Let’s get real—this is an article on how to write a project scope statement. You’re probably not reading this for fun, or by pure chance. It’s okay. Show
Right now, you’re trying to write a good project scope statement and stumbled upon this article in an attempt to find some clarity. You like control and boundaries, and you know constraints for a project are important. You’re here because you’re in the business of protecting yourself from misunderstandings with a project stakeholder or participant later in the project. Maybe you’ve started to work on a plan or the WBS (work breakdown structure), but you’re nervous. You’re looking for alignment with key stakeholders to ensure everyone’s clear about what will be delivered. You’re the facilitator for project success. But you’ve probably discovered this key fact by now: It’s easy to write a bad scope statement. (And it’s hard to write a good one!) If you want to write a good scope statement, I’ve got you. Read on. What is the project scope?Project scope is simply a way to describe the work you’re agreeing to deliver. It describes the project constraints or limitations and project assumptions. Why are Scope Statements important?The project scope is important because it defines the extent of your work based on how much you are being paid to do it. Stakeholders and clients want to know what they’re paying for. Projects, by their very nature, have constraints. Stakeholders want to know the boundaries of the project, the process that will be followed, the participants, and how the WBS (work breakdown structure) translates into actual work delivered, and the deliverables. If the client or stakeholder pays more, then more will be included within the scope document. Similarly, if they’re paying less, typically, less will be included within the scope. Project scope statements can be cooked up in various effective ways and are usually a key responsibility of digital project managers or producers. A bulletproof scope statement can be your saving grace if things go off the rails. Let me edit that. Your scope statements will be your saving grace WHEN things go off the rails. Next, we’ll address some key tips and tricks to ensure you identify the best scope statements for your project and the processes to follow. Additionally, we’ll furnish you with loads of project scope statement examples for you to use in your project. By the end of this article, you will have 5 solid tips and tricks to make your scope of work statements bulletproof, example statements to re-purpose, and ultimately, confidence in developing this critical work document. We won’t be addressing how to write a Statement of Work or any project estimation that feeds into it because we’ve already covered those in other guides. What Is Included In A Project Scope Statement?The scope statement defines what’s in, and what’s out of the project. The scope statements includes:
Project scope statements are usually found within a Statement of Work (SoW) but can also exist independently to provide detail for an estimate. Scope statements typically provide definitions of specific project deliverables. However, they can also be used to describe the individual components within a statement of work. Types of Project Scope Statement
If you’d like more on Statements of Work and how to write them well, I’d suggest this complete guide on How To Write a Statement of Work. The guide provides an overview for developing not just scope statements but the entire statement of work. Other Names For Scope StatementsThere are a few other names people use to talk about the scope statements that are usually found in a statement of work. They’re all slightly different, but whether they’re 5 or 50 pages, all of these documents generally do the same thing: define the parameters of the project.
Documents That Are Not The Same As “Scope Of Work”Here are some related documents that are NOT equivalent to our scope statements —typically the other legal documents you complete before, after, or while landing your SoW:
NOTE: None of the above are intended as professional legal advice, and I’m not qualified to give any kind of legal counsel. If you do not have templates that cover these non-SoW items, I highly encourage you to check out the project templates in our Membership area and customize them how you see fit with legal counsel. Expert Tip: It’s a best practice that you champion and set a precedent that clients (and outsourced freelancers/contractors etc) always sign YOUR documents (NDA, MSA, ICA, SLA, SoW, etc) and not the other way around. This avoids headaches from your legal counsel and usually speeds up the process on both sides. Why Well-Written Scope Statements MatterNot to get weird and heavy, but these statements, and the documents they live in, can make or break a lawsuit. It can make or break a client relationship—or your job. I have a legal counsel friend who deals with all the terrible SoWs that come in through the door. Here are their SoW words of wisdom:
In other words, a lazy-written scope statement is a project requirement that you cannot afford. Otherwise, it can ruin your chance of project success before it even starts. Why? because it defines the grey areas in your project. If you don’t know the ins and outs of your project within the scope of work, you will be brewing up tension the whole way and dealing with scope creep. As a project manager, it’s usually the part of my job that is the most involved, least appreciated, most critiqued—but ultimately most rewarding. I feel like I get to own the project scope statement and seek alignment from clients and internal team members. 5 Tips And Tricks To Define Scope Statements Like A PROLet's dive into 5 immediate and actionable things you can do to have a bulletproof project scope document. 1. Start your project scope statement with the ‘Why’ (an overview)This high-level scope statement defines what the project is, why it’s happening, and what it will achieve.
