Overview of Change Management

The Project Change Management Process is followed during the Execution phase of the Project Management Life Cycle once the project has been formally defined and planned.

What is the Change Management Process

The Change Management Process is a method by which changes to the project (for example, to the scope, deliverables, timescales, or resources) are formally defined, evaluated, and approved before implementation. The process entails completing various control procedures to ensure that, if implemented, the change will cause minimal impact on the project's objectives.

The Change Management Process is used to ensure that every change identified is:

When to use the Change Management Process?

Any change to the project during the Execution phase will need to be formally managed as part of the Change Management Process. Without a formal Change Management Process, the objective of delivering a solution - within time, cost and quality - may be compromised.

The Change Management Process is terminated when the Execution phase of the project is completed (such as just before project closure).

Change Management Process

Overview

The Change Management Process ensures that each change introduced to the project environment is appropriately defined, evaluated, and approved before implementation.

Change Management will be introduced to this project through the implementation of five key processes:

Identify and Submit Change Request

This process allows any project team member to submit a request for a change to the project.

The Change Requester:

The RFC summarizes the change:

Review Change Request

The Project Manager reviews the RFC and determines whether or not additional information is required for the Change Advisory Board to assess the full impact of the change on the project time, scope, and cost.

The decision will be based on factors, such as:

The Project Manager will record the RFC details in the Change Log to track the status of the change request.

Approve Change Request

The Project Manager will forward the Change Request Form and any supporting documentation to the Change Advisory Board or Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) for review and final approval.

They will determine the feasibility of this change by examining factors, such as:

After a formal review, they may:

Implement and Close Change Request

If the change is approved, the following will occur:

Change Management Roles

The following will play a role in the request, review, tracking, and approval of a change request:

Change Requester

The Change Requester initially recognizes a need for change to the project and formally communicates this requirement to the Project Manager. The Change Requester is responsible for the following:

Project Manager

The Project Manager receives, logs, monitors, and controls the progress of all changes within a project. The Project Manager is responsible for the following:

Change Control Board

The Change Advisory Board (CAB) is the Steering Committee or other authorized body who is the principle authority for all RFCs forwarded by the Project Manager. The Change Advisory Board Group is responsible for the following:

Project Team/Project Manager

The Project Team and Project Manager schedule and implement all changes. This group is responsible for the following:

Change Management Documents

The following documentation is used to monitor and/or control changes to the project.

 

Related Topics