Change Request

A change request is used to change any aspect of the project. It can pertain to product, documents, cost, schedule, or any other aspect of the project. Typical information includes:

  • Requestor
  • Category
  • Description of the proposed change
  • Justification
  • Impacts of the proposed change
    • Scope
    • Quality
    • Requirements
    • Cost
    • Schedule
    • Project documents
  • Comments

A change request can come from almost any process involved in executing, monitoring, and controlling the project. It is described in 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Work in the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition. Upon completion, it is submitted to the change control board for review.

Tailoring Tips

Consider the following tips to help tailor the change request to meet your needs:

  • For smaller projects you can simplify the form by having a summary description of the impacts with- out including impacts for each subcategory (scope, quality, requirements, ).
  • You can add a check box that indicates whether the change is mandatory (such as a legal requirement) or discretionary.
  • A field can be added that describes the implications of not making the change.

Alignment

The change request should be aligned and consistent with the following documents:

  • Change management plan
  • Change log
Document Element Description
Requestor The name, and if appropriate, the position of the person requesting the change
Category Check a box to indicate the category of change.
Description of change Describe the proposed change in enough detail to clearly communicate all aspects of the change.
Justification for proposed change Indicate the reason for the change.
Impacts of change Scope Describe the impact of the proposed change on the project and product scope.
  Quality Describe the impact of the proposed change on the project or product quality.
  Requirements Describe the impact of the proposed change on the project or product requirements.
  Cost Describe the impact of the proposed change on the project budget, cost estimates, or funding requirements.
  Schedule Describe the impact of the proposed change on the sched- ule and whether it will change the critical path.
  Project documents Describe the impact of the proposed change on each proj- ect document.
Comments Provide any comments that will clarify information about the requested change.