Change Control

March 23, 2025
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What is Change Control?

Change control is a structured process used in project management to identify, document, assess, and approve or reject changes to a project’s scope, schedule, budget, or deliverables. The process ensures that a team reviews all changes before implementation to minimize disruptions and maintain alignment with project goals. By managing changes systematically, project teams can reduce risks, maintain transparency, and keep stakeholders informed and engaged.

This process typically involves submitting a formal change request, evaluating its impact, and obtaining approval from authorized individuals or groups. Change control helps maintain the project’s integrity by implementing only necessary and beneficial changes.

Key Points

  • Change control is a core component of project governance and supports consistent decision-making.
  • It typically includes documentation such as change request forms, impact assessments, and updated project plans.
  • The process helps manage risks by evaluating the effects of each proposed change before implementation.
  • Project managers can track, communicate, and justify adjustments to key project parameters.
  • Stakeholders ensure changes align with business objectives through their involvement.

Related Terms

  • The change request initiates the change control process with a formal proposal.
  • The project scope defines what the project includes, and change control ensures a team approves any modifications.
  • Configuration management supports change control by maintaining product attributes and documentation consistency.
  • The project management plan outlines how teams will execute and integrate change control with other processes.
  • Risk management is closely linked to change control, as the team evaluates each change for its potential to introduce new risks.

Change Control: Example

A construction company working on a commercial building project receives a client request to add two additional meeting rooms. The project manager initiates a change request and evaluates how this addition would affect the timeline, budget, and resource availability. After assessing the impact, the steering committee reviews and approves the requested change. The team then adds it to the updated project plan and informs all stakeholders of the new scope and schedule.

Change Control: Best Practices

  • Define a clear and consistent process for submitting and reviewing change requests.
  • Evaluate the impact of changes on scope, cost, time, quality, and resources before approval.
  • Maintain thorough documentation of all changes and decisions made.
  • Involve stakeholders and decision-makers early in the change assessment process.
  • Communicate changes and their implications clearly to all project team members and stakeholders.

Additional Resources

Change Control - The Economist Guide To Change And Project Management: Getting it right and achieving lasting benefit     Change Control - The Next Evolution - Enhancing and Unifying Project and Change Management: The Emergence One Method for Total Project Success

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