According to the PMBOK® Guide and the Standard for Project Management, specifically within the Perform Integrated Change Control process, the specific tool or technique used to manage change requests and the resulting decisions is Change control tools.
As per PMI standards, Perform Integrated Change Control is the process of reviewing all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and communicating the decisions. The Change control tools are essential for:
Configuration Management: Identifying and maintaining the consistency of a product ' s performance, functional, and physical attributes with its requirements and design throughout its life.
Change Management: Identifying, documenting, and approving or rejecting changes to the project documents, deliverables, or baselines.
Tracking and Communication: Providing a system to track change requests from initiation through to final disposition (approval, rejection, or deferral) and ensuring that stakeholders are notified of the outcomes.
The other options are incorrect based on the following PMI definitions:
Expert judgment: While expert judgment is a tool and technique for the Perform Integrated Change Control process, it refers to the specialized knowledge used to evaluate a change request (e.g., assessing the impact on scope or cost), rather than the tool used to manage the request and the resulting decisions.
Delphi technique: This is a specific Group Creativity Technique (or Data Gathering technique) used to reach a consensus among experts who participate anonymously. It is not used for the administrative management of change requests.
Change log: The change log is a Project Document (specifically an Output of the process), not a tool or technique. It is used to document changes that occur during a project, but the tools are what allow for the management and decision-making process itself.
As per the PMI Lexicon of Project Management Terms, Change Control Tools ensure that only approved changes are incorporated into the project, thereby preventing " scope creep " and ensuring all impacts are integrated across the Knowledge Areas.
