Governance
Change Request Form Template
Uncontrolled change is how projects quietly go over budget and past deadline. A change request form makes every change a deliberate, assessed, approved decision. Use this free template — or let Planquora run change control with an approval workflow and full audit trail.
What it is
A change request (CR) is a formal proposal to alter something baselined — scope, schedule, budget, or a requirement. The form captures what's being asked, why, what it would cost, and who approved it.
Change control isn't bureaucracy for its own sake. It's what lets you say yes to a change with your eyes open — and lets you point back at an agreed baseline when someone assumes a change was free.
When to use it
- Any time someone requests a change to agreed scope, schedule, budget, or requirements.
- Before doing the work — the whole point is to decide first, not discover the impact later.
- As the paper trail behind a change control board or sponsor decision.
The template
Request
- CR ID
- CR-001
- Title
- Short name for the change
- Requested by
- Name + role
- Date raised
- When it was submitted
- Description
- What is being requested, specifically
- Reason / justification
- Why it's needed — the business case
Impact assessment
- Areas affected
- Scope / Schedule / Cost / Quality / Resources
- Schedule impact
- Days added or milestones moved
- Cost impact
- Estimated $ change
- Risk impact
- New or changed risks this introduces
- Priority
- Low / Medium / High / Critical
Decision
- Decision
- Approved / Rejected / Deferred
- Approved by
- Name + role of approver
- Date decided
- When the decision was made
- Notes
- Conditions, rationale, or follow-ups
Tips
- Always assess impact before deciding. "Sure, no problem" is how scope creep starts.
- Record rejections too, with the reason. "We said no to this in March" is useful history.
- When a CR is approved, update the baseline — the charter, schedule, or budget it changed.
- Keep a running CR log so you can see the cumulative impact of many small changes.
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