Project Scope Management
in Construction
• Merzougui Wafia
• M1 MPC
• Project management
• 2025/2026
Construction Project Scope Management
Presentation Overview
01 What is Construction Scope Mgmt 02 Primary Scope Documents
03 Defining Project Scope 04 Statutory & Stakeholder Requirements
05 Contract, Specs & Drawings 06 Battery Limits Explained
07 Division of Responsibilities 08 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
09 Scope Planning — Key Techniques 10 Make-or-Buy Decisions
11 Scope Monitoring & Control 12 Scope Validation & Verification
13 Request for Information (RFI) 14 Scope Creep — Causes & Risks
15 Change Management Process 16 Claims & Dispute Avoidance
17 Quantity Measurement & BOM 18 Key Tools & Techniques
19 Data: Scope Risks & Impact 20 Key Takeaways
Construction Project Scope Management
What is Construction Scope Management?
Scope management ensures the project includes all the work required — and only the work required —
so deliverables align with the owner's requirements.
80% 3× 100% Early
of cost overruns linked cost to fix scope errors of construction scopes scope definition = lower
to poor scope definition in construction vs design begin with the contract cost, fewer disputes
PMBOK® Principle: Scope management processes ensure that all change requests and recommended corrective actions are
processed through the integrated change control process — preventing scope creep and claims.
Construction Project Scope Management
Primary Scope Documents in Construction
THE CONTRACT
Primary Scope Document
Design Drawings Specifications
• Identify scope, quality, tolerances • Scope, quality, tolerances defined
• Testing & inspection requirements • Industry association standards
• Stages: preliminary → IFC drawings • Division numbering system (CSI)
⚠ Construction must NOT begin before Issued-for-Construction (IFC) drawings are released
Construction Project Scope Management
Defining Scope: Statutory & Stakeholder
Requirements
Statutory Requirements Stakeholder Requirements
• Construction permits required before work begins • Identified and analyzed early in scope planning
• Government minimum safety & health standards • Influences how construction is executed
• Protects workers, public & environment • Traffic restrictions may limit material delivery
• Social Impact Assessment (SIA) required • Community noise restrictions impact scheduling
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) required • Heritage & cultural considerations may add scope
• Remedial actions from assessments added to scope • Linked to Section 13: Stakeholder Management
Construction Project Scope Management
Battery Limits &
Division of Responsibilities
Battery Limits Explained
A battery limit is a physical location where one contractor's scope ends and another begins — every interface
must be explicitly defined.
BATTERY
CONTRACTOR A CONTRACTOR B
LIMIT
Process Unit (Valve) Interconnecting Rack
WHO supplies the valve? WHO installs the valve? WHO tests the valve?
All three questions must be answered in writing in the contract — ambiguity leads to disputes.
Construction Project Scope Management
Division of Responsibilities
When scope is split across multiple parties, every interface must be owned — gaps cause duplication, disputes,
and delay.
Energy Supply Water Supply Installation
⚡ Who provides? At what
💧 Who provides? At which inlet
🔧 Which contractor installs
voltage/point? point? interfaces?
Testing Logistics Documentation
🧪 Who witnesses and signs off
🚚 Who is responsible for site
📋 Which party maintains as-built
testing? access & delivery? records?
Construction Project Scope Management
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in Construction
The WBS is the foundation of scope control — every deliverable decomposes into Construction Work Packages
(CWPs).
0.0 Construction Project
1.0 Civil Works 2.0 Structural 3.0 Mechanical 4.0 Electrical
1.1 Earthworks 1.2 Foundations 1.3 Drainage 1.4 Paving
Key point: PM deliverables (reports, invoices) may be omitted from the construction WBS without becoming scope exclusions. In
construction, the WBS focuses on the physical facility deliverables — the structure being built.
Construction Project Scope Management
Scope Planning: Key Techniques
Life Cycle Costing
01 Evaluates the total cost over a project's full lifespan — not just construction cost. Compares alternatives considering
maintenance, operation, and decommissioning.
Value Engineering
02 Identifies which set of alternatives achieves project objectives with maximum safety, least social/environmental impact, and
least time and cost.
Constructability Analysis
03 Integrates construction expertise into early design phases so engineering solutions take field lessons learned into account —
maximizing buildability and reducing rework.
Also consider: critical milestones, project budget, deliverables, acceptance criteria, constraints, assumptions, and risk assessment results.
Construction Project Scope Management
Make-or-Buy Decisions & Subcontracting
Make-or-buy decisions must be made in tandem with scope planning — outsourcing transfers scope but
multiplies interfaces.
