The Project Change Order Request – Version 1

Ah…the Project Manager’s best friend and worst enemy…the Change Order Request.  Projects have been halted and customers have been lost by presenting one of these fun documents.  As most of you aware, the change order request is created to cover a known gap between the work that must be done and the work that was planned (and usually priced).

The change request originates because the customer or project now needs something that wasn’t planned as part of the original project scope.  It usually comes with a price tag because of a change in the customer requirements.  However, it can be and should be used to document any deviation in scope – even if it doesn’t result in a price change for the project.  That way you have a baseline (the original SOW and requirements) for the project and documented changes to that baseline (the change request documents) as a paper trail to cover what work was actually performed on the project.  It can also be useful at the end of the project when you’re trying to justify the resource hours spent on the engagement.

I’m calling this one Version 1 because I have at least one more example that I plan to post soon.  Email me if you find this helpful and would like a Word doc version of it or send me your example to post if you want to share a different version to our readers.

PROJECT CHANGE ORDER REQUEST

[Save file name as: client name CHANGE ORDER yyyymmdd]

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Provide a brief description of the project objectives and overall performance of the work to be performed.

ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED:

Describe the issue which the scope change will address

PROPOSED CHANGE IN SCOPE:

Describe the details of the scope change.

BENEFIT OF THE CHANGE IN SCOPE:

Describe the results of the scope change.

COST IMPACT OF THE CHANGE IN SCOPE:

The additional cost for this change will be $0. This will bring the total project cost to $0.

SCHEDULE IMPACT OF THE CHANGE IN SCOPE:

Project Schedule will be modified to a project completion date of month dd, yyyy.

ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF THIS CHANGE ORDER:

The Client must accept or reject this Change Order within THREE (3) days of the date of this Change Order. The client’s failure to accept or reject within the prescribed period of time shall be deemed to be a rejection of this change order and Vendor shall continue with the project as if no change order had been issued.

Client hereby: Vendor hereby:

______ ACCEPTS the Change Order.

______ REJECTS the Change Order.

________________________________

Client Signature

______ ACCEPTS the Change Order.

______ REJECTS the Change Order.

________________________________

Vendor Signature

Related posts:

1. The Project Change Order Request – Version 2
2. The Project Resource Request
3. The Project Procurement Plan
4. The Project Charter Document
5. Managing Project Change Control