Change Impact Analysis

5 minutes 5 Questions

Change Impact Analysis is the process of evaluating the potential effects of a proposed change on a project's scope, schedule, budget, resources, and overall objectives. This involves identifying any risks or issues that may arise from the proposed changes, assessing the likelihood and severity of …

Guide to Change Impact Analysis as per PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition

What is Change Impact Analysis?
Change Impact Analysis is a crucial process in the Project Change Control. It involves assessing the potential implications of a change on the project's objectives, deliverables, schedule, cost, and resources.

Importance:
Performing a Change Impact Analysis helps project managers better understand the consequences of changes, mitigate associated risks, ensure alignment with project objectives, and maintain control over the project.

Working:
It begins with identification of a proposed change. The change is analyzed for potential impacts on different components such as project scope, timeline, budget, and risk management. The result helps in deciding to accept or reject the proposed change.

Exam Tips:
Understanding Change Impact Analysis is integral to answer questions regarding it in an exam. The key to answering these questions is to understand the potential impacts a change could have on different aspects of the project and how these changes might be managed or mitigated. Remember that not all changes are negative and can often lead to improvements.
Tip 1: Understand the difference between a change request and a change order.
Tip 2: Remember that the primary purpose of a Change Impact Analysis is to assess potential implications of a change on the project.
Tip 3: Look out for questions asking about how different changes could impact a project’s scope, schedule, cost and quality.
Tip 4: Be prepared for questions where you have to decide whether to accept or reject a change based on its potential impact.

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PMP - Change Impact Analysis Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Change Impact Analysis

Question 1

During a project, a change request has been submitted by the client. As a project manager, you know that before implementing the change, it is crucial to perform a detailed assessment to understand the effect of the change on project scope, schedule, and budget. What is the best practice tool or technique you should utilize to systematically analyze this change request impact?

Change Impact Analysis Change Control Evaluation Change Request Assessment Change Scope Examination

Correct Answer: Change Impact Analysis

The best practice tool or technique to systematically analyze the impact of a change request on project scope, schedule, and budget is Change Impact Analysis. Change Impact Analysis is a structured approach that involves identifying and assessing the potential effects of a proposed change on various aspects of the project. It helps the project manager determine the feasibility, risks, and consequences associated with implementing the change. The other options, while related to change management, do not specifically address the systematic analysis of the change request impact: - Change Request Assessment focuses more on evaluating the validity and necessity of the change request itself, rather than its impact. - Change Control Evaluation is a broader term that encompasses the entire change control process, not just the impact analysis. - Change Scope Examination is limited to assessing the impact on project scope, but does not consider the effects on schedule and budget.

Question 2

A sudden change in project scope resulted in increased workload for the project team. Some tasks cannot be completed within the given timeline. What should the project manager do to ensure minimal impact on project delivery?

Ignore the change and proceed as planned Disallow any further changes Reassign all resources to the most critical tasks Request additional resources

Correct Answer: Request additional resources

The best response to a sudden change in project scope that has resulted in an increased workload is to request additional resources. This approach makes it possible to spread the expanded workload evenly, thereby reducing the risk of tasks falling behind schedule. On the other hand, disallowing any further changes can essentially stifle necessary growth and development within the project, while ignoring the change and proceeding as planned can exacerbate the issue of increased workload, further threatening the project's timeline. Lastly, reassigning all resources to the most critical tasks might leave other important tasks unaddressed, potentially creating problems down the line.

Question 3

During a project implementation phase, the project team identified a necessary change that would significantly impact the project timeline and budget. What is the most appropriate action to take before implementing this change?

Conduct a thorough Change Impact Analysis to assess the implications on the project scope, schedule, and budget. Initiate the change immediately to avoid delays. Review the change informally without documenting the potential effects. Consult with the project sponsor without analyzing the impact.

Correct Answer: Conduct a thorough Change Impact Analysis to assess the implications on the project scope, schedule, and budget.

The most appropriate action before implementing a significant change that impacts the project timeline and budget is to conduct a thorough Change Impact Analysis. This analysis assesses the implications of the change on the project scope, schedule, and budget, providing crucial information for decision-making. Initiating the change without proper analysis could lead to unforeseen consequences and risks. Consulting with the project sponsor or reviewing the change informally without documenting the potential effects fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of the change's impact and may result in poor project outcomes.

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