The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and Techniques for Getting the Job Done Right

Set the Priorities

For most projects, all three parameters—scope, schedule, and cost (resources)—are important. Setting priorities enables the project team to determine which of the three is most essential. These priorities support scope planning, decision making, constraint management and plan optimization, negotiating project changes, and integrated change control.

Consider the trade-offs between scope, schedule, and cost by specifying small changes to the stated project objective. Would it be worse to slip the schedule a week beyond the deadline, or increase the project budget by 5 percent? Would it be more appropriate to drop a feature of a project deliverable or to add staff to the project team? Would a slightly longer project that delivers ...