Scope creep

Scope Creep Skill

Detects scope creep on client projects, generates a PRD for the requested work, creates a ticket in your project management system, and routes through an approval workflow before any action or quote is sent.

Works for any service business — web agencies, dev shops, design studios, marketing agencies, consultancies.

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Configuration

Replace these placeholders before using:

Placeholder	Replace with
{{AGENCY_NAME}}	Your agency or business name
{{SUPPORT_EMAIL}}	Your client-facing support email
{{PM_TOOL}}	Your PM system (Linear, Jira, Asana, ClickUp, etc.)
{{APPROVER_NAME}}	Name of person who approves scope changes
{{APPROVER_EMAIL}}	Their email
{{HOURLY_RATE}}	Your standard hourly rate
{{PAYMENT_TERMS}}	e.g. "50% deposit, 50% on completion"

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Overview: Full Scope Creep Lifecycle

Client Email / Message / Call
          ↓
  Scope Check (vs scope_doc)
          ↓
  Scope Creep Detected
          ↓
  Generate PRD
          ↓
  Create PM Ticket (flagged)
          ↓
  Approval Queue → {{APPROVER_NAME}}
          ↓
  ┌──────────────────────┐
  │   Decision           │
  └──────────────────────┘
    ↓              ↓
  APPROVED       DECLINED
    ↓              ↓
  Send quote    Send OOS
  Add tasks     response
  Update scope

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Step 1 — Scope Check

Every project should have a scope_doc — plain text describing exactly what was contracted. This is the baseline all detection runs against.

If you don't have a scope_doc yet: Create one now from the original proposal or contract. See references/scope-doc-template.md.

Compare the request against the scope_doc using three layers:

Layer 1 — Hard OOS (auto-flag, no PRD needed)

• References a completely different client, domain, or project
• Requests a platform change (e.g., WordPress → Shopify)
• New work on a project already marked complete/delivered

Layer 2 — Scope Creep (requires PRD + approval)

• New page, section, or deliverable not in original list
• New feature not in original proposal
• Additional revision rounds beyond what was contracted
• New third-party integration not scoped
• Content or copy work beyond contracted volume
• SEO, analytics, or marketing work beyond basic setup

Layer 3 — Ambiguous (flag for {{APPROVER_NAME}} review)

• Vague request that could be an in-scope fix or a new feature
• Expansion of an existing feature ("make the form do more")
• Request from a new contact not on the original project
• Anything where scope_doc is missing or unclear

Full detection rules and edge cases → references/scope-detection-rules.md

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Step 2 — Generate PRD

For every confirmed or ambiguous scope creep item, generate a PRD. Store it wherever your team keeps project docs (Drive, Notion, Confluence, etc.)

PRD template → references/prd-template.md

Key sections:

1. Request summary (1–2 sentences, plain English)
2. Original scope (paste from scope_doc)
3. Gap analysis (what's being added)
4. Proposed solution (brief technical approach)
5. Tasks required (with hour estimates)
6. Dependencies
7. Estimate (hours × rate + timeline)
8. Impact on current project
9. Risks
10. Recommendation (add now / separate project / decline / defer)
11. Approval block

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Step 3 — Create PM Ticket

Create a ticket in {{PM_TOOL}} flagged as a scope change.

Ticket fields:

Type:        Change Request
Title:       Scope Change: [Feature Name] — [Client Name]
Status:      Pending Approval
Priority:    Medium
Assigned to: {{APPROVER_NAME}}
Labels:      scope-creep, change-order
Description: [PRD summary — sections 1–3]
Link:        [Link to full PRD]
Source:      [Original email/message link or reference]
Rollback:    If declined — send OOS response, close ticket, no work added.

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Step 4 — Add to Project (Pending)

Create a placeholder task on the project board with status pending_approval. Mark it visually distinct (different color, blocked label) so it doesn't get picked up and worked on accidentally.

Task note: Pending approval — see [ticket link]. Do not start until approved.

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Step 5 — Notify {{APPROVER_NAME}}

Send an internal notification (Slack, email, PM comment) with:

🔴 Scope Change — Approval Needed
Client:   [client name]
Project:  [project name]
Request:  [one-line summary]
Estimate: $[X] / [X] hours
PRD:      [link]

[Approve] [Decline] [Need More Info]

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Step 6 — Approval Decision

If APPROVED

1. Activate the pending task on the project board
2. Update scope_doc to include the new item
3. Send change order / quote to client (template in references)
4. Update PM ticket → Approved
5. Log scope change in project history

If DECLINED

1. Remove or archive the pending task
2. Update PM ticket → Declined
3. Send OOS response to client (template in references)

If MORE INFO NEEDED

1. Update PM ticket → On Hold
2. Draft clarifying question to client
3. {{APPROVER_NAME}} reviews before sending

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Key Rules

1. Never start work on scope creep without approval — a pending task is just a placeholder, not a green light
2. Always generate PRD first — ticket links to PRD, not the other way
3. scope_doc must be updated on approval — never let it go stale
4. Client gets a quote before work starts — no surprise billing, ever
5. Declined items get a response — client should never hear nothing

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Reference Files

• references/scope-detection-rules.md — Full detection logic, edge cases
• references/prd-template.md — 11-section PRD template
• references/change-order-templates.md — Client email templates (6 scenarios)
• references/scope-doc-template.md — How to write a scope_doc from scratch

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Need This Built Into Your System?

This skill describes a process. If you want it running automatically — emails classified, PRDs generated, tickets created, approval queue in a dashboard — that's a systems build.

Cynthia Schomp builds AI-powered operations infrastructure for service businesses: custom dashboards, automated workflows, Gmail and PM integrations, and the full stack behind skills like this one.

→ cynthiaschomp.com