PMP CHANGE CONTROL SYSTEM

PMP Change Control

The perform integrated change control process is where you implement the project’s change control process in accordance with the change management plan.

Changes which encompass corrective actions, preventative actions, and defect repair, are common outputs across all the monitoring and controlling processes.

Do remember that change requests are also an output of the direct and manage project work process, which is an executing process. These processes can generate for change requests that are managed through the perform integrated change control process.

Why Change Control is needed

Changes occur on projects for many reasons, and it is the project manager’s responsibility to manage these changes and ensure that organisational policies regarding changes are implemented.

If you were to allow changes to occur to the project we never requested, you would probably never complete the project. Stakeholders, or the customer, and end users would continually change the project requirements if given the opportunity to do so.

Therefore, careful planning and scope definition are important at the beginning of the project. The project manager is responsible to tease out all the compelling needs and requirements of the project during the planning process so that important requirements are not missed, and therefore introduced later in the project.

Despite best intents, we are all human, and it is likely that new requirements will be uncovered – this is where the change control system comes into play

Managing Change

It is not always the case that changes have negative consequences, Indeed they can produce positive results as well.

Managing changes should be done carefully because too many changes, or even one large change, will impact cost, schedule, scope, and/or quality.

After the change request has been raised, you need to ask:

Just because of changes requested does not mean it must be implemented. It is important to unearth the reasons for the change to determine whether they are justified and aligned with business needs.

For this reason, when considering the impact of any change, the business case metrics should also be considered.

Change Control Time and money impacts

Of course, you will want to know the cost of change, but costs can take the form of increased time, meaning you will meet him and resources longer than expected, or that you will need tools, equipment and other project resources for a longer period of time.

The Root Causes of Change

Many stakeholder or customer may request for change, or it may be requested from the project team members. Change requests may suggest the more efficient way of performing tasks or reducing the project products. 

Changes can also be requested as a direct result of mistakes were made earlier, possibly in the planning or executing processes.

Changes to the project may occur indirectly as a result of contingency plans, other changes, or increased costs. Perhaps team members have been unofficially asked to tweak the scope of the project, and this can increase costs and time.

Change Control Best Practice

Integrated change control is mainly concerned with carrying out the following:

Change Request Impacts

The project manager should understand the factors that are influencing all bringing about change and how a proposed change might impact the project if implemented. Such factors that could cause change include project constraints, stakeholder requests, team member recommendations, vendor issues, and many others.

Performance measures and corrective actions may also dictate that the project change is needed.

Change Control Baselines

Managing changes may involve changing the project scope, schedule, or cost baselines. Such changes may involve quality or technical elements.

These baselines are also known as the performance measurement baseline, and is used through the executing and monitoring and controlling processes to measure of project performance and determine deviations from the plan.

Changes that impact and existing or completed project management process will require updates to those processes. This may mean additional passes to the appropriate planning and executing processes.

Performance Level Baselines

The management plans created during the planning process group should reflect the changes as well, suggesting updates to the project management plan or the project scope statement.

Managing changes involve maintaining accurate and reliable performance measurement baselines. In addition, coordinating all the processes impacted as a result of the change, and revisiting planning and executing processes where needed.

The message here is clear, before implementing any changes, examine their justification and impacts the for making changes to the baselines. In addition, make sure your project sponsor approved baselined changes and understands why the change occurred and how it will impact the project.

Configuration Management control and Change control

This is concerned with changes to the specifications of the deliverables or project management processes. Configuration control is managed through the configuration management system which is a subsystem of the project management information system.

Configuration management involves identifying the physical characteristics of the product, service, or the result of the project (or its individual components).

Configuration management controls changes to those characteristics, and documents them to verify that the requirements are met. It also includes the change management system and documents the process full requesting, tracking, and determining with a change requests should be approved or denied.

The Configuration Management System

Configuration control documents the procedures and authorize the approval levels for managing and controlling changes to the physical characteristics of the deliverables.

Change control involves changes to the deliverables, product baselines, and/or project documents. Configuration control, which is managed through the configuration management system, is concerned with changes to the specifications of the deliverables and/or the project management processes.

Configuration control within the perform integrated change control process

Configuration identification. This describes the characteristics of the product, service, or result of the project. This description is used to verify when changes are made and how they are managed. It is also used to label products or documents, manage changes, and verify changes.

Configuration status accounting. This accounts for the status of the changes by documenting and storing the configuration information needed to effectively manage the product information. This would include the approved configuration identification, status of proposed changes, and the status of changes currently being implemented.

Configuration verification and auditing. These are performed to determine whether the configuration item is accurate and correct and to make sure the performance requirements have been met. It ensures that changes are registered in the configuration management system and that they are assessed, approved, and implemented correctly.

Put simply, it compares the actual deliverable or item against the information stored within the configuration management system.

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