How should schedule changes be managed?

How should schedule changes be managed?

• A. Through informal updates.
• B. Through a formal change control process including impact assessment, approval, and baselining.
• C. By changing baselines without review.
• D. By ignoring minor deviations.

Answer: (B)

Managing schedule changes requires a formal change control process that includes impact assessment, approval, and baselining. The impact assessment looks at how a proposed change would affect the critical path, dates, resources, costs, and risks, helping you understand the true ripple effects and whether the change adds value or introduces new problems. Approval brings in the right stakeholders to authorize the change, ensuring everyone agrees on the direction and that it aligns with project objectives. Baselining then updates the plan to the approved version, replacing the old baseline and communicating the new schedule to the team and stakeholders, so performance measurement and progress tracking stay accurate. This structured approach maintains control over scope and schedule, provides traceability, and prevents drift. Informal updates lack governance, changing baselines without review breaks control, and ignoring deviations allows issues to accumulate and erode project performance.

Managing schedule changes requires a formal change control process that includes impact assessment, approval, and baselining. The impact assessment looks at how a proposed change would affect the critical path, dates, resources, costs, and risks, helping you understand the true ripple effects and whether the change adds value or introduces new problems. Approval brings in the right stakeholders to authorize the change, ensuring everyone agrees on the direction and that it aligns with project objectives. Baselining then updates the plan to the approved version, replacing the old baseline and communicating the new schedule to the team and stakeholders, so performance measurement and progress tracking stay accurate. This structured approach maintains control over scope and schedule, provides traceability, and prevents drift. Informal updates lack governance, changing baselines without review breaks control, and ignoring deviations allows issues to accumulate and erode project performance.