What causes replanning of the project scope?

Replanning of the project scope is a formal activity that occurs when there is a need to alter the agreed-upon scope baseline. This process is initiated by an approved change request. While tools like variance analysis may identify deviations from the plan that suggest a change is needed, the formal mechanism to propose, evaluate, and approve that change is the change request. Once a change request affecting the scope is approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process, it becomes the official authorization to update the scope baseline, which is the essence of scope replanning.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Section 5.6.3.2, Change Requests. This section lists change requests as a primary output of the Control Scope process, which are then processed to potentially update the scope baseline. The flow shows that analysis leads to a change request, which, upon approval, leads to replanning.

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Section 2.8.4, Manage Project Changes. This section states, "A formal change control process is used to ensure that only approved changes are incorporated into the project management plan and baselines." This directly links the formal change process to replanning (updating baselines).

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2012). 15.S55 Project Management. Lecture 4: Scope Management. The course materials describe the change control system as the formal process through which modifications to the project scope are introduced, reviewed, and approved, thereby initiating any replanning.