Anticlue

Verifying Project Scope

First off, it is always a good practice to verify. Verifying project scope is just an outcome of this fundamental truth. Verifying project scope is the process of reviewing deliverables and work results compared to the Work Breakdown Structure dictionary, the project scope statement, and the project scope management plan. Normally this is completed via inspection and ends with having a formal acceptance of project scope. This activity is typically cyclic occurring at the end of each project phase or as a part of milestone reviews after the quality control check.

There are four inputs used to verify the completed project scope:

1. Project Scope Management Plan - The Project Scope Management Plan provides information on how the scope will be verified, and it gives guidance on how project scope will be managed. This information supports why the deliverables were created the way they were.
2. Deliverables - Deliverables are a required input because they are compared against the Project Scope Statement to ensure that they are complete and correct. Deliverables are those items that have been finished.
3. Project Scope Statement - The Project Scope Statement provides a description of the project scope, including major deliverables.
4. WBS dictionary - The WBS dictionary provides a brief definition of the deliverables for each component. Information from the WBS dictionary helps project managers verify that the work results are part of the defined project.

A key component of this process is having the stakeholders participate collaboratively and formally accept project scope to assure that the stakeholders are in agreement with the proposed deliverables. There are tools and techniques that can be used for verifying the Project Scope:

• Measure, examine, and test – Measuring, examining, and testing has the stakeholder review the deliverable to assure that the item was completed satisfactorily.
• Review current deliverables and work results – The review involves auditing the current deliverables and work results again the Project Scope explained within the Project Scope Management Plan and the Project Scope Statement.
• Signed documentation of acceptance – The exercise of signing the acceptance form validates the formal nature of the scope verification process. In the signing of the document, there may be caveats and conditions that are added which need to be put into play as corrective actions. If there is no acceptance signature, then the project may need to be cancelled.

An item to remember, but doesn’t really help with anything, if the scope is fulfilled theoretically the project is complete, even if the customer is not happy. However, you should try to make the customer happy if their business has any value to you or if their influence can be damaging.
The process of verifying the project scope results in three outputs. The outputs are:

• Accepted deliverables - Accepted deliverables refer to formal documents that indicate stakeholder approval of the reviewed deliverables. Typically, a formal document specifies that the primary stakeholder has approved and accepted the deliverable, and it notes any required changes. The documentation may also detail what deliverables were not accepted and the reasoning for not accepting the deliverable.
• Requested changes - Requested changes can occur as a result of the Scope Verification process. Changes may occur because deliverables are being rejected, or a deliverable may be accepted on the condition that slight changes will be done.
• Recommended corrective actions - Recommended corrective actions are the actions that must be taken by the project manager or project team members to ensure that any future work on the project aligns with the Project Management Plan.

The purpose of verifying the project scope is to assures that the project team and stakeholders are on the same page