Design Change Request (DCR)

On any construction project, GFC (Good For Construction) drawings are not the end of design — they are the beginning of construction. Changes happen: client wants a different layout, contractor discovers a site condition that breaks the design, statutory authority adds a requirement, material market changes force substitution, structural review reveals a missed load.

Without a formal Design Change Request (DCR) process, these changes get implemented informally: - Verbal instruction → construction → later disputes on payment, schedule, quality - Multiple parties making conflicting changes → coordination failures - No traceability between current GFC and what was actually built - Variation claims rejected because no contemporaneous record of approval - As-built drawings drift from design drawings; FM nightmare at handover

The DCR system provides: - Single channel for change proposals (any party can initiate) - Impact assessment before implementation (cost / schedule / quality / safety) - Approval chain with signed-off authority - Variation Order linkage (for paid changes) - Revised drawing issuance after approval - Audit trail for arbitration / claim defence

Governed by FIDIC Sub-clause 13 (Variations), CPWD Works Manual + project-specific change management procedure under ISO 9001:2015 Clause 8.5.6 (Control of changes).

Standard workflow (typically 5-14 days for routine, 24-72 hours for urgent):

Step 1 — Initiation: - Initiator party (Client / Contractor / PMC / Consultant / Authority) raises DCR - DCR number assigned (sequential per project, e.g., DCR-2026-035) - Current design described (with GFC drawing references) - Proposed change described (sketch + calculations attached) - Reason for change - Priority (Urgent / High / Medium / Low)

Step 2 — Designer review: - Lead architect / structural / MEP designer reviews (depending on which discipline) - Verifies technical feasibility - Recommends acceptance / modification / rejection - Issues revised design / sketches if accepted

Step 3 — Impact assessment: - Cost impact (positive / negative + amount) - Schedule impact (days + critical path effect) - Quality impact (better / equal / lower performance) - Safety impact (especially for structural / fire / electrical changes) - Affected trades / disciplines - Other approvals required (statutory, lender, end-user)

Step 4 — Commercial review: - Contractor's rate analysis for variation pricing - PMC / Engineer's review of cost reasonableness - Client / Owner approval if cost / schedule exceeds delegation limits

Step 5 — Formal approval: - Final approval by designated authority (typically Owner's PM up to delegation, Director / Board above) - Variation Order issued (linking to DCR) - Revised GFC drawing issued (with revision number) - Construction permitted with revised design only

Step 6 — Implementation + closure: - Construction per revised design - Site verification + sign-off - DCR closed in system - Cross-referenced in as-built drawings + project records

Categorisation for governance: - Type 1: Minor (< ₹5 lakh, no schedule impact, single discipline) — PM-level - Type 2: Moderate (₹5-25 lakh, < 7 days schedule, 1-2 disciplines) — PMC + Client PM - Type 3: Major (> ₹25 lakh OR > 7 days OR cross-discipline) — Steering Committee / Board

1. Informal verbal changes — work executed without DCR; payment disputed; rework if not accepted.

2. No impact assessment — DCR approved without cost / schedule numbers; later disputes on actual impact.

3. Scope creep — cumulative small DCRs add up to major scope change; no aggregate review; cost overrun discovered late.

4. Designer not consulted — change approved by PMC without designer; technical issues surface post-construction.

5. Statutory implications missed — change affects fire / structural / accessibility code; statutory authority objects at OC stage.

6. Variation pricing disputes — DCR approved but rate not agreed; later rate-only arbitration on each DCR.

7. Revised drawings not issued — change approved verbally but no Rev drawing; field drawings still show old design; confusion on site.

8. Schedule float consumed silently — minor DCRs eat 1-2 days each; cumulative 30-day slip with no EOT claim filed; contractor takes the hit.

9. Quality reduction passed — material substitution approved on cost; equivalent quality not verified; later defects.

10. DCR not closed — implementation done but DCR remains open in register; audit gap; can't archive.

11. No traceability to PR / RFI — change driven by RFI but not linked; later, why-was-this-changed question can't be answered.

12. Multiple revisions on same DCR — design keeps changing; should have been multiple DCRs; tracking becomes impossible.

Companion PMC formats: - Design Review Register (PMC-DES-REG-001) — overall design review - Drawing Transmittal (PMC-DES-FRM-001) — drawing release tracking - GFC Submission Tracker (PMC-DES-LOG-002) - Variation Order Register — VO tracking - RFI Register — Request for Information - Claim Log (PMC-RSK-LOG-003) — for variation-related claims - Drawing Register — master drawing list

Standards + contracts: - FIDIC Red / Yellow / Silver Book 1999 + 2017 — Sub-clause 13 (Variations + Adjustments) - CPWD Works Manual 2019 — Chapter 8 (Variations) - ISO 9001:2015 Clause 8.5.6 — Control of changes - ISO 19650 — Information management in BIM context (drawing version control) - NHAI / MoRT&H Manuals — Variation procedures for highway works - PMI PMBOK 7th Edition — Integrated change control