PCC Change Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project owner requests a scope addition after the baseline is set. What is the FIRST step the project controls team should take?
- Issue a change order immediately
- Evaluate the impact on cost, schedule, and risk (Correct answer)
- Reject the request until the project is complete
- Update the WBS without formal documentation
Correct answer: Evaluate the impact on cost, schedule, and risk
Impact analysis on cost, schedule, and risk must be performed before any change is approved or rejected.
Question 2: Which document formally authorizes a contractor to proceed with work beyond the original contract scope?
- Request for Proposal
- Change Order (Correct answer)
- Risk Register
- Scope Statement
Correct answer: Change Order
A Change Order is the formal document that authorizes additional work and adjusts contract terms accordingly.
Question 3: A pending change has not yet been approved but is expected to occur. How should it be reflected in the project budget?
- Added to the cost baseline immediately
- Excluded from all budget documents
- Tracked as a pending change in the budget at completion forecast (Correct answer)
- Charged to management reserve
Correct answer: Tracked as a pending change in the budget at completion forecast
Pending changes should be tracked separately in the forecast (EAC/BAC) without altering the approved baseline until formally approved.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'constructive change' in a project controls context?
- A change that improves project efficiency
- An unauthorized direction by the owner that results in extra contractor work (Correct answer)
- A change initiated by the project controls team
- A voluntary scope reduction
Correct answer: An unauthorized direction by the owner that results in extra contractor work
A constructive change occurs when an owner's actions or instructions, without a formal change order, cause the contractor to perform additional work.
Question 5: When calculating the total change impact, which element is typically NOT included in a change order pricing analysis?
- Direct labor costs
- Material escalation
- Sunk costs already incurred on base scope (Correct answer)
- Subcontractor impacts
Correct answer: Sunk costs already incurred on base scope
Sunk costs are irrelevant to change order pricing because they have already been incurred and cannot be recovered.
Question 6: A scope change is approved mid-project. Which control baseline elements must be updated?
- Cost baseline only
- Schedule baseline only
- Cost, schedule, and scope baselines (Correct answer)
- Only the risk register
Correct answer: Cost, schedule, and scope baselines
An approved scope change requires updating all three control baselines—cost, schedule, and scope—to maintain alignment.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a Change Control Board (CCB) in project controls?
- To execute change orders in the field
- To review, evaluate, and approve or reject proposed changes (Correct answer)
- To document lessons learned after changes occur
- To assign responsibility for change-related rework
Correct answer: To review, evaluate, and approve or reject proposed changes
A CCB is a formal group responsible for evaluating proposed changes and deciding whether to approve, reject, or defer them.
PCC Change Management 2
A project owner requests a scope addition after the baseline is set.
What is the FIRST step the project controls team should take?