Change Request Analysis Expertise

When This Applies

Apply this guidance when:

• Creating a new Change Request (CR)
• Evaluating the feasibility of a proposed change
• Estimating scope and effort
• Assessing risk and impact of changes

CR Quality Checklist

Every Change Request should include:

1. Clear Problem Statement — What problem does this solve? Why now?
2. Specific Requirements — Measurable, testable acceptance criteria
3. Scope Boundaries — What is explicitly out of scope
4. Impact Assessment — Which components, APIs, or data are affected
5. Priority Justification — Why this priority level

Scope Estimation

Sizing Guide

Scope Red Flags

Watch for CRs that should be broken down further:

• Touches more than 3 project directories
• Requires changes to both frontend and backend
• Needs database schema changes alongside feature work
• Has more than 5 distinct requirements
• Affects authentication or authorization flows

Impact Analysis

Before finalizing a CR, assess:

1. Breaking Changes — Will this break existing functionality or APIs?
2. Data Impact — Are database migrations needed? Is data at risk?
3. Dependency Impact — Will other in-progress CRs be affected?
4. Test Impact — Do existing tests need updating?
5. Infrastructure Impact — Are deployment or config changes needed?

CR Workflow

1. Draft the CR with all required fields
2. Set priority based on impact and urgency
3. Assign to Architect for technical design
4. Track through: open → in_progress → completed → closed
5. Don't create implementation tasks until Architect has designed the solution