CCB & Baselines

Explain how implementation of a CCB could have helped
Explain how the use of baselines by a PM could have helped

Baselines – Can be used for project plans, budgets, timelines, etc. They provide a model for what your expectations are for the project. As the project progressed, you can compare the effort to your baseline. This allows you to determine if the project is on time or budget.

Change Control Board (CCB) – In my experience, these are used on larger projects. Whenever a scope change is recommended, the project team presents these items to the change control board. Dependent on how the change affects the project, the CCB will approve or deny the scope change. This takes the decision process away from the PM (who shouldn’t make the decision anyway) and aligns the change to sponsor requirements. If the scope change falls outsides of the CCB’s powers, they will usually escalate the change to a Sponsor or Executive Steering Committee for approval / denial.

Change Management – Change management covers a numbers of topics and areas. However, my opinion is that change management comes down to one basic concept. Ensuring a project (or any other change) is thought out. Whatever the evolution to be undertaken is, it is accounted for in terms planning. Is there a plan for implementation? Is there a time and date the change will occur? Is there a back-out plan. There are many other items that go into change management, but remember the purpose of change management is to ensure operations are well thought out.