better.  If she uses a more gruff tone or has her arms in a crossed position of her body, then it can send the wrong signal to Mark (wikihow, n.d.).  Keeping these basic rules in mind when meeting face to face can achieve a positive impact on any conversation and achieve the results we desire.

Conclusion

            The meaning of this lesson is a valuable one for anyone entering the world of instructional design, project management, or just desiring to learn proper communication skills.  It is important to keep all these items in mind when speaking with others.  As the old saying goes, “you can catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar” is true in any form of communication.  People are more apt to do something for you more quickly if you take the time to treat them in a corteous and polite manner.  Respect can go a long way and is sometimes lost in our busy lives.  This scenario is a proper reflection and lesson for all of us to use our manners and say “please” and “thank you” because these words will never go out of style.

 

References

Federman, M. (2006).  What is the Meaning of The Medium is the Message?  Retrieved on

January 20, 2013 from http://individual.utoronto.ca/markfederman/article_mediumisthemessage.htm.

Laureate (2012).  The Art of Effective Communication.  Retrieved on January 19, 2012 from

            http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

McKay, D. (n.d.).  Email Etiquette.  Retrieved on January 20, 2013 from

            http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_etiquette_2.htm

Portny, 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.

Wikihow.com  (n.d.).  How to Communicate with Body Language.  Retrieved on January 20,

2013 from http://www.wikihow.com/Communicate-With-Body-Language

Reflection on Project Management – Post Mortem

            I have not always been a secondary education social studies instructor.  In the middle of my teaching career, I will decide to attend a local community college and receive my networking degree and become a nationally certified IT technician.  My love of computers and technology is just as strong as my love of teaching, and I was ready for a change.  A local software company that specializes in military software will hire me as a network administrator.  In the first few months of the new job, the owner of the company will ask me to lead the project to build a new and interactive educational website for our local office for students and others to use as an educational resource. 

            Dr. Stolovich in his instructional video goes into explaining that a good project will contain a thought out scope or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).  Every part of the project and the assignments need to show before a project takes off (Stolovich, 2012).  I never did a lead on a technology project that was going to be quite so vast and require details for the website.  Our book describes items such as Statement of Work (SOW) that helps lay out an outline and timeline of a project.  I did perform some of these items in a SOW such as the purpose and objectives, but it is never put into a formal statement for approval (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  The project began with a good start, and weekly meetings on Monday afternoons took place.  I broke the project into three groups of education, content, and design.  The project did contain all fifteen staff members from our regional office and also the president of the company who resides in San Francisco, California.  From the beginning, I will experience “scope creep” from the president of the company.  She will keep adding more and more items she wants inside the website and project.  After a few weeks, the project is a monster and my timeline and groups begin to lose focus on tasks.  Scope creep as we know is a significant problem for any project and is sometimes may cause the demise or slowing a project (Van Rekom, 2012).    Ultimately the project became so complex and it never sees completion. Why did this project fail? What could be done differently to make it successful?

            The failure of this project is because of two reasons:  a lack of organization on my part and scope creep in regards to the president of the company.  A more specific plan and organization from the beginning of my project are something I now see as my first pitfall.  The idea of creating a SMART plan in which I lay out the five objectives (Specific, Measurable, Aggressive, Realistic, and Time Sensitive) is one way to achieve this project’s success (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  My lack of specific target dates, a statement of work, and a work breakdown structure are the three areas where my lack of organizational skills is obvious.  The project boundaries are not obvious and lead into the second issue of why this project’s success does not happen (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008).  Stolovich says it is sometimes acceptable to tell a client “no”, but it is a difficult challenge when it is the president of the company (2012).  The approach I need in this situation is to conduct a private meeting with the president of the company and discuss adding these items into a second version of the website.  The 2.0 version of this project is where these additions need to take place.  Official signatures on this project from upper level management are a good way to make this project a success. 

          This project is one I will never forget because it is still in a state of limbo and the remnants remain on my computer today.  In just the short amount of time in this course, I see the importance of organization, deadlines, signatures, and details.  Scope creep and lack of organizational skills are two deadly sins that can destroy a project quickly and lead to a frustration on the part of the project manager, team members, and management.  I will take this lesson with me into the future and learn from my mistakes.  The posting of this story is a valuable lesson for anyone who desires to become a project manager.

References

Portny, 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.

Stolovich. (2012).  "Defining the Scope of an ID Project".  Retrieved on January 12, 2012 from

https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097260_1%26url%3D

Stolovich. (2012).  "Project Management Concerns: ‘Scope Creep’”.  Retrieved on January 12,

2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097260_1%26url%3D

Van Rekom. (2012).  "Practitioner Voices: Overcoming 'Scope Creep’".  Retrieved on January

12, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2097260_1%26url%3D