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Lack of change control management is considered one of the biggest barriers to project success. If project managers don’t apply the best practices for documenting and controlling the scope of work, the project wouldn’t be able to accomplish its goal. 

• Stakeholders will badly remember what was, or what wasn’t, or what should be in scope. 

• “Great ideas” that could have a great impact on the project’s schedule, cost, and final benefit wouldn’t be implemented. 

• Poorly managed change control can have negative impression on customer’s expectations and their opinions on the project manager’s effectiveness. 

So, in order for these to not happen, you need a formal change control and governance process. Here’s an example of how this process would work: 

1. Change Request is proposed.
   This includes a change description, rationale, expected benefits or other reason for change. It is written in a Change Request Form and is added to the project’s Change Log.
   
   

2. Change Request’s impact is assessed.
   The Change Request is fully assessed for overall impacts on the project baselines such as scope, schedule, cost, customer outcomes and benefits. Implementation options are prepared to provide stakeholders the bases for making decision.
   
   

3. Change Request is Reviewed.
   The Project Change Control Board will consider the options and make an informed decision whether the change should go ahead. Alternatively, if the change is rejected, then potential impacts would be accepted by the project.
   
   

4. Change Request is approved and incorporated.
   Once the change is approved, it is incorporated as part of the new project baseline (scope, schedule, cost, benefits). It is then the Project Manager’s responsibility to deliver on this new baseline. As such, it is importantly to ensure the change is fully assessed and impacts are accurately estimated and incorporated in this process.

Now, what are the benefits of having a change control process? 

• Ensuring no scope creep or changes in project baseline due to outside factors which can seriously derail the project delivery 

• Strong governance helps align all relevant parties – delivery team, stakeholders, customers, business, vendors etc. 

• Ensuring the project team is focused on delivering to the baselined items. 

Focus HQ provides the capability to manage and track baseline changes. A Change Request can be raised for all aspects of changes: 

• Variation to the delivery end date 

• Budget (contingency draw down, or additional budget) 

• Benefits (Financial, Quantitative)

Once the Change Request is approved, the new baseline is automatically established 

• Schedule module - New baselined delivery end date 

• Budget module – application of the approved contingency draw down, or additional budget’s $Amount, either CAPEX or OPEX 

• Benefits module – application of the changes in financial or quantitative benefits

Feel free to have a walkthrough with the Change Control module in this video below.