The purpose of developing a project scope management plan is to:

According to the PMBOK® Guide (Project Management Body of Knowledge), specifically within the Project Scope Management knowledge area:

Ensure all work is included (Option B): The primary purpose of Project Scope Management is to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. The Scope Management Plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and validated. Its fundamental goal is to manage what is and is not included in the project to prevent " scope creep. "

Timely Completion (Option A): This is the primary purpose of the Project Schedule Management knowledge area. While scope affects the schedule, the management of time is a distinct process.

Satisfy Needs (Option C): This is the primary focus of Project Quality Management. Quality management ensures that the project deliverables meet the requirements and satisfy the needs for which the project was undertaken (fitness for use).

Reduce Risk (Option D): This is the primary focus of the Project Risk Management knowledge area. While a well-defined scope reduces ambiguity and thus risk, the specific objective of " reducing negative events " belongs to the risk processes.

In the PMI framework, the Scope Management Plan acts as the guidebook for the project team, providing the necessary processes to document the project ' s boundaries and ensure that the final product meets the stakeholders ' initial requirements without unnecessary additions.