Project Management/Change Management

Change Management

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for the change management portion of Project+ certification include:

• Outline a process for managing changes to the project
  • Approvals required
  • Forms needed
  • Turnaround times
  • Document routing
  • Communication flow
• Given a scenario, implement proper change management procedures
  • Identify change
  • Document using the appropriate change control forms
  • Perform impact analysis
  • Coordinate with the appropriate stakeholders to select the course of action
  • Update the appropriate project plan components based on the approved change request
• Evaluate the impact of potential changes to triple constraint
  • Time / Schedule
  • Cost / resources
  • Quality
  • Scope

Readings

1. Read Wikipedia: Change management.
2. Read Wikipedia: Change management (ITSM).
3. Read Wikipedia: Change control.
4. Read Wikipedia: Change request.
5. Read Wikipedia: Change control board.
6. Read Wikipedia: Change impact analysis.
7. Read Wikipedia: Change management auditing.
8. Read Wikipedia: Change order.
9. Read Wikipedia: Scope creep.

Multimedia

1. Watch YouTube: What Is Change Management In Project Management Terms?.
2. Watch YouTube: How to Lead Change Management.
3. Watch YouTube: Do's & Don'ts of ITIL Change Management.
4. Watch YouTube: How to Control Change Requests on a Project.
5. Watch YouTube: Implement change more successfully with Impact Analysis

Activities

1. Watch the video What is change management in project management terms. Also, review Integrating Change Management and Project Management.
   • Establish the relation between change management and project management
   • Explain change management in regards to triple constraint.
2. Watch the video How To Control Change Requests On a Project and read the article How to manage change requests.
   • Explain how change is fundamental to a project and the significant impact it can have on a project.
   • Elaborate how to control change requests.
3. Read Wikipedia: Change management and read the article Three Types of Change Management Models.
   • State the different types of change models involved in change management.
4. Read Wikipedia: Changelog and the article What is a change log?
   • Define and detail a change log.
5. Watch the video Implement change more successfully with Impact Analysis
   • Explain the five steps in conducting a successful impact analysis
6. Read Wikipedia: Project stakeholder and read the article A Sense of Urgency
   • Discuss a situation where change management would be necessary.
7. Read Wikipedia: Change control board.
   • Mention the purpose of a change control board.
   • List examples of members of the change control board.

Lesson Summary

• Change Management involves identifying, evaluating and managing changes throughout the project lifecycle.
• Change Management is used to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes to control.
• The three main objectives are: influencing factors that create change to ensure that the change is beneficial, determining that a change has occurred and managing changes as they occur.
• Change management would typically be composed of: raising and recording of changes, assessing the impact, cost, benefit and risk of proposed changes, developing business justification and obtaining approval, managing and coordinating change implementation, monitoring and reporting on implementation, reviewing and closing change requests.
• Every change that enters the project must pass through this change control process.
• A CCB (change control board) is a formal group of people responsible for approving or rejecting changes to a project. The primary functions of a CCB are to provide guidelines for preparing change requests, evaluating change requests and managing the implementation of approved changes.
• When the change control board approves or declines the change request the change requestor is informed of the project decision. All decisions on change requests are documented for future reference. If an approved change request affects the project scope then configuration management is enforced.
• A change log is a record of requests for change (RFCs) submitted for all changes in a service.
• Change requests typically originate from one of five sources: problem reports that identify bugs that must be fixed, which forms the most common source, system enhancement requests from users, events in the development of other systems, changes in underlying structure and or standards (e.g. in software development this could be a new operating system), demands from senior management.
• Change management procedures are formally documented and controlled.
• Change impact analysis identifies the potential consequences of a change, or estimates what needs to be modified to accomplish a change.
• Scope creep is a risk in most projects. It can be a result of poor change control, lack of proper initial identification of what is required to bring about the project objectives, weak project manager or executive sponsor, poor communication between parties and lack of initial product versatility.
• Successful change management is more likely to occur if the following are included:

• Define measurable Project stakeholder aims and create a business case for their achievement (which should be continuously updated)
• Monitor assumptions, risks, dependencies, costs, return on investment, dis-benefits and cultural issues
• Effective communication that informs various stakeholders of the reasons for the change (why?), the benefits of successful implementation (what is in it for us, and you) as well as the details of the change (when? where? who is involved? how much will it cost? etc.)
• Devise an effective education, training and/or skills upgrading scheme for the organization
• Counter resistance from the employees of companies and align them to overall strategic direction of the organization
• Provide personal counseling (if required) to alleviate any change-related fears
• Monitoring of the implementation and fine-tuning as required

Key Terms

CCB (Change Control Board)

It is a committee that makes decisions regarding whether or not proposed changes to a software project should be implemented.

change impact analysis (IA)

Change impact analysis identifies the potential consequences of a change, or estimating what needs to be modified to accomplish a change.

