Describe the difference
State what has changed: site, work package, project stage, delivery date, contractor interface or requested output. Preserve the original scope so the comparison is meaningful. “Additional support” is too broad to establish what work is now required.
Illustrative project change
An appointment covers design-stage meetings for one building. The client adds construction monitoring at a second site. The added site, stage, travel, reporting and availability need explicit discussion. The original appointment should not be silently stretched to cover them.
Identify dependencies before committing
Ask which new drawings, programme information, access arrangements or competence requirements apply. Identify the party authorised to instruct the change and any revised fee or programme. A discussion about possible work is not the same as an accepted instruction.
Keep the decision record
Record the proposed change, effect on scope, accepted variation and effective date. Notify relevant project participants through the agreed communication route. Update reporting and action registers so later readers can tell which scope applied at the time of each activity.
Put the decision into practice
- 1Describe the changed activity or output.
- 2Compare it with the current appointment.
- 3Identify evidence, people and timing dependencies.
- 4Agree scope, programme and commercial changes.
- 5Record and communicate the accepted variation.