Project Change Requests

By Dick Billows, PMP, GCA

Using change requests whenever we want to alter the scope, duration, or budget is a best practice but because it allows us to consider the consequences of the change we want to make on the rest of the project. Without change requests, we discover that seemingly inconsequential changes to the scope have caused substantial increases in the duration and/or the budget that no one anticipated.

 How to Handle a Project Change Request

 Step #

 Responsibility of

 Actions to take

1

Project manager

The project manager receives a change request and the first step is always to see if the situation can be resolved with corrective action which does not involve changing the scope, budget or duration baselines.

2

Project manager

If corrective action fails, then the project manager will analyze the change request. This analysis has to be done in a timely manner and should include quantification of the impact of the change on the scope, budget and duration of the project.

3

Project manager and project sponsor

The project manager forwards the analysis of the change request to this project sponsor with a recommendation as to whether the change should or should not be approved.

4

Project sponsor

The sponsor determines whether to approve the change and the consequences of the change is documented by the project manager.

5

Project manager

If the change request is approved, the project manager implements it by changing the project budget, schedule and scope as necessary. Then the project manager alters team member assignments to reflect the changes in the change request.