Change control and variations

Many clients, consultants and suppliers have developed their own 'in house' change systems. Many software solutions also exist to define the most appropriate method for controlling change.

With the inception of a new project, the initial team will need to investigate all the possibilities within the market, or will have to design a process that fits the specific work.

In order to monitor change, a baseline budget will need to be created, along with the baseline schedule. The project team, by reviewing the brief, will have defined the scope and specification, and the cost and planning teams can use this to create the baseline information. Any changes can then be reviewed against this baseline. As the project moves from inception to feasibility, through to design and into production, the team should review any changes to the baseline weekly - or at least monthly.

Potential change can be highlighted from a number of sources, such as:

• drawing revisions;
• the engineer's instructions;
• the architect's instructions;
• specification changes;
• request for instructions (site);
• client changes;
• legislative changes; and
• opportunity and risk workshops.

All those involved in the project should have the ability to flag up a potential change, in order to allow the project team to assess the likely outcome. To do so, a formal change request should be raised. The change request template should include, as a minimum, the following sections:

• the change request number;
• the date raised;
• a description of the change;
• the cost and time implications;
• justification of the change;
• an approval or authorisation section;
• a note of the type of change; and
• a distribution section.

Regular meetings should be held to review any changes raised in that week or month. A decision can be made as to whether to approve each change as having:

• a financial impact (where the scope of the project has changed and resulted in an additional cost or saving to the overall budget); or
• no financial impact (for example, at a cost to the contractor or a change in the methodology of working practices).

Alternatively, the change may be rejected.

On reaching a decision that a change is to be implemented, the project team will communicate this message to the project and relevant suppliers. Adjustments will then need to be made to the schedule and cost reports.