Project Boundaries

Quick reference

• 00:04 Hi, this is Ray Sheen.
• 00:05 I'll talk with you now about setting the boundaries for the project so
• 00:09 that you can ensure the project plan will meet the project goals and objectives.
• 00:14 Setting boundaries is often a negotiation process between the project team and
• 00:18 the stakeholders.
• 00:19 Stakeholders have a vision for the project with goals and objectives.
• 00:23 The project team often is aware of constraints and limitations.
• 00:27 Together they can determine the direction of the project and
• 00:30 the boundaries that the team will stay within.
• 00:33 This will assist the team by allowing them to focus on what is inbounds for
• 00:37 the project and not be distracted by what is out-of-bounds.
• 00:41 The boundaries normally describe the result of the project so
• 00:45 that the team knows what must be done.
• 00:47 The rationale for the project so that the team knows how to weigh options and
• 00:51 choose the best.
• 00:52 And finally any other boundary parameters that will impact the project planning and
• 00:58 the project execution such as time or money.
• 01:00 Some projects have a detailed requirements document prepared well in advance of
• 01:05 project planning, but most do not.
• 01:07 When there is no document to refer to, we use the W questions.
• 01:11 The answers to these six questions will set our project boundaries.
• 01:15 The first one is the what question.
• 01:18 It gives the project description.
• 01:20 From this we can derive the project deliverables.
• 01:23 The second is why.
• 01:25 This provides a context for the project and
• 01:28 helps the team make trade offs in the project.
• 01:31 This is the key question to help us manage risks.
• 01:34 The next four W questions address assumptions and constraints.
• 01:38 Who will be involved?
• 01:40 When is the expected start and finish time?
• 01:43 Where will the project activities be conducted?
• 01:45 And finally, how should the project be planned and executed?
• 01:49 Yeah, I know, the W is at the end of how, but there's still a W so
• 01:53 we're going to count it.
• 01:55 Once we have the answer to the W questions,
• 01:57 we can put a fence around the project.
• 01:59 And then keep all of our project activities inside the fence,
• 02:03 and keep the distractions and irrelevant items outside the fence.
• 02:07 Let's now consider each of these W's in just a little more detail.
• 02:13 For the what question, it's the result of the project, all of the deliverables and
• 02:17 any other actions that the project team is supposed to complete.
• 02:21 It also includes the quality characteristics of the deliverables.
• 02:24 This is sometimes called the definition of done.
• 02:28 Let's talk about the why question next.
• 02:30 This answer helps the team to understand, what is the underlying driver for
• 02:35 the project?
• 02:36 Is it linked to strategic plans or other major initiatives?
• 02:39 Is it a compliance project with a rigid finish date?
• 02:43 What are the business benefits, growth or cost savings?
• 02:46 When the team understands the rationale, they're better able to make trade offs
• 02:51 between various options while planning the project.
• 02:54 The who question is next, sometimes many of the who are obvious.
• 02:59 There may only be one or two customers, users or stakeholders for the project.
• 03:03 But sometimes there are many customers and users.
• 03:07 Or who the project team members are could influence the project plan and tracking.
• 03:12 And finally, approval authorities in a project create the need for
• 03:16 additional documentation or interactions.
• 03:19 The next W is when, are there constraints on the expected start date and
• 03:23 expected finish date?
• 03:25 Are there any other external milestones that the project team must be aware of
• 03:29 because it will drive the project plans and execution?
• 03:32 For instance, if the project spans two fiscal years, is there a milestone at
• 03:37 year end that is tied to how much money they can spend in one year or the other?
• 03:42 The next W question is where.
• 03:44 This is becoming more and
• 03:46 more of an issue in many businesses today as many companies are global in nature.
• 03:50 And using suppliers as part of their project team.
• 03:53 Activities on projects are now often spread across multiple locations, often in
• 03:58 multiple countries on multiple continents and speaking multiple languages.
• 04:02 The difference in managing a co-located team or a virtual team is significant.
• 04:07 This will drive the type of communication processes that must be used.
• 04:11 Finally, the use of remote contractors and
• 04:14 vendors will change the nature of some of the project management activities.
• 04:18 Our final W is the how, how is a category to capture any constraints or
• 04:23 assumptions that had been missed in the other categories.
• 04:27 In addition, there may be constraints concerning methodology or
• 04:30 oversight that will be identified under this W.
• 04:33 Even the budget limitations show up at this time as we ask, how much?
• 04:37 Now what order you do the W's in does not matter.
• 04:40 The point is we need to do them all.
• 04:42 Understanding the project boundaries eases the project team's work during both
• 04:47 planning and execution.
• 04:49 It also points to what must be demonstrated as part of closing.
• 04:54 The W questions are the simplest and
• 04:56 most straightforward method to get a complete view of the project boundaries.

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