Who must approve written change orders or amendments to scope, price, and schedule?

• A. Authorized parties must approve written change orders or amendments to scope, price, and schedule
• B. The contractor can unilaterally change the scope
• C. The procurement officer approves any change by default
• D. The customer can cancel changes unilaterally

Answer: (A)

Changes to scope, price, or schedule must go through a formal written change order that is approved by the parties designated as authorized in the contract. This ensures everyone agrees on what is changing, how much extra work or cost is involved, and how the timeline shifts. When approvals come from authorized representatives, the project stays aligned with the contract, risks are managed transparently, and there’s a clear record of decisions and financial implications.

Unilateral changes by the contractor bypass this important control, which can lead to disputes, overruns, and misaligned expectations. Approval by a procurement officer by default isn’t typically defined in many contracts, since the contract specifies who has authority to approve changes. Likewise, having the customer cancel changes unilaterally undermines the formal process and can destabilize the project’s scope and schedule.