MAKE (Self-Perform) BUY (Subcontract)
• Full control over quality and schedule • Transfers scope to specialist party
• No additional battery limit interfaces VS • Creates new battery limit interfaces
• Requires own workforce & equipment • Bids must be normalized for scope comparison
• Higher fixed cost; lower flexibility • Increases scope management complexity
• Suitable for core competencies • Requires coordination with multiple parties
Construction Project Scope Management
Scope Monitoring
& Control
Scope Monitoring & Control Overview
Scope monitoring ensures the project delivers exactly what was agreed — no more, no less. All deviations go
through change control.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Establish Measure Compare to Identify Change Update
Scope Baseline Actual Work Baseline Deviations Control Baseline
Unit Price Contract
Measure actual quantities (m³, tonnes, Total concrete poured vs baseline BOM
linear m) vs contracted quantities
Reimbursable Contract
Review performance reports to Compare budget burn rate to installed scope
determine if scope should increase or
decrease
Lump Sum Contract
Document all changes via formal Track approved change orders vs base contract
change orders vs original contract
scope
Construction Project Scope Management
Scope Validation & Verification
Validation formalizes acceptance of deliverables — each phase must be verified before proceeding to the next.
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Concept Phase Definition Phase Final Acceptance
Project approved. Preliminary scope and Sufficient plans and specifications developed. Project completed per contract. Punch list
contract outline established. Budget and schedule baseline set. resolved. Warranties activated.
Completion Milestones:
◆ Substantial Completion ◆ Final Completion ◆ Suitability for Occupancy
Retainage: Owner withholds payment until scope is verified complete. Performance bonds may substitute. Warranty periods with bank
guarantees follow final acceptance.
Construction Project Scope Management
Request for Information (RFI)
RFIs are the primary formal mechanism for scope clarification — they bridge the gap between ambiguous
documents and field reality.
Scope Designer / Change
RFI Response Scope
Ambiguity Engineer Order
Submitted Issued Updated
Identified Reviews (if needed)
RFI Best Practices BIM & RFI Reduction
• Assign unique RFI numbers and track log Contemporary research shows that Building Information
• Set response deadline in contract Modeling (BIM) significantly reduces the volume of RFIs by
• Link each RFI to relevant drawing/spec resolving clashes and ambiguities in the 3D model before they
reach the field.
Construction Project Scope Management
Scope Creep
& Change Management
Scope Creep: Causes & Consequences
"Change is an aspect of every project and may be beneficial; scope creep is not." — PMBOK® Construction
Extension
Stakeholder Sources Project Condition Sources Project Constraint Sources
• Additional recognized needs • Lack of materials availability • Financing issues
• Incomplete design work • Labour issues • Societal pressures
• Incomplete project documentation • New legislation or regulations • Environmental restrictions
• Contractor change requests • Design errors and omissions • Schedule compression demands
• Owner-driven scope additions • Unclear battery limits • Resource unavailability
Construction Project Scope Management
Change Management Process
Every change must be identified, evaluated, approved, and documented — otherwise it becomes a dispute or
claim.
Change Document Evaluate Mutual Issue Dispute /
Identified Change Request Impact Agreement Change Order Claim
Any source Formal record Scope/cost/schedule Owner + contractor Contract update If no agreement
Change Order (Agreed) Claim (Dispute)
Parties mutually agree on scope change and compensation. Parties cannot agree on a change. Formal claim submitted.
Contract is updated. Work proceeds under the new terms. This May involve arbitration, litigation, or mediation. Costly, time-
is the desired outcome. consuming — to be avoided.
Construction Project Scope Management
Quantity Measurement, BOM & MTO
Quantitative scope control: measure what was built against what was specified — the foundation of payment
and verification.
BOM vs Actual Quantities
Bill of Materials (BOM)
5000
4500
4000 Baseline quantities extracted from contract
3500 drawings. Used to price and plan procurement.
3000
2500
2000
1500 Material Take-Off (MTO)
1000
500
Actual field measurements. Compared to BOM
0 to identify quantity variations and trigger
Concrete Steel Piling (units) Pipe (lin.m) Cable (km) change orders.
(m³) (tonnes)
Baseline (BOM) Actual (MTO)
Variance triggers RFI or change order
Construction Project Scope Management
Scope Risk: Impact Analysis
Understanding where scope risk originates allows project managers to apply controls where they matter most.
Sources of Scope Change in Construction (%)
+18% Average schedule overrun from scope
creep
5%
8%
35%
12% 42% Projects with uncontrolled scope changes
that result in claims
18%
25% Cost reduction from early scope definition
22%
Design Errors/Omissions Unclear Battery Limits Owner-Driven Changes
Regulatory Changes Subcontractor Gaps Other
40% RFI reduction with BIM implementation
Construction Project Scope Management
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1 The CONTRACT is the primary scope document —
all scope flows from it. 2 Define battery limits clearly — ambiguity at
interfaces leads to disputes.
3 Early scope definition reduces costs and prevents
downstream claims. 4 All change requests must go through formal
integrated change control.
5 Change is inevitable; scope creep is not — the
difference is discipline. 6 Quantity measurements (BOM/MTO) are the
construction verification tools.
Project Scope Management