Change Control: 4Qs

  ProjectsAtWork  

As part of a sound change control process, there are preliminary questions that should be asked when a change is proposed. The answers to these questions can help you determine whether or not the change is indeed necessary for the current project, or if it should be considered as part of a future project.

What is the specific change? This might seem like a basic question, but there are times when requests are not fully thought out. By asking this question, you’ll be able to level-set with the requestor, and ensure that you’re both on the same page. Think of this as the conversation starter, which will facilitate the questions that follow.

Why is the change necessary? Was something missed when the project was initially scoped out? Has the project sponsor uncovered an additional need? If so, is it a "need to have" or a "nice to have"? The information that is uncovered here can aid you in determining the potential impact on the project timeline. Discovering the root cause of the change request could help avoid this type of change on a future project. It could also uncover the need for additional changes that haven’t yet been considered.

Which resources will be affected by the change? This is a key question if you are working with a team that is working on multiple simultaneous projects. Consideration will need to be given to how…

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