Scope in the Initiation Phase

00:02 So remember we spoke about scope at the beginning of the course.

00:07 Project managers are great at seeing the scope of things and they will go into great detail during the planning stage.

00:14 However, at this point, the project sponsor will still need an idea of everything that's involved in our project, everything that needs to be done for our goal to be achieved. But what exactly is part of our scope? Should the heating in the showroom be electric or gas? This question is within our scope.

00:34 Should the local newspaper write an opinion piece on how showrooms are a thing of the past? Definitely not part of our scope.

00:43 When should the showrooms? Details be updated to the company website.

00:47 Hmm. Is this within our scope or somebody else's? It's not always clear where questions may come up and disrupt progress.

00:56 A so-called grey area where the team may be unsure whether something is part of the project. So the sponsor works with the project team and the project manager.

01:05 If they've been appointed to try and predict where these grey areas may occur and confirm any doubts.

01:15 Speaking of hiring, the project team are experts from production, I.T., resource and development, supply chain, etc..

01:24 The project manager and sponsor use the team's expertise to their advantage, especially when defining the scope.

01:31 They can be outsourced by the project manager or sponsor or already be part of the organization. As for the project manager, the stakeholders choose one, but that project manager is not obliged to say yes to their offer.

01:47 Accountability is a big commitment.

01:49 Therefore, any prospective project manager scrutinises the information gathered in the initiation. They do not run from a challenge, but they will demonstrate if something is unrealistic.

02:02 Say Finland is hosting the World Cup and want to build a hotel for the players of visiting countries next to the main stadium.

02:09 They have sufficient budget and the business case has been approved.

02:14 The project manager comes in and reviews the information the sponsor has put together and concludes there is no way construction can finish within the 12 months before the tournament starts.

02:24 Therefore, he or she declines the project.

02:28 This is the best outcome for everybody, as the organization knows, not to waste resources on a project that will serve them no benefit and instead finds other means to achieve the desired goal, like booking an entire already built hotel for the duration of the tournament.

02:45 One way a project sponsor will assess whether a project is realistic is through a feasibility study, which we will discuss in the next lesson.

02:54 See you there.