TOPIC: Integrated Change Control Clarification

Hello there- I was hoping someone could help me understand how integrated change control can happen during all the of process groups, but you don't put in change requests until a process is under control, and all change requests are done during the 'executing' process group.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi M F

Projects constantly change and evolve and as such Integrated Change Control is performed in all the process groups and cuts across all knowledge areas. Below is an excerpt from the PMI that shines a light on Integrated Change Control.

Project management may be seen as a set of processes and activities that are undertaken to achieve the project objectives. Some of these processes may take place once (e.g., the initial creation of the project charter), but many others overlap and occur several times throughout the project. One example of this process overlap and multiple occurrences is a change in a requirement that impacts scope, schedule, or budget and requires a change request. Several project management processes such as the Control Scope process and the Perform Integrated Change Control process may involve a change request. The Perform Integrated Change Control process occurs throughout the project for integrating change requests. Although there is no stated definition on how to integrate the project processes, it is clear that a project has a small chance of meeting its objective when the project manager fails to integrate the project processes where they interact. (PMBOK 6th Edition, Page 67)

thank you!
Just to confirm "you don't put in change requests until a process is under control, and all change requests are done during the 'executing' process group" are accurate statements still, correct?

Hi M F

A change request can be put in at any stage of a project as there is no such thing as "until a process is under control".

In PMBOK 6, PMI in its wisdom offers the caveat below which is repeated at the beginning of most chapters.
"...processes are presented as discrete processes with defined interfaces, while in practice they overlap and interact in ways that cannot be completely detailed in the PMBOK Guide. These processes interact with each other and with processes in other Knowledge Areas." (PMBOK 6th Edition. Page 231)

The overlapping nature of the process groups means that a change request can come in at the closing stage. I hope this helps.

I may provide some clarification as I think I know what you are asking:

1. Are all change requests done during the executing process group? Obviously not. Change requests can be an output of monitor and controlling processes.

2. you don't put in change requests until a process is under control? I assume you mean until a project artifact is approved and under configuration management. What documents fall under configuration control is part of the configuration management plan. For example, if you are in the monitor quality process and you see deviations between your quality management plan metrics and actual quality metrics on the production line AND the quality management plan has been approved and the quality management plan is under configuration management, then you would issue a change request to request a change to the quality management plan.

I hope this is what you were asking.