What a change request should explain
- What is changing and why
- Scope, schedule, cost, risk and benefit impacts
- Alternatives considered, including no change
- Funding and contingency source
- Technical and contractual consequences
- Required decision date and owner
Distinguish change types
Scope growth, design development, estimate correction, risk realization, price movement and schedule delay are not the same. Classifying causes improves governance and future estimating.
Preserve history
Keep the original baseline, approved changes, current baseline and forecast separately identifiable. Unauthorized work should not be hidden by retrospective budget movement.
Watch cumulative effects
Many individually small changes can create major integration, schedule and overhead impacts. Periodically review the total portfolio of changes and unresolved requests.