Project Integration & Scope Management: What is, Definition

What is Project Integration Management?

Project Integration management is mainly concerned with the processes required to ensure that the various activities of the project are co-ordinated properly.

In other words, Project Integration Management process comprise of activities like identifying, defining, combining, and coordinating various processes related to project.

Project Integration management includes following activities.

Process Project Stage Key Deliverables
Develop project charter Initiating Project Charter
Develop Project Management Plan Planning Project Management Plan
Direct and Manage Project Work Execution Deliverables
Monitor and Control Project Work Monitoring and Control Change Requests
Perform Integrated Change Control Monitoring and Control Change request status updates
Close Project or Phase Project closure Final product

We will see this all process step by step below:-

Project Charter

The project charter is an integral part of Project Integration Management, without a project charter, a project cannot start. It formally authorizes and defines the objectives of the project. It includes name, description, and deliverables of the project, usually written by a higher authority than a project manager.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project statement of work Expert Judgement Project Charter
Business case
Contract
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

Project Management Plan

Project plan development uses the outputs of the other planning processes to produce a consistent, logical document that can be used to guide both project control and project execution. Project Management Plan is used to direct project execution, documenting project planning assumption, communicating among stakeholders, for better project control, etc.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project charter Expert Judgement Project Management Plan
Output from planning processes
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

Direct and Manage Project Work

It is a process where the work will be executed as defined in the project management plan and implementing changes with respect to project requirement.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project management plan Expert Judgement Deliverables
Approved change requests Project management information system Work performance information
Enterprise environmental factors Change Requests
Organizational process assets Project management plans updates
Project document updates

Monitor and Control Project Work

This stage includes tracking, reviewing and reporting the progress of the project in order to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project management plan Expert Judgement Change Requests
Performance reports Project management plans updates
Enterprise environmental factors Project document updates
Organizational process assets

Perform Integrated Change Control

It is the phase where the impact of any change is assessed against the project. It requires to be assessed across the whole of the project. In this process, the actual work is analyzed against the projected plan and makes an adjustment if they are not inline or in sync.

The difference between the “monitor & control project work” and “integrated change control” is that Perform Integrated Change Control emphasis on managing any change to project scope while the former one focuses on managing the way that such scope is executed.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project management plan Expert Judgement Change requests status updates
Work performance information Change Control Meetings Project management plan updates
Change Requests Project document updates
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

Close Project or Phase

It is the phase of formal completion of the project related activities.

Inputs Tools & Techniques Outputs
Project management plan Expert Judgement Final product, service or result transition
Accepted deliverables Organizational process assets updates
Organizational process assets

What is Project Scope Management?

A Scope Management processes determines what work is required to be done and ensure that the project includes only that work to complete the project.

Why managers need Project Scope Management

  • Without determining the project scope, the time or cost that the project will take up cannot be estimated
  • Scope management builds control processes to address elements that may alter project during the project life-cycle
  • It helps to avoid the challenges that a project might encounter with every growing scope and unruly requirement list.

This stage includes both-

  • Managing Project scope
  • Managing Product scope

Project Scope Management Process include following activities.

Process Project Group Key Deliverables
  • Plan Scope Management
Planning
  • Collect Requirements
Planning Required document
  • Define Scope
Planning Project scope statement
  • Create WBS
Planning WBS directory, WBS
  • Validate Scope
Monitoring and Controlling Acceptance deliverables
  • Control Scope
Monitoring and Controlling Change request

We will see this all process step by step below:-

Plan Scope Management

The Scope Management plan will determine how the scope will be defined, validated and controlled.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Preliminary Project Scope Statement
  • Project charter
Meetings Requirements management plans
  • Project Management Plan
Expert Jugment Scope Management Plans
  • Enterprise environmental factors
  • Organizational Process Assets

Collect Requirements

During this process managers use various techniques and tools for the collection of the project requirements from the stakeholders. This stage is very important and if done accurately the chances of error during the project will be minimal.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Project Charter
Interviews Requirement documentation
  • Stakeholder register
Focus groups Requirement management plan
Group creativity techniques Requirements traceability matrix
Facilitated workshops
surveys and Questionaires
Prototypes
Observations
Group decision-making techniques

Defining Scope Process

This process clearly indicates how the project is supposed to progress and what it cannot do. During this process it is ensured that the project remains on the track by reviewing the supporting documents. The resulting scope will then mention the stakeholder’s requirements and expectations.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Project charter
Expert Judgment Project Scope statement
  • Requirements documentation
Product analysis Project document updates
  • Organizational Process Assets
Alternative identification
Facilitated workshops

Creating WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

The WBS enables the project manager and his team to break down a high level project deliverables into a smaller, manageable units of work called work packages.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Project Scope statement
Decomposition WBS
  • Requirements documentation
WBS dictionary
  • Organizational Process Assets
Scope baseline
Project document updates

Validate Scope

The validate scope process involves clients acceptance. It is when the client formally accepts all the project deliverables. At the end of each phase this process occurs. During this process, the client gives their feedback on the work that was performed.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Project Scope Statement
Inspection Acceptance Deliverables
  • Project Management Plan
Change request
Project document updates
  • Validated deliverables

Scope Control

This process or phase involves the monitoring of the project status and managing of the scope changes. Apart from this, it also involves assessing of the additional requirements by the customer or proactively overlooking the project scope.

Primary Inputs Tools and Techniques Primary Outputs
  • Project Management Plan
Variance analysis Work performance measurements
  • Requirements documentation
Change requests
  • Requirement traceability matrix
  • Organizational process assets
  • Work performance information
Project document updates

Key points to remember for Scope Management

  • To avoid cost overrun and schedule slips, the scope needs to be complete and accurate.
  • Scope needs to be clearly defined to avoid unnecessary work and confusion
  • Scope document should be shared with all stakeholders to avoid error in design and requirement
  • The good practice for Scope Management is that the scope document must remain unaltered for the duration of project

Summary

The scope management is used for determining how the rest of the scope planning processes will be managed.

The key aspect of this stage

  • Project requirement analysis
  • Communicate the scope change to all stakeholders
  • Roles and responsibilities pertaining to scope