Quick answer: Do not execute material extra work from an informal request. Compare it with the contracted baseline, identify authorised change power, quantify price and time, obtain a written variation, and update security, tax and acceptance records.
Government projects evolve. A consignee requests an extra feature, a site condition changes, a report is added or quantities move. Some changes fall within the original obligation; others require a formal variation. The danger is performing first and debating entitlement later.
A change-control system protects both parties. It gives the buyer a record of need and approval, and gives the supplier a basis for price, schedule and acceptance.
Establish the contract baseline
At kick-off, compile the signed contract or order, final tender, accepted bid, clarifications, drawings, BOQ, specifications, milestone schedule and responsibility matrix. Resolve inconsistencies and record assumptions. This is the baseline against which a proposed change is tested.
Tag deliverables as included, optional, provisional or excluded. In services, define transaction volumes, locations, users, hours and integrations. In works, control issued-for-construction drawings and site instructions. A vague baseline invites scope disputes.
Classify the request before acting
Determine whether the request is a clarification, defect correction, quantity variation, substitution, extra item, acceleration, suspension or change in law. Identify the officer authorised to order it and the contractual limits. A helpful email from an operational user may not be a valid financial commitment.
For urgent safety or continuity action, follow any emergency instruction procedure while reserving rights and notifying impact. Do not use “customer relationship” as a reason to ignore contract authority.
Price time and commercial effects
Submit a change proposal covering technical description, cause, quantity, rate basis, direct cost, overhead, tax, security, warranty, testing, programme impact and dependencies. Explain whether the change affects other milestones or acceptance. Use contract rates where applicable and build new rates through the prescribed analysis for genuinely new items.
Check cumulative variation against delegated limits and contract value. A large change may require higher approval, fresh competition or a different procurement route. The supplier should not pressure the buyer to bypass those controls.
Keep a live change register
Record request date, originator, description, authority, quotation, notice, approval, value, time extension, implementation and invoice status. Link revised drawings and acceptance. Do not mix approved and pending work in the same invoice without clear treatment.
Review pending changes at every progress meeting. If the buyer has not decided, record the schedule consequence. At closeout, reconcile final contract value, quantities, taxes, security and warranty with all approved variations.
Practical checklist
- Freeze the signed scope and document hierarchy.
- Classify each requested change.
- Verify the requester has contractual authority.
- Issue timely notice of cost and schedule impact.
- Obtain written approval before material execution.
- Track cumulative value and delegated limits.
- Reconcile changes at invoice and closeout.
Frequently asked questions
Is an email from the user department a valid change order?
Only if that person has authority and the contract recognises the form. Obtain the prescribed approval before relying on it financially.
Must a supplier perform every quantity variation at the original rate?
Treatment depends on the variation clause, limits, quantity bands and rate mechanism. Read the contract and seek advice for material changes.
What is scope creep?
It is gradual expansion of work without clear recognition, approval, price or time adjustment. A change register makes it visible early.
Final takeaway
Margin is protected at the moment a change is requested, not months later. Baseline the scope, verify authority and convert every material change into an approved adjustment before execution outruns paperwork.
Related reading
- Government Payment Delays: Documentation, MSME ODR and Cash Flow
- Joint Ventures and Consortium Bids for Government Works
- Integrity Pact, Conflict of Interest and Anti-Collusion Compliance
Official references
- General Financial Rules, 2017 — updated to 31 January 2026
- Department of Expenditure — Procurement Manuals
- Manual for Procurement of Goods, Second Edition 2024
Editorial note: This article is educational, not legal or bid-specific advice. Tender conditions, portal workflows, thresholds and government instructions can change. Always read the latest tender document, corrigenda, applicable office memoranda and portal guidance before acting.