GRACE · Module 10 · Managing Change & Quality

Is it a change? Run the boundary test

The size of the request doesn’t decide whether it’s a change. One question does: has the boundary of the project moved? Check anything that’s showing up on your project.

Signals the boundary moved

An additional design option or alternative was requested An extra review cycle has appeared A new stakeholder has entered the process Revisions are coming after a milestone or approval Added meetings or coordination effort are accumulating An outside party caused a schedule shift

No boundary movement checked — but stay alert. Small adjustments are exactly what slip through unmanaged.

The 5-Step Change Model

Effective change management starts at the beginning of the project. Set the first four steps up front; run step 5 every time the boundary moves.

Educate the client

Name the change reality early. Ask their preferred process for changes to scope, schedule, fee, deliverables, field conditions.

Tracking system

Stand up the Change Log (CTS). Record every change — asked-for or not.

Project gates

Name the milestones (SD, DD, 30/60/90% CD) that, once accepted, lock prior work. Rework after a gate earns compensation.

Additional services

Agree up front who can authorize added scope and how it’s priced.

Document & share

Document each change and decision; share internally and with the client.

Change order before the work — not at invoicing.

Address changes in real time and submit the change order before doing the work. Approved changes adjust schedule and budget; the sequence of activities stays intact even as dates move. Don’t work for free.

The change log & getting credit

The Change Tracking System makes sure the firm gets credit for every change and ties each back to a contract provision.

Date	Description	Reason	Cost of change	Schedule impact	AS#
Jul 15	Modify cut/fill at exterior	GC request — VE	$2,800	Deadline delay	—
Aug 3	Change exterior material	Reduce cost	$800	1 week	—
Sep 1	2 added coordination meetings	Client request	$1,400	No time	—

★

Always get credit.

Log all changes — even ones you choose not to bill. A recorded change you absorbed is goodwill you can point to; a silent one is just lost margin.

Read the client’s contracting culture — it changes how you pursue credit:

Public (e.g., City of Oakhaven)

Formal; process over relationship
Multiple stakeholders; route PM → Contracting Officer
Requires their documentation; note at invoicing
Plan change orders as a formal step

Private

Less formal; often a single decider
Relationship-influenced
Requires your documentation; revisit at invoicing
Educate early to keep changes collaborative

Negotiating an additional service: lead with an open question to learn how they want to proceed, then offer two clear paths forward (each acceptable to you).

The oversight system — three steps

Quality fails when the review system disappears under pressure, not because the system is missing. The PM ensures it happens.

Establish the review

Before work begins: what needs review, who (independent of author), when in the schedule, and any stamp / agency / safety requirements.

Follow the protocol

Use the existing checklists and sign-offs. Confirm reviewers before the phase; protect the review time when the schedule tightens.

Close the loop

Confirm every comment is fully resolved before issue. An open comment that ships is the one that returns at permit.

If review time isn’t planned into the schedule, it disappears the moment pressure rises. Plan it; protect it.

QA by discipline

Each discipline carries its own review checklist. The PM confirms the right one is used, by an independent reviewer, before issue.

Discipline	Review focus (typical)
Architectural	Code, drawing coordination, completeness against the deliverable list
Structural	Calculations, framing coordination with arch/MEP
Mechanical	Equipment sizing, clearances, conflicts with structure/ceilings
Electrical	Loads, panel/feeder coordination, code compliance
Plumbing	Fixture counts, routing, slope and coordination
Fire protection	Coverage, code/agency requirements, coordination

Cross-discipline coordination reviews catch the conflicts single-discipline checks miss — the mechanical-vs-structural clash that surfaces at permit.