LBUSI7242 Managing Project Scope Course Descriptor

Course Overview

Project scope consists of identifying all the activities to be performed, the resources required, the end deliverables to be handed over to the clients, and the quality standard expected of the deliverables, while factoring in the project’s goals, constraints and limitations. Scope management therefore refers to the function of monitoring and controlling a project in relation to its goals and objectives through the different phases of the project lifecycle. Effective scope management requires the knowledge and skills to produce key documents, such as business cases, statements of work, project charters, work breakdown structures, responsibility assignment matrices, as well as the competence to conduct control systems and configuration management.

This course is designed to offer students an exploration of the fundamental principles, advanced strategies, and cutting-edge tools associated with the domain of project scope management, to ensure that projects can be managed even in fast-changing environments and avoiding unintended scope creep. The course emphasises the critical components of the project scope, underscoring the significance of precise definition through rigorous requirements management, detailed planning, and the implementation of robust control mechanisms across the entire project lifecycle. Students acquire the skills needed to navigate and excel in fast-changing project environments while optimising the use of available resources, such as employee or machine time and physical materials.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable, Employability, or Professional Skills (TS)

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and a range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, and discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies.

A range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, and discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies.

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include:

• Lectures (seminar /workshops): Comprehensive interactive sessions on project management principles applying theoretical concepts.
• Experiential Learning: Simulations and/or role-playing for hands-on experience.
• Guest Speakers: Industry professionals share real-world insights.
• Online Resources: Flexible learning with additional study materials.

Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups.

Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150, of which 40 scheduled hours.

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessments are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Formative

Formative assessment in this course may include, for example, the creation of relevant documentation, using the software and/or other tools used in the course, which prepare students for a more comprehensive set of documentation required for the summative assessment.

Summative

The Written Assignment can be, for example, a report including project scope documentation which students create in line with industry practice, involving the use of relevant software. This documentation should demonstrate expertise in using relevant professional tools such as GANTT charts, kanban boards, or project dashboards as appropriate to the task, as well as short written notes to justify their choices.

Further information can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or during office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.

• Project Management Institute. (2017). “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide).” Project Management Institute.
• Heagney, J. (2016). “Fundamentals of Project Management.” American Management Association.
• Atkinson, R. (2018). “Project Management: Cost, Time and Quality, Two Best Guesses and a Phenomenon, Its Time to Accept Other Success Criteria.” International Journal of Project Management, 36(1), 1-5.
• Schindler, M., & Eppler, M. J. (2003). “Harvesting project knowledge: a review of project learning methods and success factors.” International Journal of Project Management, 21(3), 219-228.
• Harrin, E. (2013). Managing Project Scope Shortcuts to success. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
• Project Management Institute. (2016). Requirements Management (1st edition). Project Management Institute.
• Robertson, S & Robertsons, J. (2025) Mastering the Requirements Process: Getting Requirements Right (4th Edition). Addison-Wesley Professional

Journals

• International Journal of Project Management
• Project Management Journal
• Journal of Modern Project Management
• International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
• Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management

Indicative Topics

Students will study the following topics:

• Introduction to Project Scope Management
• Project Requirements Management
• Quality and Scope
• Scope Change Management
• Scope Verification and Validation
• Scope Control
• Configuration Management
• Performance Measurement

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