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• Instead of listing features that will or won’t be implemented, this vision and scope docu-
ment lists changes that will be implemented. Each of the changes in the “List of changes”
section should include a full explanation of exactly what changes will be made. For exam-
ple, if use cases are to be implemented, include the use case template that will be used and
a description of any elicitation tasks and other tasks that will be performed in order to cre-
ate them, as well as any additional resources that will be needed.
• There is no “Scope of phased release” section. If the changes need to take place in a cer-
tain order, that should be incorporated into the description of each individual change.

Writing a vision and scope document before making the actual changes allows the project
manager to gather evidence that those changes will address real problems in the organiza-
tion. It is important to point out specific instances that other people will agree are prob-
lems. A successful vision and scope document will show everyone in the organization that
there is a real, troubling problem. If you only include real evidence in the document, an
objective reader will see that there is a serious problem—and by proposing a change that
will fix it, you can throw them a rope by offering a real solution.

Inspect the vision and scope document
Once the document is written, it should be reviewed by all stakeholders and everyone in
the organization who will be affected (see Chapter 5). This will accomplish several things.
It will make sure that the changes you are proposing really solve the problems that they
are supposed to solve, because they will be documented as needs in the “People affected”
section. But more importantly, it will ensure that the change is communicated to every-
one who needs to see it—and by incorporating their feedback, you will help gather con-
sensus among them.
This is a check both for you and the other people who this affects. It is important for them
to see that your changes will help them. But it is also important for you to choose the
changes that will do the most good in the organization. It is much easier to propose an
unnecessary change in a meeting than it is to do it in writing. By writing down the ratio-
nale for all of the changes, you can make sure that people see that there are real problems
to be solved, and that you are proposing solutions to those problems.

The reason it is important to write down the rationale for each change is that it is tempting
to try to “fix” a problem that doesn’t really exist, simply because the change is easy to imple-
ment. Many people decide to make a change or implement a certain practice, and then
“find” problems to justify it. (In much the same way, if you lose your keys in the dark, it’s
easier to search for them under a streetlight because it’s easier to see.) By identifying the
rationale for each change, you can find the real problems that need to be fixed. This helps
you prioritize your changes, in order to address those problems that hurt the most.
The audience for the review should be as large as possible, to ensure that everyone who is
affected by the change sees that it is coming. The review will give them ample opportunity
to give their input. People are less likely to react irrationally to a change if they are given a
chance to give input when it is proposed. Most importantly, since everyone who is in a

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