Why Construction Projects Fail — Part 3: Scope Management

This is the third article in a multi-part series.
If you missed Part 1, read it here and follow from there.

It's difficult to assign a precise number—whether in dollars or percentages—to quantify how much poor scope management contributes to construction project failures.
But its impact is undeniable. At the heart of scope management lie two critical functions:

• Scope definition
• Scope change management

These functions are especially vital in fast-tracked projects, where subsequent phases may begin before earlier ones are completed, or where phases don't follow a simple finish-to-start relationship.
In such cases, clarity, control, and consistency in scope management often determine success or failure.

Scope: The Foundation of Project Success

Scope is the foundation on which a project is built—not just in the physical sense but in project management terms.
If the scope changes, everything changes: cost, schedule, quality, resources, and risk.

Here, scope refers not only to quantities or measurements, but also to specifications, risks, stakeholder expectations, and performance standards.
According to the PMBOK® Guide, scope management ensures that the project includes only the work required—and nothing more—to complete the project successfully. It involves:

• Defining the scope
• Validating deliverables
• Controlling scope changes

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): The Gold Standard — But Rarely Mastered

One of the most efficient tools to define project scope is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
WBS was formalized in 1962 and standardized in MIL-STD-881. The most recent version is MIL-STD-881F (2022).

A well-developed WBS forms the backbone of estimation, planning, scheduling, cost control, and risk management.
Yet in the real world, the skill to develop a WBS is surprisingly rare. Many confuse it with cost structures, account codes, or organization charts—leading to misaligned project control systems.

One of the biggest challenges is the lack of a Single Source of Truth (SSOT) for scope.
Instead, scope is spread across drawings, specifications, contracts, bills of quantities, and risk documents—often running into hundreds or thousands of pages. Extracting, synthesizing, and structuring this into a usable WBS requires both deep domain knowledge and disciplined effort.

At ProjectScript, we've addressed this challenge directly.
Our team has developed patent-pending technologies that make scope capture and WBS development intuitive, intelligent, and user-friendly—eliminating common errors and speeding up project readiness.

Real-World Impacts of Poor Scope Management

The dangers of poor scope definition and unmanaged changes are well documented.
One famous example is the Sydney Opera House.
While it stands today as an architectural marvel, it suffered from severe scope creep during construction—leading to a tenfold increase in cost and completion delays of over a decade.

Even small changes can create a domino effect.
Imagine a hotel project where the owner decides—late in construction—to switch flooring material from marble to granite.
Beyond cost, this change could disrupt procurement, logistics, and installation sequences, potentially delaying handover and incurring penalties.

Case Study: BP's Liberty Project — When Scope Outpaced Reality

BP's Liberty Project in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, envisioned ultra-extended reach drilling (ERD) from a man-made island—some of the longest horizontal wells ever attempted, spanning up to 8 miles.
I was among hundreds of professionals excited to work on this engineering marvel, even amid Arctic temperatures dipping below -45°C.

But the project was shelved. Why?

• The scope was overambitious and did not align with technological feasibility.
• It failed to account for heightened environmental and regulatory scrutiny after the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
• BP could not sufficiently demonstrate that risks were identified and mitigated within the project scope.

This is a textbook example of how poor scope definition, lack of adaptability, and weak stakeholder alignment can derail even billion-dollar projects.

Final Thoughts

Scope management isn't just a formal step—it is the strategic blueprint that determines whether a project stands or stumbles.
When scope is clearly defined, accepted, and controlled, teams can align efforts, manage risks, and deliver value.
But when scope is vague, shifting, or underdeveloped, even the best-planned projects can fail.

It's time for project teams to treat scope management not as a formality, but as the very foundation of project success.
And it's time to equip them with the tools to do it right.

P.S.

That's exactly why we built ProjectScript—to give construction professionals a smarter way to manage scope, schedule, and risk with confidence.
If you'd like to see how it works, feel free to message me.

And if you missed the first article, you can read it here.