Change Control Process

for
<Project Name>
Version 1.0 draft 1

Prepared by <author>

<Department>

<Company>

Change Control Process for <Project Name>

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................1
Purpose..................................................................................................................................................1
Scope.....................................................................................................................................................1
Definitions.............................................................................................................................................1

Roles and Responsibilities.............................................................................................1

Change Request Status..................................................................................................2
Entry Criteria....................................................................................................................4
Tasks.................................................................................................................................4
Verification........................................................................................................................5
Exit Criteria.......................................................................................................................5
Change Control Status Reporting..................................................................................6
Appendix A: Attributes Stored for Each Issue..............................................................7

Revision History
Name

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Date

ReasonForChanges

Version

initialdraft

1.0draft1

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Change Control Process for

Introduction
Purpose

Thisdocumentdescribesthechangecontrolprocessthatistobeusedforrequesting
andmanagingchangestoworkproductscreatedormaintainedbythemembersof
<project>.Thisprocesswillfacilitatecommunicationaboutrequestedchanges
amongthestakeholdersof<project>,provideacommonprocessforresolving
requestedchangesandreportedproblems,andreducetheuncertaintyaroundthe
existence,state,andoutcomeofachangethathasbeenrequestedinaworkproduct.

Scope

Anystakeholderof<project>cansubmitthefollowingtypesofissuestothechange
controlsystem:

requestsforrequirementschangesinsoftwarecurrentlyunderdevelopment
reportsofproblemsincurrentproductionorbetatestsystems
requestsforenhancementsincurrentproductionsystems
requestsfornewdevelopmentprojects

Thischangecontrolprocessappliestobaselinedworkproductscreatedormanaged
bythemembersofthe<project>,including:

softwarethathasbeenreleasedtoproductionorisinbetatest
requirementsspecificationsfor<project>
groupproceduresandprocesses
userandtechnicaldocumentation

Thefollowingworkproductclassesareexemptedfromthischangecontrolprocess:

Definitions

workproductsthatarestillunderdevelopment,exceptforrequirements
changesrequestedinnewprojects
interimortemporaryworkproductscreatedduringthecourseofaproject
anyworkproductsintendedforindividualuseonly

Term
issue

stakeholder

Definition
Anitemthatsomeonehassubmittedtothechangecontrol
databasethatdescribesasoftwareproblem,arequested
enhancement,aproposedchangeinrequirementsforaproduct
underdevelopment,oranewprojectbeingproposed.
Someonewithaninterestin<project>,whichmayinclude<list
affectedorganizations>

Roles and Responsibilities

Role
CCBChair

Change
ControlBoard
Evaluator
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Description
Chairpersonofthechangecontrolboard.Hasfinaldecision
makingauthorityiftheCCBdoesnotreachagreement.Asks
someonetobetheEvaluatorforeachchangerequest,andasks
someonetobetheModifierforeachapprovedchangerequest.
Thegroupthatdecidestoapproveorrejectproposedchangesfor
aspecificproject.
ThepersonwhotheCCBChairaskstoanalyzetheimpactofa
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Change Control Process for

Modifier
Originator
Process
Owner
Verifier

proposedchange.
Thepersonwhoisassignedresponsibilityformakingchangesin
aworkproductinresponsetoanapprovedchangerequest.
Updatesthestatusoftherequestovertime.
Thepersonwhosubmitsanewchangerequest.
Thepersonresponsibleformaintainingthisprocedure,
performingsystemadministrationonthechangecontroltool,
andgeneratingstatusreportsonthetoolsdatabasecontents.
Thepersonwhodetermineswhetherachangewasmade
correctly.

Change Request Status

StatusChanges

Arequestedchangewillpassthroughseveralpossiblestatusesduringitslife.These
statuses,andthecriteriaformovingfromonestatustoanother,aredepictedinthe
statetransitiondiagraminFigure1anddescribedinthePossibleStatusestable.

Notifications

Anytimeanissuestatusischanged,thechangecontroltoolwillsendanemail
notificationautomaticallytotheissueOriginator,theissueModifier,and/orthe
CCBChair,asspecifiedbelow.

