Explain the Different Stages of a Typical Change Control Process Flashcards
Why Change Control?
- We may not be able to control it happening but we want to remain in control
- Changes may be: > Unavoidable > Highly desirable > Unnecessary > Not useful
- Proposed change should be formally controlled, understanding the impact of a proposed change before a decision is made
Change Reviews
- Prior to approval and implementation, changes need to fully reviewed by:
> project team
relevant stakeholders
project sponsor
- Impact must be assessed against
> the project - Business-as-usual
- other projects
- Approved changes should be fully documented and efficiently communicated
Change Control Process
- Projects must have an effective change control process
- The project manager is responsible for ensuring
> a robust process is in place
> it is used
> the project team is familiar with its operation
Change Control Process Steps
- Change request and change log
- Initial evaluation
- Recommendation
- Update plans
- Implement
Change Request
- Change request is the process through which all requests to change the baseline scope of a project, programme, or portfolio are captured, evaluated and then approved, rejected or deferred
- The requesting stakeholder provides relevant information on the nature of the change
- Perhaps on a change request form
- Each change is entered in to the change log
- ALL change requests should be registered along with their status e.g. > pending > approved > rejected > deferred
Change Request Initial Evaluation
- Is the request worth evaluating in detail or is it even possible
- consumes resources, which is a deviation from the plan
- the proposed change may be rejected at this stage
Change Request Detailed Evaluation
- The change is evaluated to consider the impact on the project’s baseline :
> scope > time > cost > quality > benefits
- other factors such as risk, safety, and environmental impact may also be considered
Change Request Impact Assessment
- what would have to change
- what effort would the change require
- what is the affect on schedule/ budget
- what are the knock on effects
- would the business case alter
- would the risks increase or decrease
- would the agreed time for delivery change
- is the change within agreed tolerances
Note: That for proposed major changes, the effort involved in analysing the impact can itself have a significant impact on the project and therefore the analysis needs to be approved.
Change Request Recommendation
- a recommendation is made that the change should be:
> approved
rejected
deferred
- the sponsor has ultimate authority to act
- the decision must be communicated
Change Request Update Plans
- planning determines what is to be delivered, how much will it cost, when it will have delivered, how will be delivered and who will carry it out
- if a change is approved, all plans are updated to reflect the change
Change Request Implement
- all necessary actions are taken to implement the change, including updating project documentation
- the implementation is monitored along with the rest of the project
- unauthorised changes should be put through the process retrospectively
Change Request Change Control Log/ Register
- The log consists of:
> change request form
current status
ultimate outcome in terms of effect on : schedule, budget, any other knock on effects
part of the audit trail
current stat of project should = baseline project plan + approved changed
unauthorised changes should be processed retrospectively
Change Request Scope Creep
- Scope Creep is when a project’s scope gets bigger and bigger
- common cause of project failure alongside uncontrolled change
- increases cost
- causes unplanned delay
- has a detrimental effect on quality
- reduces morale and productivity
DISADVANATGES
- can be bureaucratic
- can be long winded
- can be expensive
- sometimes used to discourage change
- can make projects unresponsive to changing needs
