Scope Creep within an Apprenticeship Pilot Project

Earlier this year, our company initiated a project to certify students enrolled in an apprenticeship program. This endeavor required the students to undergo approximately five months of full-time training and six months of on-the-job experience. During the latter phase, each week, four days were allocated for industry exposure, while one day was dedicated to classroom instruction. One of the significant obstacles encountered in this project was the addition of a six-week short course that students were expected to complete before their placement. This decision was influenced by the school administration’s desire to provide the students with dual certification opportunities. As a result, the program facilitators had to reduce the instructional time for some of the classes, which, in turn, posed difficulties for students who were already struggling in those subjects. A prerequisite for student placement in the apprenticeship program was completing all assigned classes successfully and passing external assessments. However, our project faced challenges concerning the targeted placement dates for the first group of students. Some students did not complete all the required classes, and others failed their external assessments.

At the time, the stakeholders had already committed to the project and arranged to accommodate the students in their workplaces. Therefore, program facilitators had to adapt to these changes by reorganizing program schedules, reallocating their assigned resources to support the new program they were now expected to deliver, and modifying curriculum plans. The career services officers (CSO) had to meet with prospective employers to request an extension of the project end dates. Additionally, partnerships were formed with other employers who could not participate in the program. The program coordinator had to facilitate a meeting with the students, some of whom had stopped attending the training, and program facilitators with prior commitments. During this meeting, they discussed the reasons behind the program changes and addressed issues and concerns the students and facilitators raised, including financial concerns and other commitments.

Looking back on the experience now, if I had been in the position of managing the project, I would have incorporated the following to manage the project better:

1. Scope Change Documentation: Document all scope changes and the reasons behind them. This ensures transparency and helps assess the project’s overall success and lessons learned for future initiatives. Proper documentation of the addition of the short course as a formal scope change, along with its implications on timelines and resources, should have been maintained. This would help track changes and ensure all stakeholders are aware of the impacts. Evanick (2023) mentions that a recommended approach for managing project scope changes involves establishing a well-defined change control process from the project’s inception. This process should entail comprehensive documentation of all project requirements and a requirement for formal approval for any proposed changes.
2. Stakeholder Communication: Open and transparent communication with all stakeholders, including teachers, students, and school administration, should have been a priority. This would help manage expectations and provide a platform for discussing the consequences of scope changes. Their insights can help identify potential issues and garner support for necessary changes. Evanick (2023) states that effectively managing stakeholder expectations involves establishing feasible project scopes and deadlines. By articulating precise and unambiguous project goals, deliverables, and schedules, stakeholders clearly comprehend what can be accomplished within the specified limitations, thereby averting impractical expectations.
3. Risk Mitigation Planning: Identify potential risks early in the project and develop mitigation plans. Recognizing that scope changes can lead to problems, a risk mitigation plan should have been in place. This plan would include strategies for handling delays, providing additional support for struggling students, and ensuring that essential prerequisites are met. Doval (2019) added that risk management is centered on identifying and evaluating potential risks within a project, aiming to manage these risks to mitigate their impact strategically. Given the infinite array of events that could adversely affect the project, it is acknowledged that all projects inherently carry risks; thus, the focus is on minimizing their potential impact. According to Bridges (2023), project risks encompass the aggregate of all individual project-related risks that could influence the project’s outcome. When gauging the overarching project risk, it is essential to factor in both favorable and adverse risks to which your project might be exposed, considering their likelihood and potential consequences. One specific form of project risk is scope creep, which transpires when tasks are incorporated into the project scope without the requisite approval from the project management team, resulting in uncontrolled scope expansion that directly affects a project’s timetable and budget.
4. Regular Monitoring and Reporting: Establish a robust project management framework that incorporates regular progress reviews and the ability to make necessary adjustments. This framework would aid in the timely identification of issues as they arise and facilitate prompt corrective actions without jeopardizing the project’s overarching goals. Dr. Stolovitch (Walden University LLC, n.d.) advises that project managers should regularly document the work status while monitoring project activities. This is accomplished by generating weekly status reports and establishing clear links between these reports and the project’s statement of work.

References

Bridges, J. (2023, January 27). What is project risk? 7 project risks to track. ProjectManager.com. https://www.projectmanager.com/training/what-is-project-risk

Doval, E. (2019). Risk management process in projects. Review of general management, 29(2).

Evanick, J. (2023, July 7). Creating an instructional design project schedule: tasks, milestones, and dependencies. ELearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/creating-an-instructional-design-project-schedule-tasks-milestones-and-dependencies

Evanick, J. (2023, July 25). Managing stakeholder expectations in instructional design: effective communication and engagement. ELearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/managing-stakeholder-expectations-instructional-design-effective-communication-and-engagement

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Monitoring projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com