The most important output of Define Scope Process is the document known as Project Scope Statement.
We have touched a bit on Project Scope Statement here and there, like from the Basics of Scope Management, you might recall the equation below,
Scope Baseline = Project Scope Statement + Work Breakdown Structure + WBS Dictionary
Also, since there was some confusion around the Project Scope Statement and the Requirements Document, we talked about what item would fit in either of the two in this Lounge Fever video.
The most elementary way to understand the Project Scope Statement is that it tells you what work you are and are not going to do as part of the project.
Now if your project is about developing a website, it should be obvious that you are not going to construct a house but that isn’t something you will explicitly mention in the Project Scope Statement.
Below are some of the sections that make up the Project Scope Statement,
Product Scope
This is the product your project is setting out to achieve. It could be a physical product, a service, an improvement or some other outcome. This section of the scope statement briefly describes the product or the end result of the project.
Example: A functioning e-commerce website
Project Exclusions
This is the section that describes what you are not going to deliver as part of the project. As mentioned earlier, you are not expected to document that you are not going to construct a house as part of the website development project but you can definitely document related information.
Example: The website will not be optimized for tablet users.
Project Inclusions or Deliverables
This could be a simple list of what all you are going to deliver as part of the project. This list should be as exhaustive as possible.
Example: Website Source Code. Design Documents. Graphics. Reports.
Acceptance Criteria
Since we are talking about what you would deliver as part of the project (and what you wouldn’t), it is only fitting that we include a brief about project’s acceptance criteria. What is it that will satisfy the customer for project completion.
Example: The website must load in <2 seconds
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