This Project Scope Statement example shows how Alex Morgan, PMP, defined the exact boundaries of Project Phoenix — a $72,250 website launch managed using the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition. The Project Scope Statement is the document that answers the fundamental question every project team needs to be able to answer clearly: what are we building, what are we not building, and how will we know when we are done?

What Is a Project Scope Statement?

A Project Scope Statement is a document that describes in detail the project's deliverables and the work required to produce them. It defines the product scope (what the final product will do and look like), the project scope (the work required to deliver it), the in-scope and out-of-scope boundaries, the acceptance criteria, and any assumptions and constraints. In PMBOK 8, the Project Scope Statement is produced within the Planning Performance Domain as part of the Define Scope process, and it forms the foundation of the Scope Baseline alongside the WBS and WBS Dictionary. A clear, detailed scope statement is the primary defense against scope creep.

What's Inside This Project Scope Statement Example

This Project Scope Statement example for Project Phoenix includes:

• Product scope description: a 12-page responsive website for MCG featuring a homepage, About page, Services page (with 4 sub-pages), Blog (with category filtering), Contact page with form integration, and a Careers page — all integrated with the Mautic CRM system and configured for SEO
• In-scope items: UX design, visual design, frontend development (React), backend development (PHP/WordPress), CRM integration (Mautic), content migration (existing 35 pages condensed to 12), SEO technical setup, and go-live infrastructure configuration
• Out-of-scope items (explicitly documented): mobile app development, e-commerce functionality, advanced analytics custom dashboard (Phase 2), multilingual content, and live chat integration
• MoSCoW requirements prioritization: 8 Must-Have requirements (contact form, CRM integration, mobile responsiveness, PageSpeed ≥90), 5 Should-Have, 3 Could-Have
• Acceptance criteria: PageSpeed score ≥90 on desktop and mobile, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, UAT pass rate ≥95%, successful CRM lead routing test, and formal sign-off by Riley Park
• Key assumptions: BrightFrame will deliver design assets within the SOW timeline; MCG's marketing team will deliver final content by Week 6; IT department will complete hosting migration in Week 7

How Alex Morgan Used This Project Scope Statement

Alex Morgan used the Project Scope Statement as the primary reference every time a scope question arose during execution. When Riley Park mentioned in passing during the Week 5 status review that it "might be nice" to add live chat, Alex was able to point to the explicit out-of-scope list in the Scope Statement and confirm that live chat was Phase 2 functionality — without needing to convene a CCB meeting or create a formal change request. That single reference prevented at least two potential scope additions during the project. The explicit out-of-scope list is consistently cited in Project Phoenix retrospectives as one of the most valuable elements of the scope management approach.

Download and Customize

This Project Scope Statement example is available as a free download. Use it as a reference to build your own scope statement, or start with the blank template and fill it in for your project.

• Download the Project Scope Statement Template — PMBOK 8 (blank, ready to use)
• Read the article: Project Scope Statement in PMBOK 8 — Guide and Best Practices

Project Scope Statement Example: Key Takeaways

The most valuable lesson from this Project Scope Statement example is that the out-of-scope list is as important as the in-scope list. On Project Phoenix, every item on the out-of-scope list was something that a stakeholder had asked for at some point before or during planning. By explicitly documenting these exclusions and getting Riley Park's approval, Alex Morgan transformed future scope conversations from negotiations into confirmations. When delivered on time and under budget, Project Phoenix's clean scope management record — zero uncontrolled scope additions in 13 weeks — was one of the outcomes the PMO highlighted as a best practice for future projects.

Want to go deeper? The PMBOK Guide 8th Edition is the definitive reference for modern project management. Get your copy and use it alongside these examples to build a solid, practical understanding of every performance domain.