On these pages you will find resources to assist in managing Fixed Scope Projects & Maintenance & Enhancement Work as well as information about conducting a Software Process Improvement (SPI) Program. 

What are Fixed Scope Projects?

Fixed Scope Projects are projects where there is a defined set of requirements & where the size and complexity of the requirements is enough to warrant managing the project using the Fixed Scope Project Lifecycle. Fixed Scope Projects are generally done as part of a Fixed Cost Contract but they can also be completed under a Time & Materials contract (see definitions of contract types below).

What is Maintenance & Ehancement Work?

Maintenance & Enhancement work is where an existing system is being enhanced and maintained over time and as such the overall requirements are largely unknown and /or where the scope of work is too small (ie. less than 100 hours) to warrant the overhead of a Fixed Scope Project Lifecycle. This kind of work uses the simpler M&E Lifecycle. M&E work is generally always done under a Time and Materials contract (see definitions of contract types below).

Fixed Price vs Time & Materials Contracts

BFC projects are all carried out under a formal contract. There are different contract types (MSA, Consulting Agreement) but all contracts will be either Fixed Price or Time & Materials in terms of billing.

Fixed Price Contract - where BFC provides an upfront fixed dollar amount (ie. the Budget) to implement the defined requirements. The client is billed a fixed amount according to a billing schedule which is part of both the Contract and the Project Plan. Changes to the Budget are managed by the PM via the variation process. In fixed price projects, variations can generally only be raised when the requirements of the project are changed. Changes to requirements can be initiated by the client or by BFC.

Time & Materials Contract - where BFC provides an estimate up front (in hours multiplied by an hourly rate) to deliver the requirements. In these kinds of projects, the requirements are generally less well defined and may change frequently throughout the life of the project. The client is billed at the end of each billing cycle (unless otherwise agreed) with the invoice amount being the total of all hours booked to the project work orders during that period multiplied by the hourly rate agreed in the contract. Estimate overruns are managed by the Project Manager via the variation process. In T&M projects, the requirements do not necessarily need to change in order for a variation to be raised.