Decompose scope, then sequence the work
Work Breakdown Structures and Scope Control
Decomposing deliverables, the 100% rule, and how scope creep actually enters a project.
A WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the total scope. It describes nouns — things that will exist — not verbs.
Decomposition heuristics
- Stop at a work package you can estimate within ±10% and complete inside one reporting period.
- The 8/80 rule: work packages between 8 and 80 hours.
- Every work package has exactly one accountable owner.
Where scope creep comes from
Rarely from a change request. It arrives as a helpful yes in a corridor, an unlogged 'small tweak' during a demo, or gold-plating by a team member who wanted to do it properly. The countermeasure is not bureaucracy — it is a scope baseline everyone can read and a change log with a visible cost column.
Related PMI standards & templates
External resources on pmi.org — links open in a new tab. Some require PMI membership.
PMI standard templates for this topic
Editable Word and print-ready PDF downloads — no sign-up required.
- Project charter template →A PMI standard project charter template with a section-by-section walkthrough, a filled-in example and the sign-off block sponsors actually ask for.
- Project plan pack template →A PMI standard project plan template pack: the nine-section plan document plus a schedule worksheet with duration, dependency, float and milestone tabs.
- RACI matrix template →A PMI standard RACI matrix template with a section-by-section walkthrough, a filled-in example and the one-accountable-owner rule that stops responsibility arguments.
- User story template →A PMI standard user story template with Given/When/Then acceptance criteria, an INVEST check, a fully worked example and the six patterns for splitting a story that is too big.
The PM Delivery Toolkit turns everything in this guide into fill-in templates — $25, one payment.
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