The conundrum of managing & controlling the inevitable risk of scope creep in the construction industry : exploring associated causes, effects & outcomes

Abstract

Project scope should be defined during the initial stages of a project and is intended to determine a set of specific targets, deliverables, costs, timeframes, quality, performance and objectives, amongst others. It also involves the establishment of parameters that set the boundaries of what is to be included in a project. By definition, therefore, it follows that what is not specifically outlined is excluded, unless this is ancillary to delivering the end product. However, academic literature and experienced partitioners state that almost all projects inevitably involve different types of unforeseen changes during a project’s life-cycle. Causes may be attributable to varying circumstances and the effects may vary. If left unchecked, this may result in an ‘uncontrolled expansion of a project’ (PMBOK, 2017). Through research, interviews and qualitative data gathered through the semi-structured interviews supplemented by quantitative data on case studies in the literature review case studies, ‘scope creep’ is discussed holistically – its definition, its causes and effects on projects and any possible mitigation measures for it. Past and present projects are also studied with regards to this particular risk. The analysis then involved analysing the risks and opportunities associated with scope creep. The stakeholders are tasked with the difficult balancing act of deciding how to account for the associated risks and opportunities. Therefore, scope creep is quite inevitable, so good project managers expect such a risk to crop up, and prepare for it accordingly.