19 Creep

Creep generally means to move slowly, sometimes with the intent of stealth. In project management, scope creep—which can affect the budget, schedule, and overall direction of the project—doesn’t necessarily move slowly nor does it remain a secret!

The Sin

Scope creep can happen during any phase of a project but it is more likely to occur during the action phases. The scope of the project can “creep” into unexpected areas, often very quickly. It can happen on small projects and big projects; the extent of the scope creep is not directly related to the size of the project.

Creep is not always negative; in certain situations it can enable the organization to tackle multiple, similar problems simultaneously, raising the project’s visibility and value. For scope creep to be viewed as positive, though, it usually has to occur early on, generally in the requirements phase rather than in the action phases of a project.

Scope creep can be externally imposed (by stakeholders) or it can grow from the natural processes of working on a project (by the project manager or team members). Scope can be changed internally as the team works through the steps involved in carrying out the project. The team may discover that another issue can also be addressed using the same resources, in effect “piggybacking” on the project’s original set of requirements.

Creep in a project is permissible and actually beneficial when done with deliberateness and after fully assessing project impacts. Some typical reasons for scope creep that can have negative ramifications include poorly defined or simply lacking requirements, well-defined but badly resourced project planning, or a blanket acceptance of all customer/client change requests without assessing their impacts on the project. Examples of potentially valuable and valid scope creep are unforeseen changes in the business landscape—which necessitate altering the direction, size, or outcomes/deliverables of a project to maintain its relevance—and recognition that a related business objective can be added to the project, thus meeting multiple goals by expanding the original project plan.

Regardless of the reasons for the scope creep, the project manager needs to be invested and knowledgeable to be able to manage the creep positively. Otherwise, the project may fail before it really gets off the ground.

A Case of Creep

I was working on a major IT project that needed the buy-in of a large number of stakeholders. The requirements had been vetted with each stakeholder. All the resources were in place, including some very expensive software. Ready to kick off the action phase, we brought all the stakeholders together for a meeting to make sure they were up to date on what we were doing and to present the schedule. The head of the organization attended the meeting to validate its importance to all who attended. At the end of the meeting, the CEO announced that another troubling issue for the organization had been identified that might benefit from the same software; therefore, he was changing the project to include another major IT initiative.

The two initiatives had nothing in common except that they might able to use some of the same resources, in particular the costly software. In a matter of minutes the scope of the project—its duration, cost, and direction—had changed completely. In this instance the creep was not slow and it wasn’t much of a secret!

The head of the organization had the authority to make such a decision, and the project manager and his team had to find a way to make it work. Needless to say, the project team immediately went to work to make changes in just about every aspect of the original plan.

Danger Sign

A sure sign that scope creep is taking place is when you find yourself or your team members saying, “How are we ever going to accomplish all this?”

Solutions

The project manager should review “out of scope” items as frequently as the in-scope items added to the project. The out-of-scope list should be reviewed at least every six weeks. Consider, though, that they must be important issues or they wouldn’t have come up in the first place.

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, the project manager should have a change control process in place to manage scope creep issues. Ideally, this process should be a documented project artifact that is explained to project members and client stakeholders in advance of a project change request. This document should define the criteria and timing for acceptable project changes, as well as the manner in which these scope changes will be handled. Formalizing the process involved in adopting project scope changes ensures that the project manager is fully considering and managing all necessary project details—such as adjusting resources and timelines.

Tips for Keeping Creep from Destroying Your Project

Accept it. No project starts on day one of an issue. You are never starting a project completely fresh. Acknowledge and accept that pre-existing issues can affect any stage of the project.

Stay fluid. Scope creep happens and you have to be flexible enough to adjust your expectations and your plans.

Document. Every change in the scope of the project should be documented.

Recognize and deal with scope changes. Make sure you’re still on track to meet the project’s goals and objectives (or consider the need to revise them) rather than just “going with the flow.”

Manage expectations. As changes occur, keep the stakeholders and sponsors informed of their impact.

Be sensitive to morale issues. When creep takes over, team members can start to believe that the project will never end. The project manager should take the time to redefine success for each member of the team.

Stay in control. Always remember that your primary job is to manage the project, not just hold back chaos.