The PMBOK Guide recognizes six project constraints: scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, and risk. Project constraints are limitations imposed on the project, like the budget, schedule, or resources. You can see how, if any of the assumptions above turn out differently, your project will be radically affected. The supplier will deliver consumables on time.Your team members have all the required skills.All relevant stakeholders will come to the next meeting.During the rainy season, cheap labor will be available.You will get all the resources you need.Therefore, as a project manager, you must analyze each assumption and predict its impact. However, you couldn’t get it when the time came due to shortages or supply-chain problems.Īssumptions play an essential role in developing a risk management plan. Now your shopping is at risk because you don’t have as much time as planned.įor example, you assumed that you could get the necessary equipment whenever you needed it. What will happen if you are stuck in traffic and can’t reach the mall on time? You assumed it would take one hour for you to reach the destination. In fact, they can sometimes be false and may negatively affect your project, adding risk to the project.įor example, let us reconsider the earlier example. You make assumptions based on your experience or the information available on hand.Īssumptions may not end up being true. These are anticipated events or circumstances that are expected during your project’s life cycle. Project AssumptionsĪn assumption is what you believe to be true. You should outline your project’s assumptions and constraints in the project scope statement. However, documenting them helps to protect you from future aggravation. Project assumptions and constraints are key to many processes in the PMBOK Guide.Īn essential aspect of your project, assumptions, and constraints are not managed like requirements or risks. Throughout the project life cycle, they will be refined and re-analyzed. Project assumptions and constraints are identified at the beginning of the project. Project Assumptions and Project Constraints You must understand and manage these factors if you want to complete your project successfully. Similarly, projects also have assumptions and constraints. This means you cannot continue your shopping after that. The second constraint is the mall’s closing time let us say it is at 10:30 pm. If you have 500 USD in your hand, that’s all you can spend on this shopping trip. In the shopping example, you can think of two. This is an example of an assumption, something you believe to be true. You assumed that you would leave your home at around 6:00 pm and reach the mall by 7:00 pm. Imagine you want to go shopping at a mall that takes one hour to reach by car. Today, we will discuss project assumptions and constraints by looking at a real-world example.