A Verbal Site Change Is Not an Approved Change
A Verbal Site Change Is Not an Approved Change Early in my career, I learned an expensive lesson about client changes. During site meetings and walkthroughs, the client’s representative would verbally suggest changes to the approved design. Wanting to satisfy the client, the project team would proceed on the assumption that formal approval would follow. The changes accumulated. They resulted in redesign, rework, additional costs and programme pressure. When the commercial impact was eventually presented, we discovered that the client’s representative did not have the necessary budget authority. Their management challenged the additional expenditure. We had focused on satisfying the person in the room without confirming whether the organisation had approved the consequences. Here are the three things I learned and still follow today. Make it a strategic “yes” You do not need to respond to a proposed change with an immediate “no.” Instead, make it a strategic yes: “We’re happy to progress this. Since it deviates from the approved design, we’ll first assess the cost and programme implications and send them for formal approval.” This keeps the conversation collaborative while maintaining proper project controls. You may also be surprised by how quickly a proposed change is reconsidered once a price and programme impact are attached to it. An idea can sound essential during a site walk. Its priority may change when the client understands its full consequences. Ensure the contractor never implements an unwritten change The contractor must understand that no change should be implemented without written instruction through the agreed project process. This is particularly important because some client representatives may bypass the project manager and instruct the contractor directly. The contractor should know how to respond: Record the request. Notify the project manager. Confirm that it changes the approved information. Wait for written instruction before proceeding. Otherwise, the team may complete work before confirming its design, cost, programme and approval implications. Move quickly to provide the information needed for approval Good change control should not become an excuse for slow decision-making. Once a significant change is proposed, move quickly to establish: What is changing Why the change is required Which work or procurement it affects The estimated cost The programme impact Who has authority to approve it Give the authorised approver the information needed to make a decision as quickly as reasonably possible. If the decision subsequently causes a delay, the project record should demonstrate that the delay was not caused by your failure to provide the necessary change information. The lesson A verbal request should trigger documentation—not automatic implementation. A “brilliant” site change is not brilliant if nobody has assessed, approved and funded its consequences. Change control is not about frustrating the client. It helps the client make an informed decision while protecting the project team from avoidable rework, cost disputes and delays. I learned that the hard way early in my career.
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