Re: Scoping a DocumentationProject??

Subject: Re: Scoping a DocumentationProject??
From: Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 20:24:35 -0500

Are you unsure of how scope and time estimates are related? When you have a limited amount of time, if that is the constraint, then your scope is what you can do within that time. You then identify the features, functionality, attributes of the documentation, etc. based on what the available resources can accomplish in that time period. The scope ends up being what was/can be done, not what we'd like to have done.

It's a luxury to be able to completely scope a project (whether a product or documentation) and then be given sufficient time to fully develop to that scope. The trade-off frequently has to be that scope suffers when time is short. Similarly, both suffer when money is short. Ask any contractor.
--Beth

Tony Markos wrote:

Beth:

Scope is not expressed in time; it is expressed in
terms of functionality. You are referring to time
estimates, a different subject.

Tony Markos

--- Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca> wrote:

Sharon is absolutely right. Sometimes the scope is
"you've got 3 months" to produce and deliver this manual. Sometimes the
scope becomes what you've been able to do in the time given with the
resources given. I've had to scope doc projects by saying "if you need it
by X, and you can only pay Y, then what you're getting is Z".

Sharon Burton wrote:


When you flat rate a project - or really even time
and materials one...

--
Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133
http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u

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Re: Scoping a DocumentationProject??: From: Tony Markos

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