The change log is a type of documentation that contains the list of changes that are made during the entire project management design. It tracks the progress of each change based on its review, approval (or rejection), implementation as well as closure. Moreover, the change log also contains the date of the change and its impact on the project in terms of the risk, time as well as cost. All of these changes are relayed to the stakeholders. Moreover, rejected changes are also included in the change log. The change log can easily be managed by using manual methods such as documents or spreadsheets. It can also be managed automatically through web-based tools or software.
Change logs are necessary because they encourage the development of corrective action plans from the project manager and the stakeholders. The document is also used as an input to manage the stakeholder engagement during the entire project management process.
It is an important document that is used in managing and controlling the changes that arise during the project planning, implementation or even review. Without it, stakeholders do not have any way of telling about the changes that were adopted or even rejected for a particular project.
This term is defined in the 5th edition of the PMBOK.