I suggest having your account manager or salesperson write this part if they are in the picture. #delegate! Project scope statement overview examplesA bad project scope overview:The Digital Project Manager will create a new site for Aston Baby LTD. The site is to be live in 2020 and reflect the company's product offerings for purchase online. A better project scope overview:
Notice how this better project scope overview example already defines the project vision that can be used to align the project team and your client. I would circle back to this as you continue to search and ensure you’re providing value to your clients. 2. Define the approval process for deliverablesIt’s frustrating when clients don’t provide timely feedback or fail to consolidate all project stakeholder feedback. Luckily, you can gracefully set expectations upfront in your SoW so that there are no surprises once the first round of reviews starts. Typically, I include this language under the 'dependencies and assumptions' section. Then, I have a verbal conversation with the client(s) to ensure we have alignment on the expected feedback/approval process. Approval process exampleA bad approval definition statement:(In an out-of-the-blue email to the client after the first round of review) “Any feedback for us?” A better approval definition statement:Dependencies & Assumptions:
3. Define what will be delivered (including timeline + milestones)In general, this section will include the juicy details of your SoW. It lists exactly what people are getting, when they’re getting it, and how they’re getting it. My recommendation here is to do your best to avoid ambiguity and grey areas. This means for UX, if you’re providing wireframes—are you providing them for the entire desktop and mobile experience? Just tablet? How many templates? How many screens? Another example involving design would be to validate how much design you’re handling. Does this mean all templates? Or are you designing up to 6 templates? Are you handling content creation and entry? Are you not? Migrations? Hosting and configuration? Deployment? Will formal QA testing be completed? So many things to talk about. Bad example:The Digital Project Manager will provide up to 2 rounds of designs for the website. Better example:DO2. DESIGN The Digital Project Manager will design the look and feel of the [Name of client] website through the following deliverables. Design deliverables: D02a. Design Directions (Meeting & InVision) D02b. Design Comps (Meeting
& InVision) 4. Define inclusions and exclusions list: What is and isn’t includedThis is by FAR my favorite part of scope statement writing. Essentially this is where you can dump all the things, the “what if’s” and the “not ever's.” Here’s a project scope example with some of my favorite statements. Feel free to pick and choose from it. Obviously, curate this list to be unique to your project. Project Scope Statement ExampleSample Scope Statements To Clarify Generic Dependencies And Assumptions
Project Scope Exclusions ExampleSample statements to clarify uut of scope items
5. Make a Scope Statement MatrixThis is where PMs will differ in style. Some will say this is overkill, which it certainly is. But it’s there if you need it—and sometimes, I do. Make yourself a matrix of all formal client reviews and feature links to what was shared that tracks back to the SoW. You can use any spreadsheet software for it. I usually make one matrix for Discovery, one for Design, and notes from demos during the development of a site. Go Forth And Write Great Scope StatementsIn conclusion, project managers are accountable for ensuring they write thorough and complete scope of work statements. Yes—you are the one fighting the good fight. SoWs can be a painful initial start to any project—but a necessary evil to ensure a smooth project and mitigate risk. I hope you find these tips helpful—and if there are any others you’d like to suggest—let’s hear ‘em! Beyond that—I’d love to chat more about your personal experiences. Do you have a project scope statement horror story? Guilty of writing a less than perfect scope? Share it with the DPM family—and stay up to date with fresh resources like this in DPM Membership. |