LEARN. PRACTICE. GROW.Concept and mechanism
A concern, opportunity, or request deserves capture and assessment before deciding how it affects the project. Not every issue changes the baseline. If business proposes automating reconciliation, assess value, effort, dependencies, and effect on the window. The response may be approval, rejection, or phasing depending on evidence and authority. Also distinguish risk from action: increasing the supplier-delay rating does not implement a response. Identify who tracks exposure, who acts, by when, and how the effect will be observed. Report color draws attention; it does not replace analysis or responsibility.
Guided application
Compare forecasts with authorized limits and retain the baseline so deviation stays visible. A ceiling of one hundred and five thousand euros already includes authorized headroom; a forecast of one hundred and eight thousand needs a decision at the appropriate level. Tolerance does not renew each time an increase appears. Use periodic reporting for monitoring and event-driven communication when an exception requires action before the next meeting. Explain impact, options, and recommendation without hiding uncertainty. Turn lessons into actionable changes: after access fails, assign early verification to someone and confirm the result before the next window.
An operational gain may justify a change, but only after considering implementation cost and risk.
Common pitfalls
Issue as automatic change; risk closed by email; moving baseline; learning delayed until the end.
Related topics: From startup to controlled delivery · Stages, exceptions, and operational handover
Record, assess, decide within authority, and verify action effects.
Reference: PRINCE2 7 Issues: not every issue equals a change · Version 7; syllabus revision 7.2 (April 2025)