With the rise of remote and distributed working, it has become more challenging than ever for project managers to keep track of work and ensure everything remains on scope. In this blog post, we will discuss some key strategies and best practices for managing scope when team members are not co-located.

Defining and Communicating Clear Expectations

The first and most important step in managing scope for remote teams is to have very clear expectations defined from the start. When defining the scope of work for a project, take the time to thoroughly document all requirements, deliverables, timelines, responsibilities and other key details.

Make sure this initial scope documentation is communicated to all team members clearly and comprehensibly. Since remote team members cannot simply turn to their colleagues sitting next to them with questions, it is critical they fully understand what is expected of them from the get-go.

You may need to break down the overall scope into smaller, task-level scopes that are assigned to individuals or small groups. Clearly defining roles and responsibilities for each task prevents assumptions and ensures everyone knows exactly what they need to deliver.

Regular Check-Ins and Status Updates

With remote teams, out of sight can easily mean out of mind. To prevent scope creep or work falling off track, you need consistent check-ins and communication between the project manager and team members.

Schedule regular meetings, such as weekly stand-ups, where team members provide status updates on their progress and any issues or roadblocks encountered. This allows the manager to monitor if anyone is deviating from the planned scope and address problems before they grow.

In between meetings, expect regular written status reports from team members via messaging apps, project management software, or email. Tracking task progress through a Gantt chart or kanban board also provides transparency into scope.

Document Changes Properly

Even with diligent scope management, changes to requirements and deliverables will inevitably come up over the course of a project. It is important to have strict change control processes in place for remote teams.

Any proposed changes should be documented through a formal change request form, detailing what is being changed, why, the impact, and updated timelines. This change needs approval from the project manager before work can commence.

Likewise, the project manager should not authorize changes verbally. All changes need to be reflected formally in scope documentation so remote team members have an accurate single source of truth and don’t get confused or overwhelmed by too many changes.

Breaking Down Bigger Tasks

When managing a remote team with disparate timezones or work styles, it's generally better to break down larger pieces of work into smaller, more manageable tasks. This has multiple benefits for staying on scope:

Smaller tasks are easier for individuals to estimate correctly and complete on schedule compared to big undefined blocks of work.

Breaking work into bits provides more opportunities for checking on progress and catching discrepancies from the planned scope.

Team members can work asynchronously on different parts without depending on others, reducing bottlenecks.

The project manager gets more granular visibility into scope and burn-down.

Make Collaboration Tools Work For You

Leveraging the right collaboration tools effectively is vital for shepherding remote work and keeping it on track. Beyond video conferencing, here are some tools that can help with scope management:

Project management software with task/issue tracking helps assign, monitor and discuss scope all in one central place.

Wikis are great for housing all detailed scope documents and making them accessible for reference.

Screensharing apps allow real-time collaboration on documentation like requirements or design mocks.

Online whiteboards are useful for visual planning of tasks, timelines and workflows.

Messaging tools ensure constant communication even outside meetings.

The key is finding the right balance of tools for your team and specific needs, and getting buy-in on consistent usage from team members.

Mitigating Common Challenges

Some common challenges in remote scope management and ways to mitigate them include:

Lack of focus - Establish strict working hours and avoid distractions to stay focused on deliverables.

Miscommunication - Overcommunicate expectations and document everything discussed to prevent scope misunderstandings.

Unclear priorities - Maintain a prioritized backlog or task list to determine what takes precedence.

Delayed feedback - Set expectations on response times and proactively follow up if feedback is overdue.

Lonely/isolated feelings - Encourage social bonding activities to boost motivation and morale.

Technical glitches - Have contingency plans and workarounds in place to minimize scope disruption from tech issues.

Wrapping Up

Adapting scope management practices for remote teams requires extra effort but pays off with quality results. The keys are clear expectations, regular tracking, strong documentation of all changes, collaborative tools, addressing challenges proactively, and open communication channels. Staying vigilant about scope ensures distributed teams can thrive while delivering projects on target.

Read More:- https://www.bloglabcity.com/key-elements-of-an-effective-scope-of-work-document/