What best describes scope creep in incident investigations?

• A. Expanding the investigation beyond its original objective; avoid by defining objective, boundaries, and acceptance criteria at start, with regular scope reviews.
• B. Narrowing the scope to only the initial incident.
• C. Adding more investigators to the team improves accuracy.
• D. It refers to scope of the building project rather than the investigation.

Answer: (D)

Scope creep in incident investigations is the gradual expansion of the investigation beyond its original objective and boundaries, often by adding new questions, areas, or stakeholders without adjusting the plan, timeline, or resources. This shift erodes focus and can delay the outcome. The remedy is clear upfront: define the objective, boundaries, and acceptance criteria, and use regular scope reviews with a formal change process for any additions. In practice, keep the investigation focused on the specific incident, its causal factors, and the recommended corrective actions within the agreed scope. Expanding to unrelated topics would be scope creep; narrowing to the initial incident is simply maintaining scope; adding more investigators doesn’t by itself constitute creep; and referring to the building project is unrelated to the investigation’s scope.