My Project Management Lessons » Scope

Clarify Terms and Conditions

michael — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:31:55 +0000

Clarify the terms and conditions with the new project manager.

If the client changes during a project (or the client project manager changes), then you as the project manager should make sure to clarify all the contract terms and conditions, deliverables, and scope with the new client or client’s project manager.

Obviously the scope will need to be clarified, but it is also important to go over with the new client or project manager all the finer details of the contract to avoid any uncertainty or surprises on their part.

It is not ideal just to let them read the contract. Good communication is important and a proper discussion of the existing terms will make a smoother business relationship.

Know the Scope of Your Project

michael — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:15:40 +0000

Know the scope of your contract. Read it often. As a project manager it rules your role on that project. Make sure you clarify the scope with all stakeholders to be sure you all understand it the same way. (Client, designers, drafters, managers, contractors, etc). Related Posts Clarify Terms and Conditions Scope Creep Document Changes [...]

Clear Duties in Contract

michael — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:22:12 +0000

Make strong, clear language in the contract documents so that your company’s duties are very clear.

This avoids problems later on in the project.
By making the duties clear (the scope) you avoid the problem of extra duties being added to the project that are not paid for.

A clear scope should be clear, and understood by both parties in the contract.

Scope Creep

michael — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:40:50 +0000

Be careful of scope creep.

Scope creep is where small additions or changes add up to contribute a larger and larger change in the scope of the project, often affecting delivery time and costs.

A few lessons I learnt:

If scope is changed or more is asked for, submit variations before proceeding.

If scope is changed you should ask for more money and more time.

Always be aware that the time to completion may change with a changed scope.

Even small additions add up to enough to increase the time to completion.

Make sure to get written approval from the client before additions, variations, or scope change.