HKSM

Approved changes are formally authorized modifications to the product or project. They specify what must be added, removed, or adjusted and when. In scope planning, they trigger updates to the scope structure and baseline.

Key Points

• Originate from a formal change control decision and carry authority to implement.
• Include clear direction, effective date, conditions, and responsible owner.
• Drive updates to the scope hierarchy (WBS, scope dictionary, or product backlog).
• May require adjustments to requirements, acceptance criteria, and traceability.
• Are configuration-controlled artifacts and must be logged and versioned.
• Can have ripple effects on cost, schedule, risk, and dependencies.

Purpose

Ensure the scope structure reflects the latest authorized decisions so teams build the right product.

• Translate decisions into concrete scope elements and acceptance criteria.
• Prevent unauthorized scope creep by using only approved direction.
• Align stakeholders on what changes are in and how they are integrated.

How to Create

These are produced by a change authority after structured evaluation.

• Submit a change request with rationale, benefits, and affected items.
• Perform impact analysis on scope, cost, schedule, risk, quality, and dependencies.
• Review and decide through the designated change authority or product owner.
• Record the decision with unique ID, decision date, conditions, and implementation notes.
• Update the change log and notify stakeholders through agreed channels.

How to Use

Integrate approved changes directly into the scope structure during planning.

• Review the decision details, constraints, and effective date.
• Identify impacted deliverables, requirements, and scope structure elements.
• Decompose new or modified work into WBS components or backlog items with acceptance criteria.
• Update the scope dictionary, traceability, and interfaces to other components.
• Rebaseline the scope structure when required and communicate updates to the team.
• Link related items in repositories or tools to maintain auditability.

Ownership & Update Cadence

Governance approves; the scope/planning lead integrates.

• Approval owner: change authority or product owner.
• Integration owner: project manager, business analyst, or product owner for scope artifacts.
• Cadence: as needed, immediately after approvals, and at planned planning cycles or release boundaries.
• Recordkeeping: maintain a versioned change log and update configuration items promptly.

Example

A new compliance requirement is approved to add a quarterly regulatory report.

• Create a new WBS branch for the report with analysis, build, test, and training work packages.
• Update requirements and acceptance criteria for data fields, formatting, and submission deadlines.
• Adjust traceability links and note dependencies on the data warehouse component.
• Rebaseline the scope structure and brief stakeholders on the new scope elements.

PMP Example Question

While developing the scope structure, you receive an approved change to add a new regulatory report. What should you do first?

1. Decompose the change into new scope elements and integrate them into the WBS or backlog.
2. Begin execution work immediately to meet the regulatory deadline.
3. Update the schedule and cost baselines before touching the scope structure.
4. Wait for the next phase gate to incorporate the change.

Correct Answer: A — Decompose the change into new scope elements and integrate them into the WBS or backlog.

Explanation: Approved changes should first be translated into the scope structure before downstream plan updates or execution. This ensures traceability and correct baselining of scope.