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4.3 Integrated Change Control
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Integrated change control is concerned with (a) influencing the factors which create
changes to ensure that changes are agreed upon, (b) determining that a change has occurred,
and (c) managing the actual changes when and as they occur. The original defined project
scope and the integrated performance baseline must be maintained by continuously managing
changes to the baseline, either by rejecting new changes or by apporving changes and
incorporating them into a revised project baseline.
Integrated change control requires:
Maintaining the integrity of the performance measurement
baselines. Ensuring that changes to the product
scope are reflected in the definition of
the project scope. (The difference between product and project scope is discussed
in the introduction to
Chapter 5). Coordinating changes across knowledge areas as illustrated in
Figure 4-2. For example, a proposed schedule change will often affect cost,
risk, quality, and staffing.
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4.3.1 Inputs to Overall Change Control
.1 Project plan. The project plan provides the baseline against which changes will be controlled (see Section 4.1.3.1).
.2 Performance reports. Performance reports (described in Section 10.3) provide information on project performance. Performance reports may also alert the project team to issues which may cause problems in the future.
.3 Change requests. Change requests may occur in many forms—oral or written, direct or indirect, externally or internally initiated, and legally mandated or optional.
4.3.2 Tools and Techniques for Integraded Change Control
.1 Change control system.
A change control system is a collection of formal, documented
procedures that defines how project performance will be monitored and evaluated, and includes
the steps by which official project documents may
be changed. It includes the paperwork, tracking systems, processes and approval levels necessary
for authorizing changes.
In many cases, the performing organization will have a change control system
that can be adopted "as is" for use by the project. However, if an appropriate system
is not available, the project management team will need to develop one as part
of the project.
Many change control systems include a group responsible
for approving or rejecting changes. The roles and responsibilities of these groups are clearly
defined within the change control system and agreed upon by all key stakeholders.
Organizations vary by the definition of the board; however, some common occurrences are
Configuration Control Board (CCB), Engineering Review Board (ERB), Technical Review Board (TRB),
Technical Assessment Board (TAB), and a variety of others.
The change control system must also include procedures to handle changes
that may be approved without prior review; for example, as the result of emergencies.
Typically, a change control system will allow for "automatic" approval of
defined categories of changes. These changes must still be documented and captured
so that they evolution of the baseline can be documented.
.2 Configuration management. Configuration management is any documented procedure used to apply technical and administrative direction and surveillance to:
Identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of an item or
system.
Control any changes to such characteristics.
Record and report the change and its implementation status.
Audit the items and system to verify conformance to requirements.
In many application areas, configuration management is a subset of the change control system and is used to ensure that the description of the project product is correct and complete. In other application areas, change control refers to any systematic effort to manage project change.
.3 Performance measurement . Performance measurement techniques such as earned value (described in Section 10.3.2.4) help to assess whether variances from the plan require corrective action.
.4 Additional planning . Projects seldom run exactly according to plan. Prospective changes may require new or revised cost estimates, modified activity sequences, schedules, recourse requirements, analysis of risk response alternatives, or other adjustments to the project plan.
.5 Project management information system . Project management information systems are described in Section 4.1.2.3.
4.3.3 Outputs from Integrated Change Control
.1 Project plan updates . Project plan updates are any modification to the contents of the project plan or the supporting detail (described in Section 4.1.3.1 and Section 4.1.3.2, respectively). Appropriate stakeholders must be notified as needed.
.2 Corrective action. Corrective action is described in Section 4.2.1.4 .
.3 Lessons learned. The causes of variances, the reasoning behind the corrective action chosen, and other types of lessons learned should be documented so that they become part of the historical database for both this project and other projects of the performing organization. The database is also the basis for knowledge management.
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