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5 - PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT

For adaptive life cycle software projects, work performance data includes velocity, which is used to help establish
a realistic scope of work for subsequent iterations.

5.6.1.5 Organizational Process Assets

See Section 5.6.1.5 of the PMBOK Guide.
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5.6.2 Control Scope: Tools and Techniques 5

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The tools and techniques for controlling scope in Section 5.6.2 of the PMBOK Guide are applicable for
controlling the scope of predictive life cycle software projects because those projects typically use traditional
project management techniques, such as change requests and change control boards, in addition to variance
analysis (described in Section 5.6.2.1 of the PMBOK Guide.)
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As previously stated, a predictive, plan-driven life cycle for a software project is most likely to result in a
successful project when the customer is familiar enough with the problem domain to ensure stable and detailed
software requirements can be developed in sufficient detail during project initiation and planning, when the team
is well acquainted with the product, and when the problem and solution domain are familiar to all involved. These
conditions facilitate control of project and product scope.

An important aspect of adaptive life cycles for software projects is that the customer, in consultation with the
project manager and software team, determines the scope of product features to be included in each development
cycle. The features are scoped to accommodate the time and resources available. The scope of the product
continues to expand during successive development cycles until the customer requests are fully satisfied, or until
time and resources are exhausted. In the latter case, the working, deliverable software will incorporate the most
value-adding features, which were specified by the customer as input to the iterative development cycles.

The project scope for an adaptive life cycle software project, including schedule, budget, and resources,
may be fixed or may grow adaptively based on value-added considerations of continuing or terminating product
development.

It should also be noted that the scope of an adaptive life cycle software project includes other elements of
project scope as appropriate to the needs of the project, such as a scope management plan, initial analysis and
design, independent verification and validation, configuration management, and quality assurance, and quality
control. The continuum of software project life cycles is not a thin line, but is multidimensional to accommodate
additional aspects of scope control.

5.6.2.1 Variance Analysis

See Section 5.6.2.1 of the PMBOK Guide.
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©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 83
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