1.  You are right. Project management is very complex, and need many elements resolved for the project to be successful. Could you explain any two of these elements that you referred to as part of the complexity of project management?

2. 

In the define scope process there are several different inputs, the two most relevant to me are listed as follows:

1. The Project Charter – the charter provides almost everything you need to know about the project. It provides the description, characteristics, and all approval requirements. It also outlines the expectations and defines the project deliverables.
2. Project Management Plan – The project management plan includes the scope management plan. The intent is for the project management plan to break down the project in detail so that all members of the team can Cleary understand the intent.

Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — sixth edition and agile practice guide. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

3. Good post. I believe most of our classmates so far have included Project Charter in their response. Both inputs you included are important. Do you believe one is more important than the other? 

4. Below is 2 inputs to the define scope process;

Project charter-I really wanted to change it up a bit from the other responses but the project charter is the very detailed document that gives a great description of the entire project.

Project documents- The importance of having this is because it provides assumption log, the requirements documentation, and the risk register.

What are your thoughts?

1.   Here are my three valid elements of a good scope statement:

Executive Summary – I say this because this element explains the purpose of the project.  It let’s stakeholders know what the project is all about and the key features of this project.  Also explaining the need for it and how it will improve the company.

Exclusions: It’s calling out any items that will not be addressed by the project.  This helps with miscommunication part of the project.  If there are any assumptions or misconceptions of what will come out of the project.  The exclusion section will let stakeholders be aware of what will not be in the project.  This will in return keep a stratified client because they know what is expected and not expected.

Assumptions and Risks:  This is where the risks can be addressed.  It will also show what type of risks are we looking at so we have a holistic approach to what we think might happen in the project and it can better solve our solution if that problem occurs.

2. Three good elements of a scope statement include:

Description-this is a high level overview of the project. This description will provide a good understanding of the project so that all of the stakeholders will have a clear understanding without getting to granular and detailed. I chose this because it is important for the stakeholders to know what the project is and more importantly they approve of the project and the scope prior to the beginning of the project.

Expected Outcomes- is the next element. This will provide the expected deliverables goals and objectives. This element is important because if done correctly it can help to prevent scope creep. 

Constraints-Will show all of the limitations that the project may face. This includes risks and can be written using “if” and “then” statements. For example “if this happens, then we will do this”

3.  I have to admit that I think of project deliverables as a work product – a document or group of documents that comply with the project’s requirements.  Unless the client specifically details what these deliverables will contain, which is often the case with RFPs, what is deliverable can be a murky target.  I have worked on projects unrelated to what I do now, where there wasn’t clear unanimity on expected results.  We can sit around the conference table, discuss a specific deliverable, have everyone nod their heads and agree to move forward and find later that what I thought I heard and agreed to was something different from what someone else though they heard and agreed to.  I say this to emphasis the need to view agreement on deliverables as an interactive process often requiring multiple reviews. 

4. I like your limits and exclusions! Without a limit and exclusion scope creep can happen leading to the landscape being added or the contractor collecting the data. Also with limits and exclusions great ideas can happen to the project like let’s add a covered deck or let’s collect more data. These limits really can keep a project on point and higher chance of success.