| Scoping is where you begin. It enables you to take stock of your present situation, set your course and navigate forward |
It is important that before rushing to a solution you take a step back to understand what is going on and the areas you want to focus on – the Scope.
Scoping is key to understanding the high level situation. You may want to change something about how your team works; may need to change something as a result of changing demands on your team; or aware that there is a problem somewhere within the activity of your team.
Do you really know what the problem is?
Unless you really understand the problem you cannot identify the causes or consider options. Creative Problem Solving can be used as a way to quickly move through the issue.
Do you know who your customer is?
Across the University the end recipient (customer) of our process or service will vary – students, academics, the general public, applicants, etc. But there are also customers within the process – other teams, who must not be forgotten.
Confused by who your customer really is, or what are the expected outputs? Consider SIPOC, an overview tool that helps you bring everything together.
What will be the benefits?
It is important to consider what you are aiming for when making any change. A benefits exploration map can help with this.
How will you clarify and create a shared understanding of your proposed project?
An Initial Work Proposal provides a framework for clarifying your thinking about your proposed plan of work and recording it in a short summary format that you can share with others to establish a shared understanding.
What should you document to get approval for your project?
A Project Charter is a formal summary of the proposed project, including objectives, scope, high-level deliverables and milestones, success factors, resources and key stakeholders. A Project Charter ensures that the project manager, sponsor and stakeholders are aligned in their expectations of the proposed work and - once signed off - the Charter formally authorises the project to proceed.
