Change Control

Change control is the process for reviewing, approving, recording, and communicating changes to a project’s scope, schedule, budget, or requirements.

Definition

Change control gives a project team a defined way to assess proposed changes and record what is approved. The process may specify who can request and authorize a change, what impact analysis is needed, how decisions are documented, and how revised information is shared. Firms may use a formal log, contract amendment, internal approval workflow, or a combination, depending on the project and client. A change can affect scope, schedule, budget, staffing, deliverables, or assumptions. Change control helps keep the team’s working plan aligned with client authorization, but internal approval alone may not amend the contract. It is not the same as change-order pricing or a project baseline, though it can lead to updates to both. Owners can review whether changes are being tracked and whether work proceeds under clear authorization.

How owners use it

• Set out who can approve changes and what project impact information is needed for a decision.
• Track requested, approved, and declined changes with dates, effects, and supporting records.
• For example, a client adds a drainage exhibit that requires 12 hours at $150 per hour, so the added labor estimate is 12 × $150 = $1,800.
• Review change records alongside project scope and contract amendments to spot unapproved work.

Related terms

• Change orderA change order is a documented modification to a contract's scope, schedule, compensation, or other terms.
• Project BaselineAn approved reference for a project's scope, schedule, or budget against which performance and proposed changes are evaluated.
• Scope of ServicesThe written description of work a firm agrees to perform, including tasks, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and sometimes interfaces with other
• Additional ServicesWork that falls outside the services included in the original agreement.

Related guides and articles

• How do engineering firms manage client changes during design?A design change can affect engineering, scope, fee, schedule, and documents already in circulation.
• How should a firm price additional services and scope changes?Set up a process to identify, document, price, and authorize changed work before the team starts it, when the contract permits that process.