wieScopeCreep

wieScopeCreep is a term used in some project-management discussions to describe a form of scope creep focused on how deliverables are implemented rather than on the features themselves. It refers to the gradual expansion of a project’s boundaries as teams repeatedly refine methods, architectures, or processes in response to new questions about how to achieve requirements. The term is not part of formal PMBOK or PRINCE2 terminology and is treated as a colloquial or organizational concept in many contexts.

Causes of wieScopeCreep include unclear or evolving requirements, weak or delayed change-control processes, and a culture of continuous improvement that treats implementation questions as new work. Stakeholders may request additional technical exploration, optimization, or refactoring under the banner of “how” to implement, which can lead to additional tasks, dependencies, and integration work beyond the original plan. Poor communication and lack of a clear definition of done can also contribute.

Impact can include longer timelines, higher costs, greater risk of integration issues, and diverting teams from delivering core functionality. Projects may experience diminished momentum or degraded quality if wieScopeCreep is not managed, especially when implementation discussions repeatedly introduce unapproved work.

Mitigation emphasizes strong governance and requirements engineering: establish a clearly defined scope baseline, implement formal change control, timebox exploration and refactoring, and use incremental delivery with regular reviews. Clear criteria for when “how” changes require approval helps keep scope aligned with business objectives. See also scope creep, change management, and requirements engineering.