Project scope refers to the detailed set of deliverables or features of a project. These deliverables are derived from a project's requirements. Project Scope is the common understanding among stakeholders about what goes into a project and what factors define its success. A project’s scope influences project planning in every way and once it’s defined, project managers plan the project path, schedule, and budget.

This involves the process of gathering and defining the needs and requirements of stakeholders. Failure to properly gather and define these requirements at the outset of a project can lead to scope creep later when changes or additions to the project are requested. To mitigate this, it's important to leverage techniques such as interviews, focus groups and surveys to thoroughly understand and document stakeholder requirements. Effective requirements elicitation ultimately enables a project to progress smoothly, on time and within budget.

A Work Breakdown Structure is an essential tool in project management. It is a decomposition of a project into smaller, manageable chunks or components. It serves as a visual representation of what work is needed to complete the project. A well-defined WBS can help in preventing scope creep. This is because it provides a clear overview on the scope of work and helps in identifying any specific deliverable that is not aligned with the scope, hence minimizing project overruns and scope creep.

The change management process involves monitoring, tracking, and controlling changes that occur during the lifecycle of a project. It plays a critical role in preventing scope creep by ensuring that any requested changes to the project scope go through a formal approval process before they're implemented. This helps in preventing unauthorized changes or misunderstandings about the scope from leading to scope creep. Consequently, the project is likely to stay on track without unnecessary delays or cost overruns.

Scope validation is the review process used to ensure that the deliverables being produced align with the defined scope. It is a routine, ongoing process that occurs throughout the project lifecycle. Scope validation can catch discrepancies early and prevent them from triggering unintended scope creep. It maintains project integrity by verifying that all the project tasks and deliverables stay within the agreed-upon boundaries. This helps in managing stakeholders' expectations and keeping the project on track.

A project baseline is the starting point or a standard by which the project scope, schedule and costs are measured. Keeping these baselines in mind helps control scope creep by setting the standards against which project performance is measured. A baseline can be a benchmark for the whole project or individual tasks. Any deviation beyond the baseline must be justified and approved through the change management process. This way, it ensures that any required changes or additions align with the project goals and objectives, keeping scope creep in check.

Scope planning is a critical conceptual plan in project management that entails defining and documenting a project's specific goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines. It serves as a guide that helps to manage what is within or outside the project's boundaries. This concept is fundamental in preventing scope creep, as unclear scopes can lead to feature creep, cost overruns, and delay in delivery time. A well-defined scope planning ensures that everyone on the team understands what is expected, thus eliminating any ambiguities that might cause scope creep.

Scope definition is the process of detailing the project's deliverables and breaking them down into manageable and achievable tasks. This helps to ascertain what is included in and excluded from the project. Having a clearly defined scope ensures that scope creep, which typically occurs due to a lack of understanding or changing requirements, is kept to a minimum. Scope Definition hence acts as a reference point throughout the life cycle of the project, enabling project managers to stay focused and preventing the project from deviating from its original course.

Scope monitoring involves reviewing the project at various stages to confirm if it is on track with the outlined scope. It serves to ensure that the project remains within its defined boundaries despite unforeseen challenges. This involves assessing the performance and progress against the project plan. Since scope creep often results from small, unnoticed changes adding up over time, effective scope monitoring can aid in identifying these changes early before they become significant issues, thereby mitigating the risk of scope creep.

Risk Management relates to the mitigation of potential threats that could interfere with the project's scope. These threats, if not properly managed, may cause scope creep. The process involves the identification, analysis, evaluation, and mitigation of risks that could negatively impact the project. A well-implemented risk management plan would include mechanisms that can help to identify potential issues driving scope creep such as timeline threats, requirement changes, etc., and deal with them proactively.