Change

PRINCE2 Change Practice: A Comprehensive Guide

Why the PRINCE2 Change Practice is Important

The PRINCE2 Change Practice is essential because change is inevitable in projects. This practice ensures that all potential changes to the project are captured, evaluated, and managed effectively. It helps maintain control over the project's scope, budget, and timeline by creating a structured approach to managing change requests. Organizations that excel at change management typically see higher project success rates and better alignment with business objectives.

What is the PRINCE2 Change Practice?

The Change Practice in PRINCE2 is a set of activities designed to identify, assess, and control any potential or approved changes to the project baselines. It operates on the principle that all changes, regardless of size, should go through a formal review process to understand their impact before implementation.

Key components include:

1. Issue and Change Control Procedure: The formal documented approach for managing issues and changes

2. Configuration Management Strategy: Defines how and by whom the project's products will be controlled and protected

3. Daily Log/Issue Register: Tools for capturing and tracking potential changes

4. Change Budget: Funds allocated specifically for implementing approved changes

5. Change Authority: The person or group designated to approve changes within tolerances

How the PRINCE2 Change Practice Works

The Change Control process follows these steps:

1. Capture: All potential changes are documented as issues in the Issue Register or Daily Log

2. Examine: The Project Manager examines the issue to understand its nature, scope, and impact

3. Propose: Options for addressing the issue are developed, including cost and impact analyses

4. Decide: The appropriate authority (Project Manager, Change Authority, or Project Board) makes a decision based on the severity and impact of the change

5. Implement: Approved changes are implemented according to the plan

PRINCE2 classifies issues into three types:

- Request for Change (RFC): A proposal for a modification to a baseline
- Off-Specification: Something required but not delivered
- Problem/Concern: Any other issue requiring Project Manager attention

How to Answer Questions on Change in a PRINCE2 Exam

When facing questions about the Change Practice in your exam:

1. Identify the issue type: Determine if the scenario presents a Request for Change, Off-Specification, or Problem/Concern

2. Consider authority levels: Recognize who has the authority to make decisions based on the scale and impact of the change:
- Project Manager: Small changes within tolerances
- Change Authority: Medium changes within delegated limits
- Project Board: Major changes exceeding delegated tolerances

3. Focus on the process: Remember the five steps (Capture, Examine, Propose, Decide, Implement)

4. Connect to other practices: Show how Change integrates with Risk, Quality, and Progress practices

5. Apply principles: Particularly "Manage by Exception" and "Focus on Products"
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Change

• Pay close attention to the severity and impact of changes described in scenarios to determine the correct approval authority

• Remember that the Change Budget is not for scope changes but for approved changes within scope

• Look for clues about whether a change affects project tolerances, as this determines who makes the decision

• Be clear on the difference between configuration management (tracking and protecting products) and change control (evaluating and implementing changes)

• For scenario-based questions, trace the issue through all five steps of the change control process

• Consider project phase - change management approaches may vary during Starting Up versus Managing a Stage

• Stay alert for questions about the Change Authority's role and its delegated approval limits

• Remember that all changes should be evaluated for their impact on the project's business case

• Connect changes to appropriate entries in project documentation (Issue Register, Configuration Item Records, etc.)

• Consider changes that might be packaged and implemented together to minimize disruption