Project Scope Is Like a Box of Cracker Jack

Are your projects consistently missing estimated completion dates? Do project management stakeholders always seem to ask for and get more, more, more, while project sponsors won't change the project completion date? Then, you probably are experiencing problems with project scope.

Think of project scope as a box of Cracker Jack where the prize at the bottom of the box is the goals and objectives of the project. When you open the box (start a project) the box is full and you know the ingredients and you can see the prize but you can't reach it until you eat your way to the bottom. Well, if someone comes along with more cracker jacks (more stuff for your project to accomplish), it will fill up your Cracker Jack box and make it even harder for you to get to your prize. Pretty soon your box will bulge, become worn and flimsy and eventually fall apart, losing the prize.

Here are some quick hits to avoid project scope problems:

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