Link between Project Management and Change Management

[dgasparac]

Hello all,

I have a problem identifying a link between project and change management.

Question is as follows: if we take a look at the huge project (i.e. implementing new service which includes development, introduction of several new CI's and connecting them with existing infrastructure, as well as changes on network to access it - so, infrastructure parts with different technical owners) and if we take a look at definition of extensive change by ITIL (... implementation projects...) is that kind of project:
a) a single RFC
b) a generator of several RFC's?

In other words, will this kind of project be a single RFC which will plan, develop and release a massive change in several infrastructure blocks, or will a project after conceptual phase issue several RFC's to different technical owners, with project as a link among them?

Many thanks in advance!

[m_croon]

In my experience, definately a series of changes. It is simply not practical and impossible to assess this in a single change.

[Ziad]

Most of the tasks within a project plan have an owner, implementation start-date and end-date, steps/activities, rollback plan, a modification to the CMDB. So most of the tasks are practically RFCs.

Cheers,
Z!

[dgasparac]

Thanks for (extremely fast) comments.

So, in other words, one RFC should be limited to system(s) within the responsibility of one line organization (i.e. IT, Operations,...), or which can have only one technical owner?

Can we in that case set a rule that change initiators for extensive changes can be only projects (project managers) and line managers, and for other (standard and preauthorized) can be also from other business units (marketing, sales, customer care) because for extensive change there will be anyway a lot of technical details requested which can not be provided by other units?

[Ed]

I have never been fond of rules that limit who can initiate RFCs - danger here is that you get none.

Standard & pre-authorised are the same for me. What's the difference?

I insist that the RFC carries the business case and the Release contains the technical bits - after all the techie doesn't really care why he is making a specific Change - only that it is authorised.

I don't have a problem with multiple implementers, provided that the work is connected - as Michiel infers practicality wins the day, rather than slavish following of rules.

Regards

Ed

[Ziad]

While I think tasks taht modify the CMDB in a project plan are RFCs, I do not mean that RFCs can only be initiated part of projects.
The biggest the number of people allowed to request changes, the more you are encouraging improvement within the organization. Nevertheless, there must be entities who filter these requests part of their tasks.

Cheers,
Z!

[m_croon]