PossibleStatuses
Status
Approved
Canceled
ChangeMade
Closed
Evaluated
Rejected
Submitted
Verified

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Meaning
TheCCBdecidedtoimplementtherequestandallocatedittoa
specificfuturebuildorproductrelease.TheCCBChairhas
assignedaModifier.
ThOriginatororsomeoneelsedecidedtocancelanapproved
changebeforethechangewasimplementedandverified.
TheModifierhascompletedimplementingtherequestedchange.
Thechangemadehasbeenverified(ifrequired),themodified
workproducthasbeeninstalled,andtherequestisnow
completed.
TheEvaluatorhasperformedanimpactanalysisoftherequest.
TheCCBdecidednottoimplementtherequestedchange.
TheOriginatorhassubmittedanewissuetothechangecontrol
system.
TheVerifierhasconfirmedthatthemodificationsinaffected
workproductsweremadecorrectly.

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Change Control Process for

Figure1.StateTransitionDiagramforIssueStatuses.
Originator submitted
an issue

Submitted
Evaluator performed
impact analysis

Evaluated

CCB decided
not to make
the change

Rejected

CCB decided to
make the change

Approved

change was canceled

Modifier has made

the change and
requested verification

verification
failed

Change Made
no verification
required; Modifier
has installed
product

change was
canceled

Canceled

Verifier has
confirmed the
change

Verified

change was canceled

Modifier has
installed product

Closed

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Change Control Process for

Entry Criteria
TheOriginatorhassubmittedavalidissueorchangerequestwithallnecessary
informationtotheCCBChairusingthechangecontroltool.Thetoolsetsthe
issuesinitialstatustoSubmitted.

Tasks
Evaluate Issue

Task
Assign an individual to evaluate the issue.
Evaluate the issue as to feasibility, whether it really pertains to
the indicated project, whether a reported problem can be
reproduced, and so on. May modify the issue data items to
change certain attributes. Change status to Evaluated.

Make Decision

Task
1. If the change is feasible, the CCB will decide whether the
requested change should be made (or problem fixed) at this
time, at some point in the future or not at all. Input should
be solicited from others potentially affected by the change
when making the decision.
2. If the change was accepted, assign a Modifier, set the
status to Approved, enter any explanation in the Response
attribute, and schedule the work. System sends e-mail to
the assigned Modifier and the Originator.
3. If the change was rejected, set the status to Rejected and
enter an explanation of why in the Response attribute.
System sends e-mail to the Originator and CCB Chair.
4. Determine whether formal verification of the change will be
required, following the procedure in the Verification
section. If so, select the verification method to be used and
assign a Verifier.

Make Change

Task
1. Make the necessary changes in the affected work products.
2. Notify any other affected parties if corresponding changes
need to be made (user documentation, help screens, tests).
3. If it becomes apparent during the work that the requested
change is not feasible after all, notify CCB Chair, who may
then set the status to Rejected. System sends e-mail to the
Originator, CCB Chair, and Modifier.
4. When the change is completed, set the status to Change
Made and update the issue in the database with appropriate
notes in the Response attribute. Enter the actual hours of
effort required to make the change. System sends e-mail to
the Originator and CCB Chair.

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Responsible
CCB Chair
Evaluator

Responsible
CCB Chair

CCB Chair

CCB Chair
CCB Chair and
Originator

Responsible
Modifier
Modifier
Modifier

Modifier

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Change Control Process for

Verification
Verify Change

Task
1. Notify the Originator and Verifier (if one was assigned)
that the change has been made, and make all modified work
products available to the people responsible for
verification.
2. Perform the agreed-upon verification steps.
3. If verification is successful, set the status to Verified.
System sends e-mail to the Originator and Modifier.
4. If verification is not successful, set the status back to
Approved and describe the problem in the Response
attribute. System sends e-mail to the Originator and
Modifier. The process resumes with the Make Change
step under Tasks.

