Everyone in corporate IT is familiar with scope statements. They attempt to clearly divide what can change ("in scope") from what can't change ("out of scope"). The goal of a scope is to focus the project's effort. But there are so many better ways to specify and control a project's proper area of effort that "scope" is redundant, and worse: it is often used to place arbitrary constraints on a project without proper consideration.

At its best, scope is worthless because there are more effective ways to achieve control. Items that are "in scope" are better divided into the goals and success conditions of the project, dependencies, milestones and objectives. Items that are "out of scope" are better distilled into constraints, assumptions, budgets, and target dates.

Using "scope" instead of the more detailed descriptions enables sloppy thinking. A constraint requires a reason and a measurement. A dependency requires some reason and mechanism. Objectives and goals should be directly linked to business success. But often the "Out of Scope" label is a dumping ground for poorly conceived items that someone didn't want to touch for some unstated and unchallenged reason.

At its worst, scope is used to stop thought and discussion. If something is "out of scope" then it's not on the table. A constraint encourages thought and discussion. You can get around or eliminate constraints. Constraints are finite and have a rationale. Scope statements often come with none of these. They’re big “don’t touch” signs.

Items ruled out of scope are often X/Y problems. You rule Y out of scope because you’re worried about X. For example, some project sponsor naming a specific technology out of scope because it’s likely to be too expensive. This is better expressed as a budget constraint. The project team can then figure out what fits in the budget and what doesn’t.

Because there’s no reasoning associated with it, scope just is, and it is cumbersome to change. God forbid a team manages to change scope, since that will draw zealous managers like carrion birds to a fresh carcass. Constraints, assumptions, and measured budget changes smell less like rotting meat.

I suggest we stop talking about scope, and instead be more precise. The corporate world would be a better place by one buzzword.