Change is an inevitable part of any project, and it can occur at any stage, from the initial planning to the final delivery.
However, if changes are not managed properly, they can disrupt the project’s schedule, budget, and quality, leading to delays, cost overruns, and stakeholder dissatisfaction.
Therefore, it is essential to have a well-defined change control process in place that can help project managers and teams to manage changes effectively and efficiently.
It helps to ensure that any changes are properly evaluated, approved, documented, communicated, and implemented in a controlled and systematic manner, while minimizing the risk of negative impacts on project objectives, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Let’s discuss what is change control process and what are its key phases.
What is Change Control Process in Project Management ?
Change control process in project management refers to the systematic approach of reviewing, assessing, approving, and implementing changes to a project’s scope, schedule, budget, or any other aspect of the project that may have an impact on its success.
It involves a set of formal procedures and tools that are used to manage and track changes throughout the project lifecycle, from initiation to closure.
The main goal of the change control process is to ensure that any changes to the project are properly evaluated, approved, documented, communicated, and implemented in a controlled and efficient manner, while minimizing the risk of negative impacts on project objectives, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction
07 Phases of Change Control Process in Project Management
The change control process in project management typically consists of several phases or steps that are followed to manage changes effectively. Although the specific steps may vary depending on the organization, the project, and the nature of the change, the following are the typical phases of the change control process:
1. Identification of Change
The identification of change is the first phase in the change control process, and it involves recognizing potential changes to the project. This phase can occur throughout the project’s lifecycle and may result from various sources, such as stakeholders, team members, or external factors.
The project team must be alert to potential changes to the project’s scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, and resources and document them appropriately. This documentation should include a description of the change, its impact, the person proposing the change, and the date of submission.
2. Change Request Submission
Change request submission is a critical aspect of the change control process in project management. It involves the formal submission of a proposed change to the project team for review and evaluation. A change request should include a clear description of the change, its impact on the project, the person or group proposing the change, and any supporting documentation.
The change request should also indicate the urgency of the change, the proposed timeline for implementation, and any other relevant information. The submission of a change request triggers the change control process and initiates a series of activities and tasks, such as change request management, change impact assessment, and change evaluation and approval.
3. Change Evaluation
Change evaluation is a crucial activity in the change control process that involves assessing the proposed change’s feasibility and impact. During this phase, the project team evaluates the change request’s potential effects on the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, and resources. The team may use various tools and techniques, such as cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and impact matrices, to evaluate the change’s feasibility and impact.
The change request is also evaluated based on established criteria, such as its relevance to the project objectives, its alignment with the project’s strategic goals, and its potential to deliver value to stakeholders. Based on the evaluation, the project team determines whether to approve, reject, or defer the proposed change.
4. Change Approval
Change approval is a critical activity in the change control process that involves evaluating the proposed change and deciding whether to approve or reject it. The project team evaluates the change request based on its impact on the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, and resources. If the change is approved, the project team documents the approved change, updates the project plan, and communicates the change to relevant stakeholders.
The team may also need to revise the project budget, schedule, and risk management plan to reflect the approved change. By approving changes systematically and transparently, the project team can ensure that stakeholders are informed and that any approved changes align with the project’s objectives and constraints.
5. Change Implementation
Change implementation is the phase of the change control process that involves executing the approved change in a controlled and documented manner. During this phase, the project team defines the tasks required to implement the change, assigns responsibilities, and creates a change management plan. The team may also need to update project documentation, such as the requirements specification, design documents, and test plans, to reflect the approved change.
Once the change has been implemented, the project team should conduct testing and verification to ensure that the change has been implemented correctly and that it meets the established criteria.
6. Change Verification and Validation
Change verification and validation are activities in the change control process that involve ensuring that the implemented change has achieved its intended results and that it meets the established criteria. Verification involves confirming that the change has been implemented correctly and that it has not caused any unintended consequences.
Validation involves confirming that the change has delivered the expected benefits and that it aligns with the project’s objectives and constraints.
During this phase, the project team may conduct testing, inspection, and reviews to verify and validate the implemented change.
7. Change Closure
Change closure is the final phase in the change control process, and it involves formally closing out the change request and updating project documentation. During this phase, the project team ensures that all tasks related to the change request have been completed, including testing, verification, and validation.
The team also documents any lessons learned from the change control process and updates the project plan, budget, and schedule to reflect the changes implemented.
Examples of Change Control Process in Project Management
Here are three examples of change control process in project management that explain the process.
- An organization is implementing a new customer relationship management (CRM) system to improve customer service and sales. During the implementation, the project team receives a change request from the sales department to add a new feature to the CRM system that would enable sales reps to track customer orders in real-time. The project team receives and logs the change request and conducts a change impact assessment to determine the feasibility and impact of the proposed change. After evaluating the change request, the project team decides to approve the change and implements it in a controlled and documented manner. The team also conducts testing and verification to ensure that the change has been implemented correctly and that it meets the established criteria.
- A construction project is building a new office building, and during the construction phase, the project team receives a change request from the architect to modify the building’s design to add an additional floor. The project team receives and logs the change request and conducts a change impact assessment to determine the feasibility and impact of the proposed change. After evaluating the change request, the project team decides to reject the change because it would significantly impact the project’s scope, schedule, and budget. The team documents the decision and communicates it to the architect and other relevant stakeholders.
- A software development project is developing a new e-commerce platform, and during the testing phase, the project team identifies a defect that impacts the platform’s performance. The project team receives and logs the defect as a change request and conducts a change impact assessment to determine the feasibility and impact of fixing the defect. After evaluating the change request, the project team decides to approve the change and implements it in a controlled and documented manner. The team also conducts testing and verification to ensure that the change has been implemented correctly and that it meets the established criteria. The team then formally closes out the change request and documents any lessons learned from the change control process
Final Words
The change control process is an essential aspect of project management that helps project teams manage change requests systematically and transparently. By following a well-defined change control process, project teams can ensure that changes are evaluated based on their impact on the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, and resources. The change control process involves several activities, including change request management, change impact assessment, identification of change, change approval, change implementation, change verification and validation, and change closure.
