Scope domain (and the WBS)
What you'll be able to do
Scope is what you're committed to building. The WBS lists it. Anything not on the list isn't your job.
- WBS = hierarchical decomposition of *all* scope. Deliverable-oriented.
- 100% rule: WBS contains 100% of the work, nothing extra.
- Scope creep = uncontrolled stakeholder additions. Gold plating = team-added extras.
The Scope Performance Domain manages what is and isn't in the project. Key artefacts: requirements documentation, scope statement, and the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the *total* scope of work into deliverable-oriented work packages — the smallest units that can be estimated and managed.
PMBOK distinguishes scope creep (uncontrolled expansion of scope without change control) from gold plating (the team voluntarily adds work the customer didn't ask for). Both are anti-patterns; both reduce value-per-investment. The correct response to either is to surface it, run impact analysis, and (for scope changes) route the decision through change control.
The 100% rule is the classic WBS test: the WBS includes 100% of the work — no more, no less. Anything not in the WBS is not in scope, by definition. The WBS is the foundation for schedule (every work package gets activities), cost (every work package gets an estimate), and quality (every deliverable gets acceptance criteria).
Key points
- WBS = hierarchical decomposition of *all* scope. Deliverable-oriented.
- 100% rule: WBS contains 100% of the work, nothing extra.
- Scope creep = uncontrolled stakeholder additions. Gold plating = team-added extras.
- Not in WBS = not in scope.
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