Final answer:
A change management document details and tracks project changes, assessing their impact on project constraints and noting approval status, essential for maintaining project control.
Step-by-step explanation:
A change management document is a critical tool used in project management. This document effectively tracks and records all changes that occur throughout a project's lifecycle, detailing how each change will affect the project constraints such as scope, time, cost, quality, risk, and resources. Not only does it list each project change, but it also describes the impact of the change, who has requested it, and includes a field indicating whether the change has been approved or rejected by the project stakeholders.
Accurate change tracking ensures that all project team members are aware of the current state of the project at any given time. It helps in managing stakeholder expectations and assists in the communication of project progress. Analyzing the effect of changes on project constraints is necessary as it allows the project team to adapt their strategies and work plans accordingly to accommodate the updated project path.
Creating a change management document begins with initiating a change request whenever anyone identifies a potential change. The request is then evaluated by a change control board or a responsible project authority to determine the impact on the project and make an approval decision. This systematic process of documenting, approving, and rejecting proposed changes is at the heart of effective project governance and control.
When summarizing in your final answer, you would say: A change management document lists each project change, its effect on project constraints, and whether the change is approved or not.