Chapter Summary

Whoever said The more things change the more they stay the same never worked in IT project management. No matter how much planning, preparing, and strategizing you invest in a project, change can happen. A change in deliverables can happen from management or the customer receiving the deliverables. Business cycles, new requirements from the customers, or new management can all lead to changes in a project plan.

As the project manager, you must implement a change control system to formalize a change request and then react to the change in a formal statement as well. A request to change the project deliverables, no matter how seemingly small, is a significant one that requires a business justification to begin implementation.

A change in the project deliverables may require additional resources, additional funding, additional time, or all three to complete the project. Management or the customers must be willing to comply with your requests to complete the project. Solid research of the change will provide evidence of the new requirements to produce the deliverables.

Should change come about because of internal forces ”such as lack of focus, change in resources, work units not being completed, or improper funding ”you must take the lead on rectifying the problem. You have to face management and explain the problem and offer a solution to correct the problem and get the project back on track.

Once the project scope has been modified, you and your project team must renew your dedication to the vision of the project. A new sense of responsibility, dedication, and channels of communication must emerge to keep the project moving to completion.