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Hi, I'm Jeff, and in this lesson, we'll discuss how a project manager prepares and implements a change request. When a change to a project is required, a project manager prepares a change request. This can change how a project is defined, planned, or managed. The elements that are part of a change request plan are a description of the change. This should be concise, but it should still clearly describe the change. Why the change has occurred, what are the causes for the change, a change impact statement, this lists all the parts of the project affected by the change.
These can be deliverables, resources, or any of the project planning documents, such as scope, requirements, schedule, and budget. The plan to implement the change, this should include how the current project will adapt to the change including any shift in resources or tasks and any change in performance expectations. This should also include how the project manager will modify the schedule, budget, and scope.
Once the change request plan is written, the project manager must seek sign-off approval from the project sponsor and any key stakeholders. Only after approval should the project manager begin implementing the plan and modifying any project documents affected. Remember to re-baseline all documents after the changes are made.
In order to implement a change, the project manager might need to realign resources and adjust task assignments to account for the additional work required by the change. The project manager must communicate openly to the team about these changes since they can be disruptive. It's often best to hold a team meeting so the information can be delivered to everyone at the same time and in the same format.
The project manager should walk through the changes with the team, explaining how team members and task will be impacted. Stakeholders can be updated about the change plan through the status report process.
Once the implementation plan is explained to the stakeholders and the team and documented, then the project manager can begin monitoring and tracking the changes. Tasks and activities associated with changes should be watched closely for issues since it might be necessary to make adjustments to the plan or explain the plan in greater detail.
All right, nicely done! In this lesson, we learn how to create a change request and gain approval for the change and then how to implement the change. Thanks for listening, and have a great day.
