LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT: COMPLEX TOOL
This tool will help you make sure that changes to the project are authorised appropriately. 

Implement a project by making sure that changes to the project are controlled and appropriately authorised. 

Change Control is the process that you use to request a change in the level of autonomy that you have in decision-making. This could happen when you are dealing with an issue or when you feel that certain project areas demand a more flexible approach.

A number of project tolerances will have been set during the Design phase by your board, project sponsor or donor(s). You need to change some of these in in order for your project to run more efficiently. Your tool for achieving this is the Change Control process and related decision map.

Making decisions: When issues arise, the first question that you need to ask is whether decision–making sits with you or higher up. If you feel that the authority for this should sit with you, or you need a bit more flexibility on a project, then the tolerance levels on your project may need to change.

The Havenford Cares Project Manager, Helen, needs more budget to renovate the project's drop-in center. She wants to redirect money from the project’s job placement activities so that it can be used to fill the gap in the drop-in center renovation budget. The tolerances defined for Helen at the outset of the project are tight, so she needs to submit a change request to the project governance body for authorization.

There are lots of reasons why you may want a bit more flexibility to make decisions. Perhaps you need some more flexibility with budget parameters, or, like Helen, you want to move money from one part of the budget to another. Maybe you need a longer timeframe for activities to be completed? Other areas where flexibility is tolerated could also be scope (an agreed variation from a product variation), risk (a benchmark for which risks need to be escalated to your project board), quality (ranges that define acceptable performance of a product), and benefits (ranges of acceptable performance of project outcomes).

Helen checks the project documents to see what her tolerance levels are. In other words, can she make the change or does she need to consult the board to get approval? She needs to consult the board. She presents her change request. The board asks her to describe the impact of the change on the rest of the project. She does. The board agrees to her request and she updates her Gantt chart and any other appropriate documents to make sure that everyone knows what is happening, and makes the change. 

If at any point during the monitoring of the project you suspect that a tolerance is being exceeded, you should consult your governance body.

The ability to change your projects tolerance parameters is extremely important for your projects success. Make sure to frequently revisit your initial goals and objectives to see if your project is on track.