Scope Baseline: A Comprehensive Guide for Project Management Professionals

Project Managers need to understand a Scope Baseline, how it fits within the Scope Management Plan, and how to implement it in different project environments.

Scope Management Plan and Scope Baseline for Project Management Professionals

Project Management Professionals use a Scope Management Plan to map out the steps the team will follow to achieve the project’s approved goals. This plan is a powerful tool for keeping the project team on schedule and within budget.

The project manager is responsible for checking work against the baseline on a very regular basis to ensure that if activities are being undertaken, they can be mapped back to a direct business value identified in the project scope. If they cannot be mapped back, what should be the appropriate action to take?

PMI, PMP, and Scope Management Knowledge Area

Project Management Institute® (PMI) is a global professional organization advancing the project management profession through practice standards, certifications, and more. PMI’s Project Management Professional® (PMP) certification is focused on core project management knowledge. To earn a PMP, you must pass the PMP certification exam, which may assess your understanding of the 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas, such as Scope Management. Some project managers use the casual reference of “Scope Baseline PMP” to refer to the standards for Agile and Traditional Project Management as included in the certification exam.

Project Management Knowledge Area Integration

Scope management is integrated with other project management knowledge areas:

• cost management,
• integration management,
• quality management,
• risk management, and
• time management.

Good Project Management has an integrated scope management plan and project scope management efforts.

Scope Management Plan Processes

A project manager uses Project Scope Management processes to document the project scope so that the project team works towards creating the project deliverable within the project plan.

1. Planning: define the project work and the scope baseline and create a scope statement.
2. Controlling: monitor progress against the scope management plan, track scope changes, and manage scope creep.
3. Closing: audit final deliverables against the original scope management plan and project plan.

Create a Scope Baseline with Scope Statement, WBS, and Scope Baseline

Every project has a scope. The Project Manager is responsible for creating the Scope Management Plan, which includes the Project Scope Statement, Project Scope Baseline, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and related WBS dictionary. A well-defined scope baseline in the scope management plan is a means to gain needed stakeholder buy-in and create a shared understanding with the project team of the work ahead.

Component	Description
Communication	Consistent and ongoing stakeholder communication about potential scope changes and the status of project deliverables measured against the baseline.
Scope Change Control Process	Defines how proposed scope changes are evaluated, approved, and implemented. Includes change request assessment criteria, decision-making roles, and communication processes.
Scope Statement	The foundation of the Scope Management Plan, listing the project’s objectives, deliverables, assumptions, constraints, and exclusions.
Scope Baseline	Captures the agreement of project deliverables across the entire project. Created at the project start using the Scope Statement and Work Breakdown Structure to manage work despite changes.
Work Package	Smallest unit within a WBS, treated as a smaller project within the overall project, helping in increasing control and providing more accurate time estimates.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)	A hierarchical diagram of the project scope organized into manageable work packages. It determines if a work package is in scope and is specific to the project’s environment, timeframe, and scope.
WBS Dictionary	Created as part of the development of WBS, it contains a WBS outline, a WBS summary, and work package descriptors that capture activities, deliverables, milestone dates, and scope.

A template can help create Scope Baseline components, as best practices and foundational information are needed for all projects. Yet, each project will have specific considerations and can vary in the project environment (Agile vs Waterfall); thus, the project manager should customize the scope statement, WBS, and baseline accordingly.

Agile Project Scope Baseline:

Agile project management is driven by a flexible approach that adapts to changes via iterative work cycles. In the agile environment, the project scope baseline will be more dynamic than in a traditional (Waterfall) project. Key points to remember for scope baseline when working with Agile:

Dynamic Nature

• The scope baseline is flexible and evolves throughout the project because features are issued in small iterations that build upon previous cycles.
• The initial scope is defined but subject to change based on continuous feedback and iteration. Customer feedback, market shifts, and new insights can all change the scope baseline.

User Stories

• The scope is defined by user stories that describe the desired features and functionality from the customer’s perspective.
• The Backlog is used to track the prioritization of User stories based on business value. Features can be added or removed from the scope baseline as the project evolves and items are completed (removed from the Backlog).

Iterations

• A defined scope baseline is created for each iteration (called a “Sprint”) of typically 1 to 4 weeks.
  • The scope baseline for each iteration is determined based on the capacity and priority of user stories from the Backlog.

Adaptability

• Changes to the scope baseline are expected and embraced as part of working in Agile.
  • Scope baseline adjusts based on customer feedback and changing requirements.

The Agile project scope baseline adapts to changes, evolves iteratively (via Sprints), and prioritizes customer feedback to meet customer needs.

Traditional (Waterfall) Project Scope Baseline

In the traditional project environment, the Project Scope Baseline is created at the beginning of the project. It is intended to set the scope, deliverables, and objectives that will remain in place for the project’s duration. Unlike Agile, which incorporates change along the way within iterations, traditional project management defines and sets the scope from the start, and then work is adjusted to fit.

Traditional projects have a structured, detailed, and upfront for which changes are discouraged. Project Scope Baseline commonly includes Scope Statement, WBS and WBS dictionary, Requirements Documentation, and Change Control Process. The scope baseline is designed to support a linear approach to project management.

Here’s the information formatted into a structured table:

Scope Management Approach	Description	Details
Fixed Scope	The scope baseline is defined at the beginning of the project and remains fixed throughout.	Changes to scope are generally discouraged and require formal change control processes.
Detailed Requirements	The scope is defined through comprehensive requirements documentation.	Requirements are documented initially with as much detail as possible to minimize ambiguity.
Phased Approach	The scope baseline covers the entire project lifecycle, from initiation to closure.	Each phase has its deliverables and objectives, with a predefined scope.
Formal Change Control	Changes to scope require formal approval through change control processes.	Any deviation from the baseline scope is carefully evaluated for schedule, budget, and quality impact.

Common Challenges: Project Requirements and Scope Creep

“Scope Creep” refers to incremental, minor changes that expand the project scope. When work is added without activating change controls, risks include:

• schedule delays,
• budget overages,
• stakeholder misunderstandings, and
• inaccurate project documentation.

A Scope management plan with project requirements and ongoing, timely stakeholder communication can limit scope creep.

Scope Management Best Practices | Stakeholder Communication

A savvy project manager has a Stakeholder Communication plan to guide ongoing engagement with stakeholders regarding the work’s progress and the impact of changes.

In Agile, stakeholder communication is part of gathering and tracking feedback to inform Sprints and populate User Stories. For Traditional projects, stakeholder communications detail what information is shared when, to whom, how often, and in what format.

Communication should be timely and accurate for all projects, regardless of the project management approach, to ensure alignment of the team, the stakeholders, and the work.

Conclusion

The Scope Baseline essentially captures the project deliverables so that as the work progresses, the project manager can determine what activities fit (or do not fit) within the project plan. The project stakeholders are a key part of the Scope Baseline and there should be ongoing communication with them. A Scope Baseline may have different elements depending on the project and project environment, but it will always help the team know what work is needed to meet the project goals.