In brief
A useful change process protects both parties when the work evolves. Informal requests become a problem when they affect fees, deadlines, or the responsibility for approval.
Controlling scope changes in business-services contracts
A useful change process protects both parties when the work evolves. Informal requests become a problem when they affect fees, deadlines, or the responsibility for approval.
What to do
- Describe the requested change and explain why the original scope no longer covers it.
- Ask for effects on deliverables, staffing, price, and timing before authorising work.
- Keep a versioned scope document so later reviewers can distinguish the base agreement from additions.
Use one current version of the agreement
Record the change reference, original requirement, revised requirement, reason, and effect on price and timing. Identify the person authorised to approve it and the date the revised instruction takes effect. Make clear whether the supplier should pause affected work while a decision is pending. This prevents a discussion about an option from being mistaken for an instruction to proceed.
After approval, update the working scope and tell the people responsible for delivery and acceptance. Keep the original and revised records linked. At closeout, check completed work against the approved version rather than reconstructing decisions from scattered messages.
Illustrative buying situation
Consider this hypothetical example.
A buyer asks its outsourced team to add a new report during a routine meeting. Before work starts, confirm whether this replaces an existing output or adds to the scope. Ask for the required inputs, review effort, and price effect. A short change record can prevent both an unexpected invoice and a missed base deliverable. The updated work schedule should show the new priority so the delivery team does not receive conflicting instructions.
Your next decision
Approve the revised outcome and its cost together rather than agreeing them in separate conversations.
Related buying guides
Contract and change-control guideUAE supplier guides