change-request

Change Request Workflow

Structured change management following ITIL 4 Change Enablement. Produces a complete RFC (Request for Change) document that serves as both the change plan and the CAB review submission.

Related Skills (auto-loaded)

• itil — change types (Standard/Normal/Emergency), CAB process, risk assessment matrix
• done-ops — verification gate before finalizing the change

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Output

File: {OUTPUT_DIR}/change-request-{YYYY-MM-DD}-{slug}.md

• slug: lowercase kebab-case summary, e.g. exchange-upgrade, ad-entra-migration
• Change ID (CHG-{YYYYMMDD}-{NNN}): {NNN} is a daily sequence number starting at 001. If the organization uses a ticketing system, use that system's ID instead.

Default output directory: ./changes/. If a docs/changes/ directory exists in the project, use that instead. Ask the user if neither exists. A user-specified path takes precedence over all defaults.

All change request documents are written in English. Before writing to file, preview the content for the user in their preferred language.

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Workflow

Step 1: Gather Change Details

Collect the following from the user (use AskUserQuestion for missing items):

Field	Required	Example
What is being changed?	Yes	"Upgrade Exchange Server 2019 to 2022"
Why is this change needed?	Yes	"End of support, security compliance"
Which systems/services affected?	Yes	"Email service, Active Directory"
Expected downtime?	Yes	"4-hour maintenance window"
Proposed schedule?	Yes	"Saturday 02:00-06:00"
Who will implement?	Yes	"IT Infrastructure team"

Step 2: Classify the Change

Determine the change type using the itil skill:

Question	Standard	Normal	Emergency
Is this a routine, pre-approved procedure?	Yes → Standard	No	No
Is there a documented SOP for this?	Yes → Standard	Maybe	No
Is this time-critical (active incident)?	No	No	Yes → Emergency
Otherwise	—	→ Normal	—

Clarification: Compliance deadlines or business mandates with hard dates are Normal changes (with appropriate urgency), not Emergency. Emergency is reserved for active incidents or immediate security threats requiring same-day implementation.

AI / ML System Changes: If the change involves any AI or ML component (model update, prompt change, training data, RAG index, AI autonomy scope), load itil/references/change-enablement.md and follow the "AI / ML System Changes" section. Changes involving Cognition or Coordination capabilities require Normal (Significant) classification at minimum.

GitOps / IaC Changes: Changes delivered via pull request and automated pipeline may qualify as Standard if they meet pre-authorization criteria. See itil/references/change-enablement.md → "GitOps / IaC Change Pattern".

For Normal changes, further classify risk level:

• Minor: Low risk, Change Manager approval sufficient
• Significant/Major: Requires full CAB review

Step 3: Risk Assessment

Rate each dimension 1-3, multiply for Risk Score:

Impact (if change fails):

• 3 = High: critical service outage, data loss risk
• 2 = Medium: degraded service, limited users affected
• 1 = Low: minimal/no user impact

Likelihood (of failure):

• 3 = High: untested procedure, complex dependencies
• 2 = Medium: tested in non-prod, moderate complexity
• 1 = Low: routine procedure, well-documented, previously successful

Risk Score	Level	Authorization
7-9	High	Full CAB + management approval
4-6	Medium	CAB review recommended
1-3	Low	Change Manager approval

MUST include the risk assessment table in the RFC with this exact format.

Sustainability note: If the change involves significant compute (AI model deployment, server provisioning >10 units, cloud region migration), add the optional Sustainability assessment from itil/references/sustainability.md to the Risk Assessment section.

| Dimension | Rating | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Impact (if failure) | {1-3} | {Reason} |
| Likelihood (of failure) | {1-3} | {Reason} |
| **Risk Score** | **{N}** | **{Low/Medium/High}** |

Present the assessment to the user for validation.

Step 4: Build the RFC Document

Create the change request file. MUST follow this exact structure — do not rearrange or rename sections:

# Request for Change: {TITLE}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Change ID | CHG-{YYYYMMDD}-{NNN} |
| Change Type | Standard / Normal / Emergency |
| Risk Level | {Low / Medium / High} (Score: {N}) |
| Status | Draft |
| Requester | {NAME} |
| Date Submitted | {YYYY-MM-DD} |
| Proposed Window | {DATE TIME} to {DATE TIME} ({TIMEZONE}) |

## Business Justification

{Why this change is needed. What problem it solves. What happens if not implemented.}

## Scope and Impact

### Systems Affected
{List of systems, services, and configuration items.}

### Users Affected
{Who will experience downtime or changes. Estimated number.}

### Dependencies
{Other systems, teams, or changes this depends on.}

## Risk Assessment

| Dimension | Rating | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Impact (if failure) | {1-3} | {Reason} |
| Likelihood (of failure) | {1-3} | {Reason} |
| **Risk Score** | **{N}** | **{Low/Medium/High}** |

### Risk Mitigation
{Steps to reduce risk — e.g., tested in staging, phased rollout.}

## Implementation Plan

### Pre-Implementation
| Step | Action | Owner | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | {Pre-check or preparation} | {Name} | {Time} |

### Implementation
| Step | Action | Owner | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | {Step description} | {Name} | {Time} |

### Post-Implementation
| Step | Action | Owner | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | {Verification step} | {Name} | {Time} |

## Test / Validation Plan

| Check | Expected Result | Method |
|---|---|---|
| {What to verify} | {Expected outcome} | {How to check} |

## Rollback Plan

**Trigger criteria:** {When to initiate rollback — specific, measurable conditions.}

**Estimated rollback time:** {Duration}

| Step | Action | Owner | Est. Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | {Rollback step} | {Name} | {Time} |

## Communication Plan

| When | Audience | Channel | Message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before change | {Who} | {Email/Teams/Statuspage} | Maintenance notification |
| During (if issues) | {Who} | {Channel} | Status update |
| After completion | {Who} | {Channel} | Completion confirmation |

## Approvals

| Role | Name | Decision | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change Manager | | | |
| CAB | | | |
| Technical Lead | | | |

## Related Records

{Linked incidents, problems, or previous changes.}

Step 5: CAB Review Preparation

For Normal (Major) and Emergency changes, prepare the CAB review summary:

1. Load the CAB Review Checklist from itil skill (references/change-enablement.md)
2. Self-evaluate the RFC against each checklist item
3. Flag any items that are incomplete or need discussion
4. Present the checklist evaluation to the user

Step 6: Finalize

1. Load done-ops verification gate
2. Verify all required sections are complete:
   • Business justification is clear
   • Implementation plan has specific steps with owners
   • Rollback plan has trigger criteria and tested procedure
   • Communication plan identifies all audiences
   • Risk assessment is realistic
3. Present the final RFC for user review
4. Note the authorization path: who needs to approve this change

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Gotchas

• The RFC is the single document for the entire change lifecycle — plan, approval, implementation, and review all reference this document
• Phased changes (e.g., multi-weekend migrations): use separate Implementation Plan tables per phase, add phase gate criteria (go/no-go between phases), and note all proposed windows in the Schedule section
• Standard changes do not need individual CAB review, but the standard change catalog should be referenced
• Emergency changes still need an abbreviated RFC before implementation, with a full RFC completed within 48 hours
• Always ask about blackout windows — some organizations have change freezes around releases, holidays, or fiscal close
• Rollback plan must have specific trigger criteria, not just "if something goes wrong"
• If the change was triggered by an incident, link the incident ID
• Post-Implementation Review (PIR) is mandatory for Emergency changes (48h) and recommended for all Normal changes (5 business days)