The Tidal Wave of Scope Creep



        Pondering the idea of scope creep in an instructional design project can sometimes be a subtle, almost elusive concept that emerges itself at an inopportune time, usually met with confrontation or disagreement.  I liken the scenario to a tidal wave, whereby the scope like the wave, gradually gets larger and larger as it makes it way toward land or towards the finished end-product.  However, scope much like the tidal wave, should have been seen from afar and everyone on land or in the project, should have heeded the warning signs.  But alas, it is too late and the wave comes toppling down over you and the project demands and workload become too cumbersome or costly.

        It should not be this way if the instructional design project manager is heeding the warning signs and the small ripples in the water, miles off shore.  Sometimes however, even our best efforts cannot eliminate the inevitable likelihood of the creep monster.  I recall a project almost a year ago when the internal client demanded a training package for skill development, but was not very clear on what sort of instructional materials were best suited for the task at hand.  We presented what we traditionally create for skill development, and immediately it was approved.  There was a significant variable not accounted for just yet, and it was timing or a completion date.  We were given a general, not later than date but were told that it might move in either direction.  This was problematic because the design function was working towards a mythical and almost inevitable moving target. In the end, the date changed and almost immediately conflict arose. 
       We had proposed from the onset a resource, effort, and duration estimate similar to Greer’s (2010) sample effort/duration table (Greer, 2010, Pg. 21).  However, once the timelines were condensed we immediately had a scope outside our capability to complete.  The internal client however, did not necessarily understand or care what our original estimates meant.  It just needed to be done, and if it meant lessening quality of the instructional materials, so be it.  This is an all too common approach faced in my current instructional design world.  Can you lessen the deliverables, scale back on quality, and give us something that is still similar to training? Wait, this is about scope creep, correct?  How is this scope creep?  In the end, lessening quality did not help us.  Timetables were so condensed.

        The lesson I took from this, and as it applies to scope creep, is that the earthquake hundreds of miles off shore may take place.  If it does, it will create the tidal wave.  When the tidal wave comes, what contingencies do you have in place, and does the client know how or if they will effect the final deliverables?  In this case, I did not thoroughly explain how the original estimates might be affected if the earthquake happens and the tidal wave ensues. 

         I end with an all to relevant Dilbert comic relief reminder  http://dilbert.com/strip/2006-11-17

References

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.