This course presents two key elements of success for projects: the effective development and documentation of project scope and the gathering and management of project requirements.

Effective scope management and the presence or absence of detailed requirements for a project solution is generally accepted as one of the key indicators of project success. Using discussion, hands-on exercise and simple case studies, you will be exposed to what scope is and how to develop and document it. The course will also address requirements, a key aspect of project scope, why they are important, the types of requirements, and the need for high-level and detailed requirements. The course will identify how to partner for success when incorporating stakeholders into the requirements gathering process, requirements-related project start-up issues, the essential elements of communicating requirements, and why being “agile” (applying the right amount of discipline and process) is important for project success.

Specific tools will be demonstrated during the course, such as high level and detailed scope statements, requirements traceability, risk management, and how requirements form an integral part of a project’s quality management plan. You will work as teams, using case studies from actual projects to apply the techniques and practices discussed in the class.

This is a course in the Project Management Certificate program.

This course addresses the following knowledge area identified by the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 5th ed. (PMI):

• Scope Management
• Risk Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Human Resource Management

Performance Objectives: Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Understand what requirements are and why they are important.
• Understand the nature and origins of project scope, objectives, requirements, and why they are important.
• Relate scope, objectives, and requirements to the project life cycle.
• Use mechanisms to manage changes to scope and the identification of new requirements.
• Understand the importance of stakeholders to the scope development process.
• Identify how to identify and document the “real” requirements.
• Understand the need for effective teamwork during scope management process.
• Relate the need for the “right” amount of discipline and process during requirements gathering and management.
• Understand the need for continuous improvement in identifying business objectives and how they relate to requirements.
• Understand the link between scope, objectives, requirements, risk, and the project manager.

Prerequisite: We strongly recommend that you complete Project Management Essentials before taking this course.

Intended Audience: Employees who work with, manage, or are members of project teams. This course applies to private, public, government municipal and federal entities.