The key thing to remember before engaging in a new freelance project is we are hired to solve a particular problem or set of problems the client has. Identifying the problem before we present an initial project scope will give us a north star and set clear expectations between us and the client.
Establishing the problem to be solved early on also allows us to create an initial project scope around the value we bring through our skills, services, and specific solution. It makes it easier to highlight our value when we present billable scope changes based on new client requests and evolving needs.
Get clear on project strategy
Scope creep tends to happen when freelance projects lack clearly defined goals and requirements. As freelancers, it can be extra challenging since we are not privy to the birds-eye view of our client’s full business operations.
If your prospective client does not initiate with a well-defined project outline prepared, you will have a couple options before you proceed:
- Provide your prospect with a series of onboarding questions intersecting their business and your offering. Use their response to draft a proposed project scope.
- If it seems like they do not already have a clear direction in their business and their needs or if there is a misalignment with your skills and services, politely communicate it is unfortunately not a good fit. You can go above and beyond by recommending someone else you know who can help or suggest where they can look to get project clarity.
Neither scenario has you agreeing to work without a clearly defined project scope. You want to get super clear on project strategy to be able to create an initial project scope, and agree on it in writing, before you begin.
Keep it agile and maintain a process
Another cause of scope creep is the lack of a formal process for scope changes from evolving project needs and continuous client requests. As freelancers, we are service providers and want to be flexible and adaptable to client needs, but we have to navigate it without burning out and resenting the work or the client.
Scope changes in freelance projects are inevitable, especially if we are working with businesses and products operating with an iterative approach. Maybe customer research revealed the product needs repositioning or a sudden change in company circumstance means non-urgent features need to be pushed to a “phase 2”.
In these cases, it brings no value to the client if we respond by pushing to execute on the original scope when the original scope no longer serves their business. What we can do here is adapt with a scope change process already in place.
The client needs more revisions after the agreed-upon 2? No problem, we add them into the scope change document. The dashboard needs to be re-worked after client approval because test users had a hard time with the interface; we also add it to the scope change document. You are a service provider hired for your specific solution aligning with the client’s particular problem.
You keep it agile because project circumstances inevitably add to new deliverables and tasks. E.g.:
- Client wants to see 2 more design variations to choose from
- Client’s team requires 2 more weeks of support post-launch
- etc.
But the ultimate problem you are solving (the project goal) should remain the same. E.g.:
- Increase customer conversions from client’s marketing website
- Reduce churn resulting from high learning curve in product UI
- etc.
Sample scope change document
A well documented scope change request includes a summary with itemized deliverables and tasks, an updated estimated timeline to implement the new updates, and the cost the client should expect to pay upfront.
Here is a sample scope change document based on Price Boldly.
We like this format for its clear, direct, and respectful communication of revised deliverables and tasks. This method offers both project expectations and client support lending to continued freelancer-client relationships.
All-in-all
Agreeing to an initial project scope is the first step to setting your project scope boundaries. As flexible and adaptable freelancers, we don’t need to be rigid with the initial scope to maintain these boundaries though. We can establish a formal process through gathering new deliverable and task requests into scope change documents outlining exactly what new items we’re delivering, when, and the cost to your client.
Elegantly setting and enforcing boundaries on freelance project scope using proper scope change management turns additional requests into money in the bank.
