Controlling Change to Scope and Requirements
Overview:
The Challenge
Establishing solid project baselines for scope, time and cost and then using them as the basis for managing and reporting on the project are some of the most important tasks performed by any Project Manager. When done well, this work serves as a powerful driver for project success. However, this approach will only work if an effective change control process has been put into effect. Without change control, any project can spiral into disaster.
The Solution
Controlling Change to Scope and Requirements provides two days of practical, hands-on training in the three primary approaches to project change control. Participants are shown how to set the stage for effective project control with a well written project charter, and then follow up with detailed scope statement, requirements documentation, schedule and budget. Participants discuss how to establish project baselines, and then explore the details of formal change control. The benefits of change control on both project delivery and on the business value that follows the project are thoroughly examined.
The tools and techniques presented are field tested and have been proven to promote project success. The course format is truly multimodal with a mixture of exercises, group discussions, and lecture. All participants return to their workplace better equipped to bring their projects to a successful conclusion. Topics covered in this course include:
Audience:
- Setting scope boundaries in a project charter
- Controlling the preliminary scope definition
- Defining scope, schedule and budget
- Importance of project baselines
- Baselines require solid project plans
- Implementing project change control
- The tools of change control
- Minimizing change through effective requirements management
- Managing stakeholder expectations about the impact of change requests
- Managing baselines
- Evaluating change requests for value
- Quantifying value with an Opportunity Register
- Using the Opportunity Screen
This course is of special value to project managers who want a more complete understanding of project Change Control; experienced project managers who want to add to their toolkit of Change Control tools and techniques; functional managers with project responsibility who want to understand what they can do to uncontrolled change in their projects; and Project Management Office staff who want better management of change in their project portfolio.
Prerequisites:
This course assumes that participants have participated in some projects and have some experience leading small projects or project teams. Prior PM training is helpful but not required.
Course duration:
2 days
Course Outline:
Introduction
Minimizing the Need for Change
Change Control Overview
- How the Project Charter sets the stage for change control
- Defining business value and project objectives
- Setting preliminary scope boundaries
- Stakeholder buy-in to change control
- Impact of effective estimation
- Including the perspective of stakeholders
- Thorough project planning: Scope and Requirements
- Importance of the Work Breakdown Structure
- Value of a structured requirements process
- Developing verified and validated requirements
- The Scope Statement
- How definitive project baselines enable effective change control
- Planning for Transition to minimize last minute changes
- How effective risk management promotes control of change
- Business Value planning
Controlling Change When It Occurs
- Change request form
- Impact analysis
- Change control log
- The change authority
Embracing Change
- Using business value as a guide to change control
- Managing stakeholder expectations about the impact of change
- Negotiating scope, time and cost interdependencies
- Updating project documents
- Requirements change management
- Tracing as a change control tool
- Using the Requirements traceability matrix
Learning Approach
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