Define Scope Process

Define Scope is one of the 42 project management processes outlined in the fourth edition PMBOK®. Define Scope is categorized as one of the five Scope knowledge area processes, and one of the twenty Planning processes. The purpose of this process is to make a detailed description of the project and the product. The most important thing to know about this process is that is creates the Project Scope Statement. The two major documents used to develop this scope statement are the Project Charter (which was developed in the Develop Project Charter process) and Requirements Documentation (which was developed in the Collect Requirements process), so these processes must be performed before writing the Project Scope Statement. When writing the Project Scope Statement, be sure to include the following: product scope description, product acceptance criteria, project deliverables, project exclusions, project constraints, and project assumptions. So not only is the scope of the project described, but also the project exclusions, which is specifically stating what is out of scope. A line is being drawn between what is within the boundaries of the project, and what is out of bounds. The project constraints are limitations placed on the project (such as a set budget), and project assumptions are things that the team is assuming to be true (such as assuming that a vendor will be available when needed). As more information becomes known, the Project Scope Statement is further elaborated upon and defined.