Free template
A free decision log and change request template in Word, so every important decision and scope change is recorded with who made it, why and what it changed.
By Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
A note before you start
Programmes rarely fail because of one bad decision. They fail because nobody can remember who agreed what, so decisions get reopened and scope creeps in through side doors. A plain decision log and a change request form, used consistently, fix more of that than any tool.
Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
Log every decision that changes scope, cost, time, design or risk, with the options considered and the reason for the choice. Raise a change request for anything outside the agreed baseline, assess its impact before it is approved, and record the outcome in the log. Review open change requests at every project board.
[Organisation name] | Version 0.1 | [Date] | Owner: [Name, role]
| ID | Date | Decision | Options considered | Rationale | Made by | Impact | Linked change or risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Change request ID | |
| Raised by and date | |
| Description of the change | |
| Reason | |
| Impact on scope | |
| Impact on time | |
| Impact on cost | |
| Impact on risk and benefits | |
| Options | |
| Recommendation | |
| Decision (approve, reject or defer) | |
| Approved by and date |
| ID | Date raised | Summary | Impact | Status | Decision date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template by PEF Consulting Partners, pefconsultingpartners.co.uk. Free to use and adapt.
Related reading: the RAID log template, the statement of work template, the steering committee terms of reference template.
A running record of the significant decisions on a project: what was decided, when, by whom, the options considered and why. It stops decisions being reopened and gives new joiners the history.
A description of the change and the reason for it, its impact on scope, time, cost, risk and benefits, the options, a recommendation, and the decision with who made it and when.
Whoever holds the tolerance it affects. Small changes inside tolerance sit with the project manager; changes outside tolerance go to the project board or steering committee.
An issue is a problem that has happened. A change request is a proposal to alter the agreed scope, plan or budget, which may be the response to an issue.
If the same decisions keep coming back to the steering committee, start a decision log this week. It is the cheapest control a programme can have.