Information Technology

Change Advisory Board (CAB) Procedure

• Change Advisory Board (CAB) Policy
• Change Advisory Board (CAB) Standard

The Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a cross-functional group of IT leadership and technical experts responsible for vetting all changes introduced into the IT environment. Chaired by the Change Manager, the CAB ensures that changes are implemented with minimal risk and maximum coordination.

Purpose and Objectives

The CAB evaluates all proposed changes to provide strategic direction and support. Key objectives include:

• Risk Mitigation: Identifying potential technical or business risks before implementation.
• Communication: Ensuring stakeholders are notified and impacts are coordinated across departments.
• Schedule Management: Preventing conflicts in the published change schedule.
• Quality Assurance: Reviewing the outcomes of failed or emergency changes to prevent recurrence.

Membership and Participation

The CAB includes the Change Manager and a rotating or standing group of managers, directors, and technical experts. Members are selected based on their ability to assess the technical and business impact of changes across the organization.

Meeting Frequency & Agenda

The CAB meets weekly to perform the following:

1. Approval Review: Authorize new Normal and Routine change requests.
2. Risk Assessment: Evaluate potential unintended consequences and recommend mitigation strategies.
3. Schedule Validation: Resolve scheduling conflicts.
4. Post-Implementation Review (PIR): Analyze the results of failed or emergency changes.

How to Submit a Change Request

Change requests are managed via the Request Tracker (RT) system. To submit a ticket:

1. Access: Login to RT.
2. Ticket Creation: Select "New Ticket" and set the queue to Change Management.
3. Required Fields:
   • Subject: A concise name for the change.
   • Implementer: The individual executing the change.
   • Type: Select Routine, Normal, or Emergency.
   • Reason: The business or technical justification.
   • Schedule: The proposed date and specific time window.
   • Outage: Indicate if services will be unavailable (Yes/No).
   • Communication Plan: List the groups or users to be notified.
   • Implementation & Rollback: Detailed steps for execution and a contingency plan if the change fails.

Lifecycle of a Change