Baselines and Change Management
Changes do occur. Change management ensures that all changes are documented and everyone is aware of the impact they will have on all the baselines. Change management provides discipline regarding who can provide or modify the baselines. Without this control, changes could come from almost anywhere, such as senior management, sponsors, users, suppliers, and technical personnel, and the project team might be expected to implement them without regard for the impact on the project. Uncontrolled baselines can lead to late products, low quality, and cost overruns.
Changes must be reviewed and approved before they are added to the baseline. This process ensures that any potential problems are identified before the change is implemented and that the change request is complete, consistent, and feasible.