TOPIC: Change request in Define Activity and Develop Schedule

Hi all,

One of the output for Define Activity and Develop Schedule is Change Request, Which is come out in BMBOK 6th Edition. This change request was not available in the 5th Edition. The main reason for that is because Change cannot be made during the planning process. This has changed in 6th edition. possibly I miss understood the reason!

You will find this in the BMBOK 6th plage 186 (Define Activity) and page 220 Develop Schedules?

Thanks in advance.

Are you sure about that? What about Control Schedule or Control Scope in PMBOK 5? Monitor & Control encompassed all the life cycle of a project, except initiating or close-out.
PMBOK 5 would be somewhat unimportant for the test based on PMBOK 6, but again a phased project would still be applicable.

So, the saying 'Everybody has a plan until they get hit' applies here. We have a Charter, which is essentially fixed, then we have a plan we created based on that, but what if something happens that makes the plan was wrong, but the Charter still applicable? I would need flexibility to go back iteratively, if needed, and redo my plan, so I can meet the Charter requirements. In executing the plan, the monitor & Control process is still working no matter where you are in the execution. This ability allows you to change the plan if needed. The plan is not unchangeable and the M&C process allows you to change it if needed during the project process.

If others want to elaborate here, I would welcome it.

Thanks for your response.

PMBOK 5, which I was studying prior to reading PMBOK 6, does not have Change Request at any stage during the planning process. Because planning and needs to be authorized before executing. Therefore, there is no need for change request as it will be reviewed at the end of planning.

In any case, we have to follow new procedures. From what I understood, as charter been approved prior to planning, it is considered to be fixed. Therefore, any change, even during planning, has to go through the Perform Integrated Change Request. Would you please clarify the following points too:

- After the Perform Integrated Change Request, does it require Change Control Board? As the baseline may not be ready yet as well as contract and other Project Managment plan?
- Why there is not Change Request output in Define Scope, similarily as Define Activity, or some of the other planning processes?

Thank you

Thanks for your reply.
PMBOK5 does not have Change request at any level during the Planning process because planning has to be approved before moving the Executing process.
How about the following cases:
- if there is a change request in Define Activity, why there is no change request in Define Scope?
- After Perform Integrated change request, does it require CCB, as at this stage, baseline, contract may not be ready yet?

thanks

Some of your questions should be directed at the PMI as to the reasons of inclusion or exclusion within the actual guide. I personally try to look at it conceptually to understand rather than line by line. The guide is a guide with processes that can be followed or not. Ultimately, the process allows for a plan to be changed. Looking for explicit language takes away from the concept of the process as a whole, and this is what you would be tested on, finding the best answer, not the just the written and specific wording of the guide.
Not everything requires a CCB, particularly if no baseline has been established.

I believe change requests have been added due to the agile projects progressive planning concept . In agile the plan will be adapted to changes as the work is more clear .