Why do changes need a process?
Projects change. A road closes, prices rise, a partner withdraws, a community asks for something different. Change is normal. Uncontrolled change is the problem: spending moves without approval, activities drift from the agreement, and nobody can later explain why.
A change request process lets you adapt while staying within your agreement.
What counts as a change?
Treat these as changes that need a written request:
- Scope: adding, dropping or changing an activity or output.
- Budget: moving money between lines, or changing the total.
- Timeline: moving activity dates or the project end date.
- Results: changing targets or indicators.
- Location or group: serving different areas or people than planned.
- Partners or key staff: adding, removing or replacing them.
Some changes are small enough to approve inside the team. The grant agreement tells you which. Read it for words such as “prior written approval”, “material change” and “variance”.
How does the process work?
- Raise the request. Anyone on the team can raise one. Use a short form: what is changing, why, and who asked.
- Assess the effect. Check scope, budget, timeline, results and risk together. A change to one often changes the others.
- Check the agreement. Does the donor need to approve? Is there a limit, such as a percentage, below which the project manager can approve?
- Decide internally. Approve, reject or defer, at the correct level. See the table below.
- Seek donor approval if required. Send a clear request with the reason, the effect and the revised numbers.
- Record the decision. Note who decided, when and why.
- Update the documents. Revise the work plan, budget, RACI and indicators.
Who should approve what?
Set levels in your project charter. A simple example, to adapt to your rules:
| Type of change | Approver |
|---|---|
| Activity detail change, no cost or result effect | Project manager |
| Budget move within the donor’s flexibility limit | Project manager and finance lead |
| Budget move above the limit, scope or results change | Country director, then the donor |
| Change of end date or partner | Country director, then the donor |
The person who requests a change should not be the only person who approves it.
What should the request contain?
A good request fits on one page:
- a short description of the change,
- the reason, with evidence if you have it,
- the effect on scope, budget, timeline and results,
- options considered, including doing nothing,
- the recommended option,
- whether donor approval is needed,
- the approver, date and decision.
For a donor, add the revised budget table and a clear statement of what stays the same.
How do you keep a change log?
Keep one table for the whole project with these columns: number, date raised, description, requested by, effect, approver, donor approval needed, decision, date. This log is useful for audits, for the final report and for your first 30 days on the next grant, because it shows what usually changes.
Review it in the monthly project meeting. Look for patterns: if many changes come from one cause, such as unrealistic unit costs, fix the planning step. Changes to results often need updates to your logframe too.
What if the change is urgent?
Sometimes a change cannot wait, for example when a security event closes a site or a supplier fails. In an emergency, protect people first. Then tell the donor as soon as you can, in writing, and explain what you did and why.
Many donors accept this if you act in good faith and report quickly. Do not assume it. Ask your donor contact at the start of the grant how they want urgent changes handled, and write down the answer. Afterwards, raise the formal request so the record is complete.
Also learn what is normal for your donor. Some accept a short email for small changes. Others need a signed amendment. Knowing this early saves weeks later.
Where EMPOBase fits
EMPOBase’s Programs module includes change control, so you can document proposed changes and their review status with the project record. It records the request and its review; it does not read your grant agreement to tell you whether the donor must approve, so your team checks that. Use the Project Charter to state who can approve changes. See the platform page or ask for a demo.