(^102) 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know
The Importance
of the Project
Scope Statement
Kim Heldman, PMP
Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.
IF ThE PRojECT PlAn IS ThE hEARTBEAT of a solid project management
methodology, the scope statement is the breath. The scope statement details
the vision of the project. It describes the goals and deliverables, and docu-
ments what a successful conclusion to the project looks like.
Unfortunately, many stakeholders have little interest in going through the
exercise of writing a scope statement. Even further, while most project man-
agers do take the time to create a well-rounded scope statement, they often
archive it before the signatures are dry and never look at it again. It’s impor-
tant to keep checking back with the scope statement throughout the project to
make certain you’re delivering what the customer is expecting.
One of my favorite analogies, and I use it often with my customer base, is
the remodel story. Imagine you have hired a contractor to finish the base-
ment. The question is, do you give the contractor direction or do you let him
decide what the layout will look like? Sure, the contractor will likely have some
ideas on layout, how big the rooms should be, and where the plumbing already
exists. But what if you want two bedrooms, a three-quarter bath, and a game
room, but the contractor builds one bedroom, a full bath, and a family room
with a full bar? Not at all close to what you were thinking.
And therein lies the importance of the scope statement. It is the project blue-
print. It describes the characteristics of the finished product or service of the
project. Without it, you might build one bedroom when your stakeholder is