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PMP lesson · Change & Configuration Control · Change & configuration control · lesson 1 of 2 · about 8 minutes

Integrated change control

Predictive · hybrid (baselined items)Free preview
Goal: After this lesson you can describe the change control steps in order, say what the project manager does FIRST with a change request, and recognise the four types of change request.

1The situation

“Just add one more sensor”

During installation, the customer's engineer asks a technician: “Can you just add one more sensor at the infeed? It's small.” The technician wants to help.

But one sensor means a new I/O point, PLC code, a drawing update, testing, maybe a safety review, and someone has to pay for it. If every “small” request is done informally, the project slowly drifts from its plan, its budget and its contract.

Integrated change control is how a project says yes, no or later to change in a controlled way.

2The rule

Every change to an approved baseline (scope, schedule, cost) or to the approved plan goes through one process. “Integrated” means the impact is assessed on everything at once: a scope change usually affects schedule, cost, quality and risk too.

Customer asks for a change → the PM's FIRST step is evaluate the impact. Not “say yes”, not “say no”, not “send it straight to the CCB without analysis”.

3The change control steps

1

Request

Anyone may raise a change request, in writing.
2

Log

Record it in the change log.
3

Analyse

PM assesses impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, resources.
4

Decide

The CCB (or the authority in the plan) approves, rejects or defers.
5

Update

Update plans, baselines and documents.
6

Communicate

Tell everyone affected.
7

Implement & verify

Do the work; verify it matches the approved change.
The order matters: analyse before deciding, update and communicate before (and while) implementing.

4How it looks on the exam

Exam-style question 1. A key stakeholder asks the project manager to add a reporting feature that was not in the approved scope. The stakeholder says it is urgent and would be easy to build. What should the project manager do FIRST?
A. Add the feature, since it is easy and the stakeholder is important
B. Reject the request, since it is outside the approved scope
C. Evaluate the impact of the request on the project objectives
D. Submit the request to the change control board immediately without analysis
Show the answer and the decode
Answer: C.
In simple English
A stakeholder wants extra scope quickly.
What is the question really asking?
The first step.
Key words / trigger
“not in the approved scope … FIRST”
PMP logic
Every change request starts with an impact analysis; the decision comes later from the right authority.
Why the wrong answer looks attractive
Sending it to the CCB looks procedural, but the board needs the impact analysis to decide.

5Remember this

Your memory card

  • Change to a baseline → analyse impact first, then the defined authority decides
  • Request → log → analyse → decide → update → communicate → implement & verify
  • 4 types: corrective, preventive, defect repair, update
  • Emergency safety fix: act now, document and review afterwards
The full lesson in the PMCLEAR app also has:
  • the rest of the lesson (Who decides?, Emergency changes)
  • a worked example
  • the common traps (wrong vs right)
  • 2 exam-style questions with the decode
  • a 3-question quick check
Open the full lesson → Create a free account
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