Integrated Change Control
The Integrated Change Control process is performed from
project inception through completion. Change control is necessary because
projects seldom run exactly according to the project management plan. The
project management plan, the project scope statement, and other deliverables
must be maintained by carefully and continuously managing changes, either by
rejecting changes or by approving changes so those approved changes are
incorporated into a revised baseline. The Integrated Change Control process
includes the following change management activities in differing levels of
detail, based upon the completion of project execution:
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Identifying that a change needs to occur or has occurred.
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Influencing the factors that circumvent integrated change
control so that only approved changes are implemented.
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Reviewing and approving requested changes.
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Managing the approved changes when and as they occur, by
regulating the flow of requested changes.
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Maintaining the integrity of baselines by releasing only
approved changes for incorporation into project products or services, and
maintaining their related configuration and planning documentation.
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Reviewing and approving all recommended corrective and
preventive actions.
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Controlling and updating the scope, cost, budget, schedule
and quality requirements based upon approved changes, by coordinating changes
across the entire project. For example, a proposed schedule change will often
affect cost, risk, quality, and staffing.
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Documenting the complete impact of requested changes.
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Validating defect repair.
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Controlling project quality to standards based on quality
reports. Proposed changes can require new or revised cost estimates, schedule
activity sequences, schedule dates, resource requirements, and analysis of risk
response alternatives. These changes can require adjustments to the project
management plan, project scope statement, or other project deliverables. The
configuration management system with change control provides a standardized,
effective, and efficient process to centrally manage changes within a project.
Configuration management with change control includes identifying, documenting,
and controlling changes to the baseline. The applied level of change control is
dependent upon the application area, complexity of the specific project,
contract requirements, and the context and environment in which the project is
performed.
Project-wide application of the configuration management system,
including change control processes, accomplishes three main objectives:
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Establishes an evolutionary method to consistently identify
and request changes to established baselines, and to assess the value and
effectiveness of those changes
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Provides opportunities to continuously validate and improve
the project by considering the impact of each change
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Provides the mechanism for the project management team to
consistently communicate all changes to the stakeholders.
Some of the configuration management activities included in the
integrated change control process are:
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Configuration Identification. Providing
the basis from which the configuration of products is defined and verified,
products and documents are labeled, changes are managed, and accountability is
maintained.
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Configuration Status Accounting.
Capturing, storing, and accessing configuration information needed to manage
products and product information effectively.
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Configuration Verification and Auditing.
Establishing that the performance and functional requirements defined in the
configuration documentation have been met.
Every documented requested change must be either accepted or
rejected by some authority within the project management team or an external
organization representing the initiator, sponsor, or customer. Many times, the
integrated change control process includes a change control board responsible
for approving and rejecting the requested changes. The roles and
responsibilities of these boards are clearly defined within the configuration
control and change control procedures, and are agreed to by the sponsor,
customer, and other stakeholders. Many large organizations provide for a
multi-tiered board structure, separating responsibilities among the boards. If
the project is being provided under a contract, then some proposed changes would
need to be approved by the customer.
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