The Case of Never Ending Scope Creep

Q 1&2: Assessment of the current Project status and its comparison with sound management
practices.
The project has not been completed. The department has incurred unanticipated overhead. The department
has received a request for an additional $185,000. There are no records of the original scope, scope
changes, schedule, or budget.
XY Departments objective was to replace and to improve its obsolete computer system which managed
public clients. The project was apparently scoped and planned, with specific milestones for implementing
the hardware and, subsequently the software, across 87 sites with a projected completion date of June 30,
2001. However, I have not been able to find any reliable reports as to the actual scope, schedule, and
budget.
A good project management practice shows that projects must have to be clearly scoped, must have a
clear budget and structured schedule which should be precise and there should be sound communication.
With respect to scope everyone must be on the same page and share the same goals. However, this did not
occur in XYs case because there was a project steering committee that consisted of managers with
differing outcome needs to suit their particular work environment.
Good Programs was apparently under contract with XY. However, there are no reliable reports as to the
actual scope, schedule, and budget. Sound project management practice would be to have a clear contract.
I also learned that Good programs offered additional free features that were not in the original scope and
in return, XY was required to allow Good Programs to be a research and development site, which
ultimately benefitted Good Programs. Because the project is not complete XY has not received any
additional functionality and benefits. In sound project management, the original scope should be
completed before adding additional scope items.
With an original objective of completing the project within a budget of $1.5 million, today XY is being
asked for an additional $185,000. Sounds management practice requires a set budget and not to approve
additional funds without clear justification
The department has incurred unanticipated overhead in that XY employees had to take time off from their
normal workload to individually test new versions of Good Programs software. This resulted because the
steering committee met less frequently and Good Programs was left to do more and more of the day to
day management. Instead of addressing the steering committee Good Programs introduced new versions
after approaching individual representatives, with little consultation among managers. Good
communication is really required for effective and efficient project management.
For projects to be completed on time they must be meticulously scheduled. Gantt charts help plan out the
tasks that need to be completed, provide a basis for scheduling when the tasks will be carried out, allow a
manager to allocate the appropriate resources for the project, and help work out the critical path for a
project. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is similar to the Gantt chart in the
information it provides, however PERT also assess the most efficient way of shortening time on urgent
projects, by using estimates on the shortest time, most likely time, and longest time, for a stage in a
project to be completed.

Q3: Recommend Steps to bring the project to a close.

Following are the steps to bring the project to a close:

The first step in bringing this project to a close is to identify a project manager to oversee the
project.
As project manager, he or she should answer the following questions: What tasks have been
completed? What is the progress of the tasks that are in the process of being completed? What
tasks still need to be done?
The project manager should then attempt to find the original contract; find out what Good
Programs was specifically scoped to do and the projected schedule. If the project manager finds
the original contract and it is clear that Good Programs has violated it, then XY should enforce
the contract and if necessary use legal procedures.
If the contract cannot be found I would recommend negotiating a new contract with Good
Programs. The new contract should have a clear scope, schedule and budget. I recommend the
contract have a clear scope and include the following statement Good Programs will implement
and supply the necessary hardware and software to replace and improve XYs computer systems
over 87 sites by June 30, 2002. In addition, I recommend that the contract contain a specific
budget, and state a specific schedule using Gantt or PERT charts.

Q4: Recommend improvements to the XY Departments future project management Practices.

A well-run Project Management office or manager should increase the probability that an individual
project will succeed and increase the visibility into the risk that an individual project will fail.
So, there should be a PMO that manages the projects and they must allocate a project manager for the
successful completion of the project. Project managers make sure the project is completed by the
projected date by utilizing the good project management practices stated earlier: clear scope, structured
contracts and budgets, sounds communication, and meticulous schedules using Gantt or PERT charts.
Although the hiring of a project manager should increase the chances of a project being completed there
are always going to be potential shortfalls and unforeseen variables that could cause a project to fail.
Scope changes can become increasingly detailed and complex and if the proper attention is not applied in
documenting these changes then the project will have potential to fail.
Complex projects involve multiple participants. Projects can fail due to lack of communication among
participants and the division of labor in a large group. However, if issues are dealt with and documented
appropriately a project manager can make decisions and change schedules or budgets if necessary to solve
the problem and still complete the project.

Q5: if a very similar project had to be done again, what attribute and/or skill sets would you
recommend in selecting a project manager?
As stated above, for future endeavors a project manager is a critical part to a projects success. A project
manager should be organized, be a good communicator, be able to make hard decisions, be able to
understand contracts, and be able to create and utilize budgets, Gantt charts, and PERT charts.

Q6: what other advices might you give to the CEO?

In conclusion for future XY projects it is critical to choose a reliable project manager who uses sound
project management practices that include a stating a clear scope, creating structured contracts and
budgets, expressing clear communication, and scheduling project tasks using Gantt or PERT charts. A
project manager who uses these techniques will increase the chances of a project being completed on time
and within budget.