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Create a vision and scope document
The way to make a successful change is to ensure that the problem you are solving is the
most important one that the organization faces. Before people in your organization will
accept a change, they must be convinced that the change is necessary. To an eager project
manager who wants to implement new tools and techniques, this can be a frustrating situ-
ation. But it’s actually a good thing—if people are too willing to accept changes to the way
they do their work, then any changes you make will quickly be replaced with the next
popular idea to come along.
In Chapter 2, the vision and scope document was introduced as an important planning
tool that helps ensure that each of the project’s features addresses a specific user or stake-
holder need. Each person’s needs are written down, and each of the planned features is
tied back to one of those needs. The document is then reviewed by everyone who will be
affected by the project, to ensure that all of their needs and concerns are met.
A vision and scope document can also be used to plan a change to the organization.
Table 9-1 shows a typical outline for a vision and scope document.

TABLE 9-1. Vision and scope document outline for a change project
1. Problem Statement
a. Project background
b. Stakeholders
c. People affected
d. Risks
e. Assumptions
2. Vision of the Solution
a. Vision statement
b. List of changes
c. Changes that will not be implemented

This document is developed in exactly the same way as described in Chapter 2. The stake-
holders are identified, their needs elicited, and the scope of the change is defined.
There are just a few differences between this outline and the one for a software project:

• Instead of a “Users” section, there is a “People affected” section. This section describes
the specific people in the organization who will have to change the way they do their
jobs. This is the first important reality check for a project manager attempting to make
changes. It is very easy to think about changes in abstract terms, forgetting that real
people will have to change the way they work. It’s even easier to gloss over the fact that
people will be affected when you’re selling the change. This section helps everyone be
clear on who is affected from the very beginning. Listing the affected people in the doc-
ument also ensures that they are included when it is reviewed, which allows them to
have a say in how they do their jobs.

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