When tasked with large capital or complex projects, we employ a procedure that, although painstaking, develops a document that encompasses all aspects of the endeavor- the Project Scope.  In its’ final form, it is the master plan which all subsequent Engineering, Design, and Drafting must refer to and comply with.  We often refer to the scoping procedure as “Designing a project in writing”.  The procedure is quite structured and contains several important milestones.

The initial step in the project is the Kick-off Meeting, in which a  BH&A Project Manager and the Client meet to discuss Project goals and establish general parameters. A Project Definition Form is then prepared, a document that communicates the exact goals and parameters of a project.  Next up is BH&A Team Formation , the assembling of a group of specialists who will develop and execute the Project.  Once a team is in place, preparation of a Preliminary Scope commences. This document completely and accurately defines a project through process descriptions, design standards, design criteria, detailed design descriptions, budgetary data, and schedules/timelines.  The scope at this time is then modified and developed through BH&A/Client interactions known as Scope Review Meetings.  On detail intensive projects, it is not uncommon for the Scope to undergo several revisions during this stage.  Once modifications are complete, the fully developed product is reissued as the Final Scope. This wide ranging document, having borne intense scrutiny and modification from experts in many fields, is a package that has effectively undergone quality control, CPM, peer review, and value engineering.  Using the document as an “Instruction manual”, team members then proceed with engineering, design, and drafting.  Much of the data contained within the scope is utilized in the Contract Documents, and its’ use as reference and guidance continues through Project Completion.

Project Management