Worksheet: Lock the scope and see the whole load

Programmes grow one reasonable addition at a time until they become the home for every pet project. This sheet locks the scope, gates additions and puts every other change in the business on one page. It builds the Competent step of the check:

Scope was locked at launch, additions go through a gate, and other programmes running at the same time are listed in one place.

Step 1. The scope

In scope	Out of scope

Signed by: ______ Date: ______

Step 2. The gate for additions

Score each proposed addition on value, the risk its benefit is not realised, fit with the programme's aim, complexity, cost and time.

Proposed addition	Proposed by	Value ($m)	People it needs	What it displaces	Decision	Date

Step 3. All change in the business on one page

List every project and local initiative, including those outside the programme.

Change	Programme or outside it	Owner	Teams it draws on	Start	End	People-days a month
e.g. ERP upgrade	outside	CFO	Finance, warehouse	March	October	60

Then total the load on each team.

Team	People-days a month free for change	Load from the list	Over or under

Under 50 people: write the scope down and agree that any addition needs the owner's yes. List everything else the business is changing this year on one page, with who is doing it.

Done when: the scope is signed, additions pass a gate with recorded decisions, and one page lists every change running in the business.

Adapted from our own initiatives framework (PSP, 2006).