How to manage changes to scope, budget and timeline

Why do projects need a change process?

Change is normal in NGO projects. Prices rise, access closes, partners leave, needs shift. The problem is unmanaged change: a team quietly moves money, drops an activity or lets the end date slip. This creates audit findings and broken trust.

A change process gives you a short, repeatable path from "something needs to change" to "the change is approved and recorded".

Which changes need approval?

Donor rules differ, so read your own agreement first. Some examples show the pattern.

The Sudan Humanitarian Fund operational manual from OCHA says that changes in a project may have different consequences for scope, duration and budget, and that variations of all forms must be brought to the fund manager's attention. It says significant deviations from objectives and outputs, such as changes in location, target population, scope of activities or sub-grants, need clear justification. It also states that revision requests should remain exceptional events.

Another fund, the Sahel Regional Fund, separates essential changes that need prior approval from non-essential changes that need only notification. Its manual lists essential changes such as adding or removing a co-partner, budget changes above a set percentage on a heading, implementation period, objectives and indicators, and the country or region.

The lesson: do not guess. Create a short table from your own agreement.

The routes in the table are examples. Your agreement decides. If you are unsure, ask the donor or a qualified adviser.

How do you manage a change, step by step?

1. Spot it. Use your monitoring, risk register and project meetings to catch changes early.
2. Describe it. What needs to change, why, and what happens if you do nothing?
3. Assess the effect. Check scope, budget, timeline, quality, safeguarding and partners. Does it affect other donors or agreements?
4. Check the agreement. Find the clause on changes. Note any percentage limits, deadlines and approval steps.
5. Get internal approval. Follow the decision rights in your charter or RACI matrix.
6. Request donor approval if needed. Send a short, clear request.
7. Wait for written approval before acting on changes that need it.
8. Record and communicate. Update the work plan, budget and logframe, and log the change.

What should a change request contain?

Keep it to one page where possible.

• Project name, agreement number and date.
• The change requested, in one or two sentences.
• The reason, with evidence such as a monitoring finding or a context update.
• The effect on scope, budget and timeline, with numbers.
• Any effect on results, indicators or beneficiaries.
• Risks and how you will manage them.
• A request date and the date you need an answer.
• Names of the people who approved it internally.

When should you ask?

Timing matters. The OCHA fund manual says all project revision requests must be submitted at least four weeks before the end of the project and that later submissions will not be considered. The Sahel fund manual sets a deadline of 45 days before the end of the implementation period for modification requests. These are two examples; your donor will set its own timing.

Put your donor's deadline in your work plan. Review progress at the half-way mark and again three months before the end, so you know early if an extension or revision is likely. See also how to stop scope creep.

What makes requests fail?

The OCHA manual lists reasons a request may be refused, including reasons not clearly justified, defective management by the partner, outstanding or unsatisfactory reports, and submission outside the allowed period. Avoid these:

• Late submission.
• Vague reasons. "Context changed" is not enough. Give specifics.
• Outstanding reports. Submit overdue reports first.
• Repeated requests. Plan so you do not need several revisions.
• Acting before approval. This may lead to costs being ineligible.

How EMPO can help

EMPO is a trusted, Yangon-based training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. Our Project Management training and organisational development support, delivered online or in person across Myanmar in English and Burmese, can help your team build a clear change process. See our services or contact us.

Sources

• Sudan Humanitarian Fund Operational Manual — UN OCHA, 2017