The scope of a project

The scope of a project

The scope of a project establishes the variables for consideration in the project. To establish a scope of a project, it is crucial to determine a list of distinct project objectives, features, tasks, deliverables, deadlines, and approximate costs. In summation, the project scope is generally the achievement of the deliverables and requirements successfully. In the project scope, milestones, member requirements, assumptions, and potential constraints are also determined. In summation, a project scope distinguishes what is and is not incorporated in a project allowing for the control of what is allowed as it’s executed within the course of the project. Experts advise on creating a scope statement that addresses all the variables under consideration in the project, which will act as a guiding policy in the lifecycle of the project (Frame, 2014).

That said, concert project deployment is based on the scope element. The main objective is; to organize a six-hour musical concert which is to be delivered on April 3 by the musical council. The deliverables of the concert include organizing security, finding a venue that fits the theme, determining ticket prices, hiring singers, and organizing for refreshments and promotion for the concert. The milestones of the concert include securing all the needed approvals and permits from the local authority and community, signing up renowned singers, securing vendors for the event, sold out tickets, concert, and clean up. Requirements for the concert include adequate parking spaces, restroom facilities for both genders, compliance with city laws, professional stage and sound system, at least six performing acts.

The scope, however, has a few loopholes that could create a challenge along with the progress of the project. First, a scope is solely based on expectations, assumptions, and research from past successful projects. However, projects are different, which means that the means used to achieve success in one project doesn’t guarantee the success of the method in a different project. What’s more, sometimes, the project scope is over-ambitious with too many deliverables and requirements, which can be demotivating, especially in the case the budget does not allow for unlimited access to the team player pool. Moreover, the scope failure to incorporate time and budget management could raise constraints of delay.

To resolve these issues, involves applying a critical path technique . The technique involves activity break down to ensure every variable has been accounted for and documented to ensure no variable is left out (Indelicato, 2007). A Gantt chart can bed to provide insight into whether the set schedule and budget ally with the deliverables and requirements of the project scope. An effective project scope follows the budget, scope, and thus ensures quality achievement in the output.

Time/ Schedule

A project is finite, meaning it works with a set time frame. Setting a schedule is, therefore, crucial to ensure tasks from the project scope care assigned adequate time for successful completion while still within the time limit.

A schedule is important in this project seeing as some projects are to be done in tandem while others will overlap each other; therefore, it is crucial to ensure every task is assigned on a critical path to ensure there is no chaos. Furthermore, setting a schedule ensures every team player is aware of their roles and guides their activities within the course of the project. For example, while the singers are rehearsing, there needs to be a team leader supervising them while another leader could be vetting vendors and security personnel while another member is arranging for ticket sales and promotion. Time scheduling allows for diversification and specialization in a manner that is void of confusion and chaos among the team members and in the accomplishment of the task. Time scheduling also allows for resource planning.

The element is not void of potential weaknesses. For one, the scope of the project might be too ambitious; thus, the schedule is too constrained to allow for any changes within the course of the project, which is a likelihood seeing as people resource is an uncontrollable variable. For example, if the concert takes place in a month of planning and execution, it means the schedule is tight to allow for readjustment along the way. What’s more, budgeting for scheduled fits can prove challenging, leaving the potential of burning out resources on occasion there is a mishap in the schedule. It doesn’t allow for adjustments of last-minute changes seeing as this is a dynamic variable.

To help reduce this challenge, researches have suggested using a schedule crashing technique that allows for the incorporation of more resources into a project for the lowest cost possible. This involves a tradeoff between schedule and tradeoff to establish the most significant amount of completion for the lowest incremental cost. A PERT diagram also schedules coordinates and allows for organization tasks of a project as it ensures all the critical components are assigned adequate time while also estimating project duration, and identify when the project is slacking (Indelicato, 2007). Therefore it provides a clear picture of the project and allows for anticipation of any changes.

Cost/Budget

Resources are an important factor in project management.

A project cannot work without resources from human resources to financial resources. Therefore, a budget is crucial to a project as it assigns a cost to the tasks, requirements, and deliverables of the project. Through cost budgeting tools, allows for cost estimation of the different activities and packages of the project. These estimates create a budget that controls and manages the actual spending’s in the projects.

In the concert project, cost included in the project will include equipment procurement costs, construction cost, human resource cost, e.g., hiring security personnel, hiring singers to perform, etc. Other costs include purchasing a license to hold the concerts, among other operating costs.

Forecasting financial to different deliverables and requirements within the scope of the project can be quite tasking. Therefore, t it is advised for project managers to undertake a preliminary review of the tasks involved and research the expected cost for each task. This estimation could be from tasks from previously completed projects, consultation with financial experts, and getting quotations from the concerned parties, e.g., a quotation for hiring the sound pieces of equipment. Inaccuracy is also a potential weakness. A budget is more of financial assumptions grounded that allow for estimation of costs.

Moreover, budgets are quite coercive, thus portray characteristics of rigidity and bureaucracy, which can be quite demotivating to team members involved in the project. For example, the estimated project budget for this project is $40,000; however, with the high number of tasks that require financing, it might be difficult to give singers a raise despite them giving an outstanding performance. Furthermore, the strictness in following the budget reflects in consequent strictness and rigidity in accepting new ideas that could prove more effective to the project than the existing tasks. Other times, people create an ambitious budget, especially when they have sponsors backing the event.

To curb these potential weaknesses, the earned value management method (EVM) can be used to measure the actual performance of the concert. EVM monitors project cost in terms of cost allocation and schedule to ensure the project stays within budget. A performance review technique can also be incorporated, seeing as it incorporates parameters of team morale, quality of the output, and project scope. Using the bottom-up method, which incorporates views of team members and management team, among other economic resources and output to create the total budget of the project. A parametric estimate can be used as it allows for customization, recalculation dependent on how the variables in the budget change.

The risk factor can be incorporated in all three elements seeing as no project is void of risk. A risk log/register that assesses the potential of risk in the elements is vital. The result of the risk register enables one to access the impact of the risk on the occasion it happens (Tabish & Jha, 2018). It, therefore, flags out potential risks with high percentages of adversities. Moreover, it allows for adjustment to be made in the elements to curb any potential problems likely to arise in the course of the project. Seeing as risk assessment is done in the early stages, it reduces the likelihood of risk increasing chances of the project succeeding. For example, low ticket sales can be registered as a risk. Therefore management can increase promotion and advertisement strategies to increase the sale of the tickets, such as offering discounts on the sale of more than five tickets.

Conclusion

Project management is essential for the success of a project. Project management structures the direction in which a project should take from the initiation stage of conceiving a project, planning the project, executing the project, monitoring and controlling the project during the planning and execution levels to the completion of the project. The success of a project is determined by factors of time, quality, and cost. A project being finite should work within a set time-frame to ensure all the deliverables of the project are taken into consideration. Quality is calculated in the product out or benefit accrued from a project while the cost is a project working within the set budget. To achieve this, elements of scope, time, and cost have to be taken into consideration to reduce risk and thus ensure the quality of the end-product. The scope of a project looks into the project deliverables and requirements of a project. Milestones are also set to measure the achievement of the projects. The cost element looks into cost estimation depends on the project scope. Finally, the element of time ensures activities work within a schedule. Different techniques and tools can be used to ensure the successful incorporation of the elements. This includes techniques of program evaluation and review, and critical path techniques, work break down techniques. Tools such as the Gantt chart, PERT diagram, and scoring models can be used. In summation, the concert project can be expected to be a success on the condition project management analyzed and incorporated as per the review above.