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Stop scope creep, protect your creative vision, and deliver design projects on time and within budget using practical, lightweight tools.
Scope is one of the most powerful—and most misunderstood—drivers of design project success. In architecture and project delivery, “scope” is not a single concept but a layered system that includes the client’s functional program, the scope of professional services, the design team’s project scope, and the final deliverables themselves. When these layers are not clearly defined and actively managed, misalignment, rework, and stakeholder conflict quickly follow.
This practical course introduces simple, effective tools for managing scope across complex design projects. It focuses on how project architects and managers can gather and analyse information, prioritise competing expectations, and facilitate structured decision-making with stakeholders. Emphasis is placed on Facilitated Decision Making as a core interpersonal and leadership skill, enabling clearer agreements, better documentation, and more controlled project outcomes from concept through delivery.
Key Topics Discussed:
Architect, B.Arch., MDE, OAA, PMP
Donald Ardiel is an architect, educator, and project manager. Following 30 years in architectural practice, Don assumed the positions of Director of Practice Support and the Director of Syllabus at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada from 2016 to 2020. Following retirement from the RAIC, Don has provided project management education for design professionals to national and international clients. Don is the editor of A Guide to Determining Appropriate Fees for the Services of an Architect 2nd Edition, and editor-in-chief of the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects 3rd Edition. In addition to architectural practice, Don has been an instructor and workshop leader in project and practice management for 30 years. As an education consultant, he has provided curriculum development and instructional design services to post-secondary institutions and professional associations. He continues his commitment to the architectural profession through his active volunteer work with the Ontario Association of Architects, Canadian Architectural Certification Board’s Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program, and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Syllabus Program. Don received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in 1987 and a Master of Distance Education from Athabasca University in 2008. Don has been a member of the Project Management Institute since 1992 and certified Project Management Professional since 2008. Don is an active board member of the United Church of Canada’s children’s camp, Camp Kee-Mo-Kee in Komoka, Ontario.