In the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Initiating a Project' process, the activity to 'Prepare the Change Control Approach' is fundamental to establishing governance over project baselines. Its primary purpose is to define the specific mechanisms the project will use to handle issues (unexpected events),âŚIn the context of the PRINCE2 7 'Initiating a Project' process, the activity to 'Prepare the Change Control Approach' is fundamental to establishing governance over project baselines. Its primary purpose is to define the specific mechanisms the project will use to handle issues (unexpected events), changes (requests to alter the baseline), and configuration management (tracking and protecting products). Without this robust framework, projects are susceptible to scope creep and loss of asset integrity.
The Project Manager creates this approach by first reviewing corporate or programme standards to ensure alignment. The resulting document details two distinct but related procedures. First, the 'Configuration Management Procedure' outlines how project products (assets) will be identified, version-controlled, stored, and protected. This ensures the team always works with the correct versions of documents or outputs.
Second, the 'Issue and Change Control Procedure' defines the step-by-step process for capturing, examining, proposing, deciding upon, and implementing changes. This includes establishing scales for priority (e.g., MoSCoW) and severity to ensure consistent assessment across the team.
A critical aspect of this activity is defining roles and responsibilities, specifically the 'Change Authority.' The Project Board must decide if they will make all change decisions or delegate authority for changes within specific limits (e.g., budget or impact thresholds) to a separate group or individual. Additionally, the role of Project Support is defined regarding the maintenance of the Issue Register and Configuration Item Records.
Ultimately, this approach becomes a component of the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), providing a clear, agreed-upon rulebook for maintaining the project's stability and justification amidst inevitable changes.
Prepare the Change Control Approach (PRINCE2 v7)
What is 'Prepare the Change Control Approach'? This is a specific activity within the Initiating a Project process. In PRINCE2 v7, the Change Control Approach is a management product that defines how the project will identify, assess, and control any potential changes to the project's baseline (issues and risks that materialize) and how it will manage the project's assets (configuration management).
Why is it Important? Without a robust Change Control Approach, a project suffers from scope creep. It ensures that: 1. Every version of a product is accounted for (Configuration Management). 2. Changes are not implemented without analyzing their impact on time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk. 3. There is a clear authority defined for approving changes.
How it Works During the Initiating a Project process, the Project Manager creates this document by: 1. Reviewing Lessons: Looking at the Lessons Log to see how changes were handled in previous projects. 2. Defining Procedures: Establishing the specific steps for Issue and Change Control (Capture, Assess, Propose, Decide, Implement) and Configuration Management (Identify, Control, Status Accounting, Verify). 3. Defining Roles: Deciding who acts as the Change Authority (e.g., the Project Board, or a delegated group) and managing the Change Budget. 4. Setting Scales: Defining priority ratings (e.g., MoSCoW) and severity ratings for issues.
How to Answer Questions on Prepare Change Control Approach When facing Practitioner exam scenarios, follow this logic: 1. Identify the Context: Is the question asking about creating the rules (Initiating process) or using them (Controlling a Stage)? 'Prepare' implies setting the rules. 2. Check Tailoring: Does the scenario involve an external supplier or a corporate standard? If so, the approach must reflect those systems. An answer that ignores corporate configuration management systems is usually incorrect. 3. Assess Role Assignment: Look for questions regarding who holds the Change Budget. If the project is small, the Project Board might retain it; if large, they may delegate it to a separate Change Authority.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Prepare Change Control Approach Tip 1: Don't Confuse 'Approach' with 'Register'. The Approach is the rulebook (How we do it). The Issue Register and Item Records are the dynamic data (What is happening). If a question asks what is updated when a strategy is defined, look for the document itself, not the daily logs.
Tip 2: Configuration Management is Part of Change. Remember that in PRINCE2, Change Control and Configuration Management are inextricably linked. You cannot effectively control change if you don't know the current version (configuration) of your products. Answers that suggest separating these entirely are often 'distractors'.
Tip 3: Look for the 'Change Budget'. During this activity, the Project Manager and Project Board determine if a Change Budget is needed. This is a sum of money strictly for funding authorized changes (Requests for Change), not for fixing errors (Off-specifications). Questions often trick candidates by suggesting the Change Budget is used for general contingency.