How To: Write a Project Scope

How To: Write a Project Scope

Let’s talk briefly about project scopes.

A scope is a summary that outlines everything you’re looking to execute on and, most importantly, what you hope to accomplish with your project. It’s the one thing all players – your Client Lead, colleagues, manager, & agency partners — can turn to for direction.

Between our template + the support of your Client Lead, we’re confident our process will get you both the agency and results you’re looking for. This guide outlines everything you need to know (and more) to get started.

The Importance of a Good Project Scope

At Breef, we consider scopes the starting point for every project. Since there are many ‘players’ within a project, a good project scope is crucial to a project’s success.

- For YOU, the client: the scope is your opportunity to clearly define your needs, budgets, expectations, and timeline. Simply put, it helps you wrap your head around your project’s needs.

- For our Curators: the scope helps determine what agency partners will be the best fit for your brand and project. We consider everything from your budget to brand aesthetic when inviting a team to submit a proposal.

- For our Agencies: the scope helps them craft a tailored pitch. A pitch includes pricing per deliverable, start date, additional considerations, and most importantly why they should be chosen to work on your project.

The Key Components of a Scope

The more details you can share, the better. Within the Breef platform, you’ll be guided through the entire process, which includes the following:

- Project Overview: the top-line including project name, a short summary, and your goals.

- Project Details: it’s here where you’ll include budget, start date, where you’d like your agency to be located, etc.

- Project Deliverables: an outline of the various components of your project. Some projects may only have one deliverable (i.e. strategy), while others are more complex with multiple phases and deliverables (i.e. strategy, design, development, & management).

- Misc. Considerations: if the above doesn’t cover it, include anything you haven’t noted. If you have things that readers ‘must know’ or important FYIs around your brand, list them here.

What If I Don’t Know How to Write a Scope?

That’s totally OK. This is where your Client Lead comes in and can assist with writing your project scope(start to finish) or even giving it a final review before posting. Expert knowledge is what sets Breef apart.

We understand that it might be your first time building an app or launching a brand. In that case, it’s hard to know where to start. Our Client Leads are industry experts who know how to outline your project perfectly. They’ve seen it all and know what successful companies have done in the past.

Can I Make Changes or Edits to My Scope?

Of course! It’s important to remember your scope is a starting point. Details around your project can always be clarified on calls with your ‘shortlist’ of teams, and again with your selected agency. Remember a project scope isn’t final until you’ve signed a SOW (scope of work).

And, because good things take time, you can always save a draft scope. Take your time; ask your Client Lead for advice, or even share your scope internally for approval.

When My Scope Is Finalized – What’s Next?

Now comes the fun part! Once your scope is finalized, it’s ready to post.

To unlock tailored proposals from Breef's community of vetted agencies, post your project by purchasing a ‘Project Credit’ ($399).

From there, expect to receive project proposals within about 5 days (or less). Compare that to doing the whole agency search yourself, running multiple interviews, and trying to explain yourself over and again – for the average project, all can take 4 weeks or more. Companies need to move fast. That’s why they use Breef.

Remember – it all starts with a great project scope!

We hope this guide helps. As always, if you have any questions, you can reach out to your Client Lead or send us a quick message via chat or at support@breef.com.