In the last video, we looked at scope, and we understood what scope creep is. And scope creep is important because it expands your workload without giving you a matching expansion of resources and time in which to do it. So it puts your project fundamentally at risk. It's vital, therefore, that you stop it. And to stop it, you must understand why it happens. Now, of course, the first thought you have is scope creep happens because people are stupid.

Or maybe because they're malicious. They're trying to get something for nothing for make life difficult for you or maybe they're opportunistic, they just want something for themselves. And whilst I work for a moment, doubt the possibility that have colleagues who are stupid, malicious, or opportunistic? I don't think any of those fully account with a communist reason why scope creep happens. I think the reason is something else. And it's the same reason why I have drawn the boundary of your scope with a broad line Ratan thin one.

Because I think the boundary of our scope is often fuzzy and that fuzziness represents ambiguity, ambiguity, meaning a difference in the understanding my understanding of the scope that I've been given to deliver is different to your understanding of the scope that you think are given. And because we have different interpretations of what scope means, then to you when you say, could you just it's based on an entirely reasonable expectation. And when I say no, I can't it's based on an entirely reasonable internet. sanction, you not being unreasonable not being malicious. You're just asking for what you think is your do. So how do we deal with it?

Well, once we understand that ambiguity is the problem, the answer is simple. We root out ambiguity, we define our scope with precision. And the way we do this is by being absolutely clear what is in scope. And equally, identify things that are out of scope. We actually schedule things that we anticipate would be, could you just items, we use our experience our expertise and that of our colleagues to foresee the sort of things people might expect to be included. And we schedule those deliberately as being explicitly out of scope as exclusions.

That's step one. Step two, is then to go to your clients or Your boss or your director or your project sponsor, and say to them, Hey, boss, if I do all of this inside scope, and I deliver none of this that's outside of scope, will you be happy. And if they confirm that exactly what they want, they will be happy. You get them to sign on the dotted line. And when they sign on the dotted line, you've got your authorization. And now, when someone comes up to you and says, Mike, could you just look them in the eye?

And you say, I'm sorry, I'd really love to. I can't. I can't, because my boss has told me that I mustn't, if scientists say like, Yeah. Can it ever happen? That that's the wrong answer. Yes, it can.

Sometimes scope has to change and we'll look at that later in the program. About how to make sure that When scope needs to change, you do it in a controlled way. The other thing, of course, that can happen is what I call autograph top Trumps. In some organizations, there's a tendency to play that little game, my boss's signature is better than your policy. Consequently, you've done the work, you've got authorization from your boss, someone else comes along and says, No. Well, there's not a lot you can do to stop that happening.

But at least if you've done the careful work to precisely define what is in what is out of scope, then you have a firm and clear baseline from which to negotiate. If you want this extra functionality, if you want this extra quality, if you want these extra deliverables, then that's going to cost and we know what the baseline cost is. So where are the resources going to come from? Where's the time going to come from? You're going to give me extra resources, extra budget to do it or are We're going to negotiate over what we take out of scope to make room for it. scoping is one of the most difficult aspects of project management is where you start speaking to your stakeholders and negotiating what is a must for this stakeholder and should for that stakeholder, what does this stakeholder wants and that stakeholder need?

What's the relative importance of this stakeholder and that stakeholder? negotiating scope is a matter of trying to please as many people as you can, and being very deliberate in your choices of who to please and who not pleased about balancing. If we're going to have that we're going to need these extra resources. If we can't have this much budget, then we have to get rid of that much scope. scoping is difficult. The key to it is making sure that you negotiated clearly and evenly and openly with all stakeholders.

The document precisely what is in scope, and also what you have agreed, is out of scope.