Software project scoping checklist

The problem

If these are unclear, any estimate is a guess.

• We can describe the problem in two sentences without naming a feature.
• We know who has the problem, by role, and roughly how many of them there are.
• We know what the problem costs today in time, money, errors or missed revenue.
• We have watched the current process being done, not just read about it.
• We know what people use today instead (spreadsheets, email, an old system).
• We have agreed what success looks like six months after launch.

The users

• We have listed every type of user and what each one needs to do.
• We know where they will use it: at a desk, on a phone, in the field, offline.
• We know which users matter most for the first release.
• We have at least two real users willing to give feedback during the build.
• We know the accessibility needs of our users.

Scope

• We have split features into “first release” and “later”.
• The first release solves the core problem end to end for at least one user type.
• We know which existing systems it must connect to, and who owns them.
• We know what data must be migrated, and how clean it is.
• We know which reports or exports people will expect on day one.
• We have listed what is explicitly out of scope.

Constraints

• We have a target launch window and know what drives it.
• We have a budget range, even a rough one.
• We know our security, privacy and compliance requirements (for example, the DPDP Act).
• We know where data must be hosted, if anywhere specific.
• We know who will own and support the software after launch.

Decisions and people

• One person can make product decisions quickly during the build.
• We know who signs off each release.
• Stakeholders agree on the first release scope.
• We have time set aside each week to review progress.

What to ask a vendor

• Who exactly will work on our project, and will they stay on it?
• How often will we see working software?
• How are changes to scope handled and priced?
• Who owns the code, designs and documentation?