Change log

A change log is a log or record of all notable changes made to a project.

change management

Change management is a structured process and set of tools for managing the people side of change such that business results are achieved, on time and on budget.

change request

Change request are documents containing a call for an adjustment of a system.

cost control

Cost Control are factors that create cost fluctuation and variance that can be influenced and controlled using various cost management tools.

organizational change management

Organizational change management includes specific actions and steps that can be taken to implement a change management program. Prosci's 3-phase change management process (preparing for, managing and reinforcing change) is a methodology for implementing organizational change management.

schedule control

Schedule control is the actual process of maintaining control of the changes that may occur to a schedule.

scope change

Scope change is where a request is considered to change the agreed scope and objectives of the project to accommodate a need not originally defined to be part of the project.

scope creep

Scope creep in project management refers to changes, continuous or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, at any point after the project begins.

triple constraint

Triple constraint is the combination of the three most significant restrictions on any project- scope, schedule and cost. It is sometimes referred to as the project management triangle or the iron triangle.

turnaround time (TAT)

Turnaround time means the amount of time taken to fulfill a request.

Review Questions

1. _________________ is a structured process and set of tools for managing the people side of change such that business results are achieved, on time and on budget.

   Change management is a structured process and set of tools for managing the people side of change such that business results are achieved, on time and on budget.
2. Decisions reached by the ____________________ are often accepted as final and binding.

   Decisions reached by the change control board(CCB) are often accepted as final and binding.
3. _________________ is the combination of the three most significant restrictions on any project- scope, schedule and cost. It is sometimes referred to as the project management triangle or the iron triangle.

   Triple constraint is the combination of the three most significant restrictions on any project- scope, schedule and cost. It is sometimes referred to as the project management triangle or the iron triangle.
4. _________________ process is used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner

   The change control process is used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner
5. Project _____________________ refers to an individual, group, or organization, who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.

   Project stakeholder refers to an individual, group, or organization, who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.
6. Poor change control can cause scope _____________________.

   Poor change control can cause scope creep.
7. Integrated change control is part of the __________________ process group.

   Integrated change control is part of the monitoring and controlling process group.
8. _______________ change management employs a structured approach to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly and successfully to achieve lasting benefits.

   Organizational change management employs a structured approach to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly and successfully to achieve lasting benefits.
9. Organizational _________________ is a field of research, theory, and practice dedicated to expanding the knowledge and effectiveness of people to accomplish more successful organizational change and performance.

   Organizational development is a field of research, theory, and practice dedicated to expanding the knowledge and effectiveness of people to accomplish more successful organizational change and performance.
10. _________________ are controlled and formally documented.

    Change management procedures are controlled and formally documented.
11. A lack of proper initial identification of what is required to bring about the project objectives is an example of _________________.

    A lack of proper initial identification of what is required to bring about the project objectives is an example of scope creep.
12. Changes in underlying structure and or standards is an example of a reason for a _________________.

    Changes in underlying structure and or standards is an example of a reason for a change request.
13. _______________ identifies the potential consequences of a change, or estimates what needs to be modified to accomplish a change.

    Impact analysis (IA) identifies the potential consequences of a change, or estimates what needs to be modified to accomplish a change.

Assessments

• Quiz: How good are you at change management? MindTools:Project Management -Change
• Quiz: A Level Business Revision Quiz www.tutor2u.net
• Flashcards:playbuzz Change Management Review
• Self evaluation: Change Management Workshop Quiz

See Also

1. Watch YouTube: Basic overview of Change Management process
2. Read Prosci.com: The Prosci definition of change management
3. Read: Training Website By Joseph Phillips PMP: Defining the change control system
4. Read: Harvard.edu Website: Change Control

References

Type classification: this is a lesson resource.