What Are the Three Components of a Scope Baseline in Project Management?

Which Project Document Is Not Part of the Scope Baseline: Risk Register or WBS?

Clarify what constitutes a scope baseline in project management. Learn why the Risk Register is excluded and understand the roles of the Project Scope Statement and WBS.

Question

You are managing a predictive project to develop a new software application. During a team meeting, a junior project team member is confused about what constitutes the scope baseline and asks you for clarification. They present the following components and ask which one doesn’t belong to the scope baseline.

A. Risk Register
B. Project Scope Statement
C. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Answer

A. Risk Register

Explanation

The scope baseline in a predictive project specifically consists of three components: the Project Scope Statement (which defines the project’s boundaries and deliverables), the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (which decomposes deliverables into smaller components), and the WBS Dictionary (which provides detailed descriptions of WBS elements). The Risk Register is a separate project document used to track identified risks and their mitigation strategies; it is not part of the scope baseline, although it may influence scope decisions.