Onboarding & handoffs / GUIDE + WORKSHEET
Capture scope changes before they become surprises
Track change requests from clarification to impact assessment, approval, and updated delivery with a reusable change register.
THE STARTING POINT
Record the requested change, compare it with the agreed scope, and explain its impact before treating it as committed work. Keep approval and implementation separate. Update the delivery plan and client expectations so the accepted change reaches the people who need to act on it.
Clarify the request before estimating it
Capture the outcome the client wants and why the current scope does not meet it. A request may be a clarification, correction, tradeoff, or genuine addition. Compare it with the accepted baseline rather than relying on someone's memory. Keep the original request and the clarified interpretation together so the decision remains understandable later.
Assess impact as a set of tradeoffs
Identify affected tasks, dependencies, dates, effort, and responsibilities. Offer options where possible: substitute work, stage delivery, or expand the project. Do not let an automated ticket creation imply a price or deadline commitment. Name the people authorized to decide under your own agreements and operating process.
Propagate the accepted decision
After approval, update the project plan, relevant specifications, and client-facing next steps. Record the approved version and tell delivery what changed. Declined or deferred requests should remain visible without sitting in the active work queue. Review whether completed work matches the approved change rather than the original informal wording.
WORKED EXAMPLE / ILLUSTRATIVE
A fictional portal request
During a portal project, a client asks for a new approval workflow. The team records the request, assesses dependencies, and offers a later phase. The idea stays visible without silently displacing the agreed launch work.
| State | Evidence | Next owner |
|---|---|---|
| Requested | Desired approval outcome | Project lead |
| Assessed | Impact and options documented | Authorized decision-maker |
| Deferred | Later-phase decision recorded | Account owner |
| Approved later | Plan and scope updated | Delivery lead |
MAKE IT USEFUL
Scope change register
This is an operational record, not a replacement for your contract process.
Your notes stay in this page and are not sent to Smithers. Download or copy them before leaving; refreshing clears them.
Before you put it to work
- Compare with a clear baseline.
- Separate a request from approval.
- Update downstream plans.
- Keep deferred work out of the active queue.
Approval authority and commercial terms depend on your agreements. This workflow organizes decisions; it does not define contractual rights.
IF THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
Your tools. Your particular mess.
The worksheet is yours to use. If the difficult part is making it work with the systems you already have, that's the kind of thing we help with.
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