Tips for Handling a Phony Scope Item Owner

A recent Project Pointer talked about controlling project scope by confirming that each scope item has a true owner behind it. That is, someone who understands the business processes related to their scope items, has funding for it, and has time to work with the project team to realize its benefits. But what do you do if a powerful senior leader is pushing scope, but isn’t its true owner? Here are a few tips if you find yourself in this situation. 

• Ask your sponsor for help. Scope ownership is the responsibility of the project sponsor or product owner — project managers oversee managing scope. The sponsor should handle challenges or questions about new proposed scope. You can also run proposed scope through your change management process. Either way, the scope request and its ownership should be scrutinized. When the sponsor or change control board decide on the proposed scope, be sure to define and document its impact on the project. Then integrate this impact into your project management deliverables, including the cost, schedule, and risk plan.
• Find additional stakeholder(s) with similar interests. Business processes rarely involve only one area of the business. So, process improvements might benefit more than one senior stakeholder. If you’re struggling with a scope owner, look for another stakeholder who’s interested in the proposed scope. Two stakeholders might be able to fulfill all the scope ownership criteria. Note: Make sure the stakeholders are willing to work together before keeping the scope item in your project.
• Consider a different business justification. A proposed scope item might have business merit, but the explicit income or cost savings isn’t there, or it’s theoretical to calculate. In this case, think about a different way to justify the scope. For example, risk reduction could justify scope items. A friend of mine just upgraded his mobile phone. He didn’t upgrade because it was broken or because he’s a new tech geek. His phone wasn’t compatible with new versions of the operating system. He justified the purchase so he could keep the operating system up to date and reduce the risk of data security breaches.
• Determine if delegation can support the proposed scope. Sometimes, the issue with scope ownership isn’t funding but with business process knowledge or time to support the effort. In this case, the answer might be to delegate scope management responsibilities to someone with the requisite knowledge and time. This approach presents a significant risk: that the person who delegated authority overrules decisions that the delegate makes. This can negatively affect the project schedule and cost. Try to ensure that the delegate’s authority is “veto-proof”, so their decisions won’t be overturned. This way, you can move the project forward with confidence.

Do you have other tips for ensuring that scope items are represented by true owners who can fulfill their ownership duties? Or do you have questions about a specific situation you’ve encountered? Share with us in the comments section.

For more about scope, check out my Project Management Foundations course.

Coming Up

Anna Lung’aho Anderson and I get so many questions from people who want to transition into a career in project management. In this LinkedIn Learning Office Hours, we’re going to dig deep into the work YOU have to do to move into project management. Yes, it does require some effort on your part. We will talk about how to figure out if project management is a good fit for you; learning project management hard skills and terminology; how to update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and approach to networking; and finally, how to research companies you apply to so you have a better chance of getting their attention. We’re also going to explore how to move into project management from non-traditional backgrounds, such as sales, real estate, customer service, nursing, and (fill in your current role here).

I am really excited about this event because Anna provides many more services and resources related to project management careers than I do: Career Development Coaching, Resume Writing, Interview Preparation, Negotiation, Resume Review, Change Management, Executive Coaching, and Leadership Development. I hope you will join us on Friday, December 8, 2023, 11am MT, 12 PM CT for this deep dive into the first steps to moving into a project management career.

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