Construction contracts differ from most legal agreements in that they expect and plan for changes. The purpose of this white paper is to highlight best practices of identifying and managing changes that might occur on a construction project, and provide a process to effectively manage changes on construction projects. It is by no means exhaustive or complete, but does present the basics of a workable and proven process for dealing with changes. Although the terminology used and contract documents referenced are geared toward traditional design-bid-build public improvement projects, the process and principles presented are applicable and adaptable to other kinds of delivery methods or types of projects.

Because the change management process presented is not written for a particular contract or project, readers are urged to review the procedures outlined carefully and seek appropriate assistance when adapting to their own project or construction programs. Please contact Oracle Consulting if you have any questions regarding this change management process, the intent of its requirements, its implementation, its customization for your construction program, or any other reason related to the development and implementation of a change management system on your project or construction program.