In which stage of project management do you determine if changes will occur?

The stage in project management where you determine if changes will occur is the Monitoring and Controlling phase. This phase involves tracking, reviewing, and regulating the progress and performance of the project. One of its primary objectives is to identify any variances from the project plan, which may require changes to the project. During this phase, project managers evaluate project metrics and compare them to project baselines to see if adjustments are needed.

When monitoring the project's progress, various factors such as timelines, costs, and quality benchmarks are assessed. If discrepancies are found, the necessary change requests are made, and their implications on the project's overall performance are evaluated. This systematic approach ensures that the project remains aligned with its goals, addresses issues promptly, and optimally manages stakeholder expectations.

The other phases mentioned have distinct focuses. For example, during the Initiating phase, the project's feasibility and purpose are established, but not the specifics regarding changes. The Executing phase is predominantly concerned with carrying out the project plan and delivering outputs. In the Closing phase, the focus shifts to finalizing all project activities, ensuring everything is completed and lessons learned are documented, rather than assessing ongoing changes.