Managing Scope Creep: Don't Gold Plate My Project!

When the scope, or extent, of a project is improperly or insufficiently defined, confusion, delays, and/or cost overruns - scope creep - typically result. Preventing scope creep and managing scope creep is, therefore, built into successful project management. If the project manager has done sufficiently thorough planning "Homework" and subsequent monitoring entailed in ensuring that a given project is accomplished on target, on time, and on budget, without exceeding the specifications and resources allocated, scope creep is unlikely or diminished. If management is lax or incomplete, however, drifting from the original project parameters is only to be expected.