Scope creep refers to the phenomenon where the scope of a project gradually increases over time due to small, incremental changes that were not initially planned or approved. This can happen when:

New featuresor requirements are added without proper evaluation or approval.

Stakeholderscontinuously request small changes or additions.

Lack of a clear scope definitionand change control process.

These small changes can accumulate, leading to significant deviations from the original project plan, affecting the project's schedule, budget, and overall success.

References

Project Management Institute, "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)," PMI.

Kathy Schwalbe, "Information Technology Project Management," Cengage Learning.