Where should I register the assumptions and restrictions?

In this podcast, Ricardo explains that, unlike what many people think, the assumptions and restrictions (or constraints) often need to be registered not only in one but in several documents throughout the progression of the project planning.

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Episode transcript

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Hello everybody welcome to the five minutes PM podcast today. I want like to discuss with you where in, when I should register by assumptions and my restrictions. This is a question that I received many times. How should I put the restrictions and assumptions in the process of charter? Should I do it on the scope statement? So I want just to break this concept, because if you go back to the earlier versions of the PMBOK guide, you see clearly together with the project, charter, assumptions and restrictions, and now this is something like disappear on the floor and then people say, should I do it on the project charter?

Should I do it on the scope statement? So lets try to understand this better. First, as I said in, in an honor podcast, and also in my videocast assumptions are thinks that you believe our true restrictions are thinks that restrict you. For example, I believe that tomorrow will not rain so I can do that service. So this is an assumption when I tell you, I have only John and Annie, as resource as for my project, I'm telling you a restriction because I don't have any other people.

You, we start doing this, of course at the project charter at the project charter, if you will figure out which kind of high level restrictions, high level assumptions in my project, which are the aspects that will make a huge effect in a more global aspects. And of course this year will register on the project charter or not you, but maybe you're a sponsor. You're a sponsoring teams. But when you move to the requirements, when you move to the scope statement, you need to revisit that the assumptions so that you need, just understand that the concept of assumption and restrictions, date simple like Kovar, all of the project plan because they're is not one moment.

Okay, now I did all assumptions and all restrictions. And now it's over. This does not exist because when you, our, for example, doing your own quality planning may be, you were making a lot of assumptions. You are making an assumption that the Pareto chart will identify the root reasons of the problems in quality in your project. Maybe this cannot be true. So you need to understand that the concept of assumptions and restrictions, they cover all the planning steps.

So there is no specific moment since the beginning up to the end, you need to figure out which are my assumptions. Are they still valid at the end? The assumptions we'll go where we'll go to the risk register because every single assumption comes with a certain level of risk that you need to manage. And maybe as a response for those risk, you need to change the scope. You need to change the quality requirements. You need to change some HR aspect. So you need to understand. So I don't like the concept, the very poorest concept that, Oh, there is a point now is the time to find the assumption they in restrictions.

And then when it's done, it's done. I write them on a piece of paper and it's done. Let's move on. This is not like real life happens. So don't be over concerned about the methodology and the steps don't be So control freak. You need to understand that project management is a process is not mathematics is a process. So during the, or the planning, you mean to go back and see, my assumptions are still valid. My restrictions, we are still in place.

Can I reduce the restrictions I have? Can I control more the assumptions? So this is a dynamic process that will happen in every single step off your planning process. There is no specific moment and there is no specific document. Of course, this assumptions and restrictions will appear on the WBS. Shark will appear in your scaffold, will the assumption's on your risk register may be in your standard of quality that we are doing. Maybe on the way you were building your team is a response to an, a specific assumptions that you raise it before.

So understand that, but this is a very dynamic process. There is no one time shot to solve this. So think about that because this is what makes our project successful and not the burden or control and methodology. And following the process, think about that. Success is what really matters.

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Where should I register the assumptions and restrictions?

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