Change is normal in projects. The real question is: how fast can your team decide what to do about it? Every variation order, claim, and information request comes with a deadline. When decisions take weeks instead of days, costs go up, schedules slip, and the contractor loses trust in your team. This issue shows how MCA-Nepal rebuilt its change process around making decisions on time — and why the PPMM treats this as one of the most important areas to get right.
During the IPM support mission in Kathmandu, the team worked with MCA/MCC-Nepal and the PMOSS consultant team to link the change control board to FIDIC contract deadlines. Variation orders, claims, and information requests now move through one tracked process. Each item has a clear owner, a decision deadline that matches the FIDIC time limit, and PMOSS tracking so nothing is forgotten between meetings. The change was not about adding more controls — it was about removing delay. Change items now reach the board with a suggested decision and a deadline — not just a description of the problem.
The Practical Project Management Methodology (PPMM) treats change management as making decisions — not filling out forms. A good change process does not produce a perfect register. It produces a decision the team can act on, on time. This is true for construction contracts, where variations and claims follow forms like FIDIC. It is also true for service contracts, where scope changes, deliverable approvals, and modifications come with their own deadlines. The PPMM helps MCA programs build one change process that works for both — giving the right people the power to decide, and tracking how long decisions actually take.
The cost of slow decisions is real. It is written into the contract. FIDIC, for example, requires a claim to be submitted within 28 days, and the Engineer must respond within 42 days of getting the full details. Service contracts have their own deadlines for accepting deliverables, responding to changes, and giving notice. Every day a decision waits is another day the other party can claim more time or money — and another day your program loses the chance to shape the outcome. Making decisions on time is not just good practice; it is part of the contract.
On a typical 2-year, $30 million FIDIC construction contract, this is roughly what MCA pays for each day a decision is delayed — through standby costs, idle workers and equipment, and time-related claims that grow until the decision is made.
Join IPM for a 45-minute live webinar on May 12. We will walk through new resources just published at ipm4dev.org and introduce a new 5-part live series built around the PPMM. The series runs through June and July. Each 30-minute session shows how to use one PPMM area on real MCC programs — including timely decision-making, the theme of this issue.
We will offer different times to fit your time zone. Registration details and the full schedule will come in the next mailing — stay tuned.
The PPMM covers change management and nine other project areas, built for MCC programs. Download it and see what your team could do differently. Or contact IPM to talk through how to use it on your program.
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