Project Scope Management - Define Scope

This process gets us to develop a detailed description of the project and product. It defines which of the requirements collected will be included and excluded form the project scope.  Collect Requirement process reviews the requirements collected and Define Scope process selects the final requirements that were selected from the Collect Requirements process group. From the final selection of requirements a detailed description is created of the project and product, service, or result. This process can be iterative and detailed scope can be determined one iteration at a time.

Let's take a look at the Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Outputs of this process:

1) Scope Management Plan

• This is part of the Project Management Plan that establishes the activities for developing, monitoring, and controlling the project scope. 

2) Project Charter

• Because the Project Charter contains a high-level project description, product characteristics and approval requirements it is used to help define scope. 

3) Requirements Documentation

• This documentation will be used to select what requirements will be used in the project

4) Organizational Process Assets

• Influencing factors as to how scope is define may include:
• Policies, procedures and templates for project scope statement
• Project files form previous projects
• Lessons learned from previous phases or projects

5) Expert Judgement

• Many people with the expertise needed to help make decisions are used when defining scope. These people may include consultants, professional and technical associations, industry groups and subject matter experts.

6) Product Analysis

• When products are a deliverable an analysis is done and each application area has one or more accepted method for translating high-level product descriptions into tangible deliverables. These techniques may include:
• Product breakdown
• Systems analysis
• Requirements analysis
• Systems engineering
• Value engineering
• Value analysis

7) Alternatives Generation

• In order to identify different approaches to execute and perform the work on the project  you need to develop as many potential options as possible. Here you can use brainstorming, lateral thinking and analysis of alternatives. 

8) Facilitated Workshops

• Key players working together to reach a cross-functional and common understanding of the project objectives and its limits. 

9) Project Scope Statement

• Describes the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions and constraints. It will include the following:
• Product scope description - the characteristics of the product, service or result described in the project charter and requirements documentation
• Acceptance criteria - set of conditions that is required to be met before deliverables are accepted
• Deliverable - unique and verifiable, product, results or capability to perform a service that is required to be produced. It can also include project management reports and documentation as deliverables. 
• Project exclusions - states what is out of scope for the project
• Constraints - a limiting factor sucs as predefined budget, imposed dates, contractual provisions or schedule milestones. 
• Assumptions - a factor considered to be true, real, or certain without proof or demonstration. 

10) Project Documents Updates

• Documents that can be updated include:
• Stakeholder register
• Requirements documentation
• Requirements traceability matrix

Source: PMBOK 5th ed.