# Change Management Checklist

This checklist guides systematic response to change triggers and helps analyze impacts on project artifacts, epics, and MVP scope. Used by the correct-course task to ensure thorough change analysis and proposal generation.

## Required Documents
- Current PRD or project requirements document
- Epic and story files (if they exist)
- Architecture documents
- The change trigger description from user

## LLM Instructions
Work through this checklist systematically to analyze change impacts and develop appropriate responses. Each section builds on the previous one to create a comprehensive change proposal.

## Section 1: Change Context Analysis

**LLM Prompt:** "Analyze the change trigger in the context of current project state. Understand what changed, why, and what the immediate implications are."

### Change Trigger Assessment
- [ ] **Change trigger clearly understood**
  - What exactly has changed or needs to change?
  - Is this an external force or internal decision?
  - What prompted this change now?

- [ ] **Scope of impact initially assessed**
  - Which parts of the system/project are affected?
  - Are there dependencies that cascade the impact?
  - What remains unaffected?

- [ ] **Urgency and timing evaluated**
  - How quickly must this change be addressed?
  - Are there deadline implications?
  - Can this wait for a planned iteration?

- [ ] **Stakeholder impact understood**
  - Who is affected by this change?
  - Who needs to be informed or consulted?
  - Are there conflicting stakeholder interests?

**Section 1 Pass Criteria:** All change context items must be clearly understood before proceeding.

## Section 2: Epic and Story Impact Analysis

**LLM Prompt:** "Systematically review all existing epics and stories to identify which ones are affected by this change. Consider both direct and indirect impacts."

### Epic-Level Impact Assessment
- [ ] **All epics reviewed for impact**
  - Which epics are directly affected?
  - Which epics have dependencies on affected areas?
  - Which epics remain completely unaffected?

- [ ] **Story-level impact identified**
  - Which specific stories need modification?
  - Which stories become obsolete or unnecessary?
  - Which new stories might be needed?

- [ ] **Priority and sequence changes assessed**
  - Do epic priorities need to change?
  - Does the story sequence need adjustment?
  - Are there new blocking relationships?

- [ ] **Effort and timeline impact evaluated**
  - How does this change affect story point estimates?
  - What is the impact on planned milestones?
  - Are there resource implications?

**Section 2 Pass Criteria:** All epic and story impacts must be systematically identified and documented.

## Section 3: Artifact Conflict Resolution

**LLM Prompt:** "Identify conflicts between the required change and existing project artifacts. Determine what needs to be updated, replaced, or created."

### Documentation Conflicts
- [ ] **PRD conflicts identified**
  - Which PRD sections conflict with the change?
  - What new requirements need to be added?
  - What existing requirements become invalid?

- [ ] **Architecture conflicts identified**
  - Which architectural decisions are affected?
  - Are there technical constraints that conflict?
  - What architectural updates are needed?

- [ ] **Design conflicts identified**
  - Which design decisions conflict with the change?
  - Are there UI/UX implications?
  - What design updates are required?

### Resolution Strategies
- [ ] **Update strategy defined**
  - Which artifacts can be updated in place?
  - Which artifacts need complete replacement?
  - What new artifacts need to be created?

- [ ] **Version control approach planned**
  - How will changes be tracked and managed?
  - What is the rollback strategy if needed?
  - How will team members be notified of changes?

**Section 3 Pass Criteria:** All conflicts must be identified with clear resolution strategies.

## Section 4: Path Evaluation and Recommendation

**LLM Prompt:** "Evaluate different approaches to implementing this change and recommend the optimal path forward considering all constraints and impacts identified."

### Option Analysis
- [ ] **Multiple approaches considered**
  - What are the different ways to implement this change?
  - What are the pros and cons of each approach?
  - Which approach minimizes disruption?

- [ ] **Resource requirements evaluated**
  - What resources are needed for each approach?
  - Which approach is most feasible given current constraints?
  - Are there skill or knowledge gaps to address?

- [ ] **Risk assessment completed**
  - What are the risks of each approach?
  - Which approach has the lowest risk profile?
  - What mitigation strategies are needed?

### Recommended Path Forward
- [ ] **Optimal approach identified**
  - Which approach is recommended and why?
  - What are the key success factors?
  - What are the major milestones and checkpoints?

- [ ] **Implementation plan outlined**
  - What are the specific steps to implement?
  - What is the proposed timeline?
  - Who needs to be involved in implementation?

- [ ] **Success criteria defined**
  - How will success be measured?
  - What are the acceptance criteria for the change?
  - What are the quality gates and checkpoints?

**Section 4 Pass Criteria:** Clear recommendation with implementation plan and success criteria.

## Section 5: Change Proposal Generation

**LLM Prompt:** "Create a comprehensive change proposal document that summarizes the analysis and provides specific, actionable edits for all affected artifacts."

### Sprint Change Proposal Structure
- [ ] **Executive Summary completed**
  - Brief overview of the change and its impact
  - Recommended path forward and rationale
  - Key decisions and trade-offs made

- [ ] **Detailed Impact Analysis included**
  - Complete findings from Sections 1-4
  - Specific artifacts affected and how
  - Dependencies and cascade effects identified

- [ ] **Specific Proposed Edits documented**
  - Exact changes to each affected artifact
  - Before and after states clearly shown
  - New artifacts that need to be created

- [ ] **Implementation Roadmap provided**
  - Step-by-step implementation plan
  - Timeline and milestone targets
  - Resource requirements and assignments

- [ ] **Risk Mitigation Plan included**
  - Identified risks and mitigation strategies
  - Rollback procedures if needed
  - Quality assurance and validation steps

**Section 5 Pass Criteria:** Complete change proposal ready for stakeholder review and approval.

## Final Assessment

### Overall Completion Status
**Pass Criteria:** All 5 sections must achieve 100% completion rate.

### Change Complexity Classification
- **Simple Change:** Affects single epic/story, minimal artifact updates
- **Moderate Change:** Affects multiple stories, some architectural updates
- **Complex Change:** Affects multiple epics, significant architectural changes
- **Fundamental Change:** Requires major replanning, architectural redesign

### Next Steps Recommendation
Based on complexity classification:
- **Simple/Moderate:** Implement via normal sprint planning process
- **Complex:** Requires dedicated change implementation sprint
- **Fundamental:** Escalate to PM/Architect for major replanning effort

## Usage Notes
- This checklist is executed by the correct-course task
- Each section must be completed before moving to the next
- User interaction mode (Incremental vs YOLO) affects how sections are processed
- All findings must be documented in the Sprint Change Proposal
- The checklist results guide the handoff decision to appropriate agents