Install Product

Task
1. For a problem report issue or an enhancement request
issue, install the modified work product as appropriate. For
requirements changes, update version numbers on all
modified work products and check them back into the
version control system.
2. Set the status to Closed. System sends e-mail to the
Originator and CCB Chair.

Responsible
Modifier

Verifier
Verifier
Verifier

Responsible
Modifier

Modifier

Exit Criteria
ThestatusoftherequestissettoeitherRejectedorClosed.
Themodifiedworkproductshavebeencorrectlyinstalledintotheappropriate
locations.
TheOriginatorandCCBChairhavebeennotifiedofthecurrentstatus.
Pertinentrequirementstraceabilityinformationhasbeenupdated.

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Change Control Process for

Change Control Status Reporting

StandardReports

TheProcessOwnershallgenerateareportattheendofeachmonthsummarizing
thestatusofthecontentsofthechangecontroldatabase.Thisreportliststhestatus
ofallchangerequeststhatcurrentlyhaveastatusotherthanRejectedorClosed.

ReportReview

The<project>leadershipteamshallreviewthesereportstodeterminewhetherany
correctiveactionsarenecessary.

Report
Generation

Anystakeholderhavingaccessto<changecontroltool>cangeneratestandard
reportsonthecontentsofthedatabase.

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Change Control Process for

Appendix A: Attributes Stored for Each Issue

Field

HowSet

Contents

ActualHours
Description

Modifier
Originator

DateSubmitted
DateUpdated
EstimatedHours
Implementation
Priority
IssueID
IssueType

System
System
Modifier
CCBChair

Actuallaborhoursofefforttoimplementthechange.
Freeformtextdescriptionofthechangebeingrequested.Thiscannot
bechangedbyanyoneelseonceitisentered.Ifreportingaproblem,
itcanbeusefultoentertheexacterrormessagetextobservedhere.
Datethisissuewassubmittedtothetool.
Datethisissuewasmostrecentlyupdated.
Estimatedlaborhoursofefforttoimplementthechange.
Relativeimportanceofmakingthechange:Low(default),Medium,
High.

Modifier
Originator
OriginatorEMail
OriginatorPhone
OriginatorPriority
PlannedRelease
Product
ProblemSeverity
Response
Status

Title
Verifier

Sequencenumberassignedtotheissue.
Typeofchangerequestbeingcreated:Problem,Enhancement,
RequirementChange,NewProject.
CCBChair Personwhoisassignedresponsibilityforimplementingthechange.
Originatorsname.
Originator
Originatorsemailaddress.
Originator
Originatorsphonenumber.
Originator
Originatorsrelativeimportanceofthechange:Low,Medium,High.
Originator
CCBChair Productreleasenumberforwhichthisapprovedchangeisscheduled,
determinedbyCCB.
Nameoftheproductorprojectinwhichachangeisbeingrequested
Originator
oraproblemreported.
Foraproblemreport,setseverityofthechange(seeTable1).Use
Originator
N/Aifthisisissueisnotaproblemreport.
Freeformtextofresponsesmadetothechangerequest.Multiple
Modifier
responsescanbemadeovertime.Donotchangeexistingresponses.
Originator, Updatecurrentstatusofthechangerequestasitmovesthroughthe
statesdescribedintheChangeRequestStatussection.Dateofstatus
Modifier
changesandnameofusermakingtheupdateareshown
automatically.
Onelinedescriptionoftheissue.
Originator
CCBChair Nameofindividualwhoisresponsibleforverifyingthatchangehas
beenmadecorrectly.
System
Originator

Table1.ProblemSeverityDescriptions.
Severity
Minor
Major
Critical
Emergency

Examples
cosmeticproblem,usabilityimprovement,unclearerrormessages;customercanlive
withtheproblem(default)
defectadverselyaffectsproductfunctioning,butaworkaroundisavailable;customer
willbereallyannoyed;serioususabilityimpairment;defectblockstesting
productdoesnotfunctionatallorcrashes;thewrongresultsaregenerated;further
testingoftheapplicationisnotpossible
anythingthatrequiresachangetobemadeimmediately,bypassingthechange
controlprocesstemporarily

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