Who may approve a field change: the levels, the limits and the one-line record
The plumbing foreman proposes moving a cleanout 300 mm to clear a door swing. The superintendent is asked for a quick yes. The location is shown on a drawing, and the team needs to know which reviews and instructions apply on this project.
Use a project-specific decision table to identify who may review and authorize each kind of field change. Have the authorized team check contract roles, professional responsibilities and the relevant authority process. Keep technical acceptance, commercial instruction and any regulatory approval separate. There is no universal four-level ladder that lets a foreman, superintendent or consultant clear every case, and a price limit alone does not give authority to change a technical requirement.
Make the approval route visible before the quick yes
- Define common change questions. List recurring requests such as location, material, sequence or access changes. Separate decisions genuinely within an approved role from departures requiring further review. Do not label a proposed substitution as means and methods simply to keep it at site level.
- Confirm actual authority and limits. Ask the project manager and appropriate advisers to verify who can decide what, including backup contacts. Use the actual contract and professional arrangements. A previous project's table or someone's senior title does not establish authority here.
- Show the separate review needs. Identify technical, cost, time, safety and regulatory questions relevant to the case. Link required submissions and conditions. One person's technical answer may leave price, work instruction or authority approval unresolved; make that status visible rather than writing approved beside everything.
- Record the actual decision. Give the request ID, location, current reference, decision-maker, date, scope and conditions, with links to support. Use more than one line if the decision needs it. Retain the written evidence required by the project rather than converting a remembered yes into a broad authorization.
- Escalate uncertainty and brief the crew. Route an unclear case to the authorized review before changed work proceeds. Explain the current work status and what answer is pending. Issue only the resulting approved instruction through the proper channel, with revisions and commercial follow-up linked.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a small dimension or low price makes approval unnecessary.
- Treating technical acceptance as complete commercial authority.
- Giving an unsure case a confident yes to avoid delay.
Checklist
The field-change authority record
- Defined request and current reference.
- Verified decision roles and backups.
- Separate technical and commercial status.
- Other applicable review requirements.
- Actual answer, evidence and conditions.
- Authorized instruction and crew update.
Check your understanding
The consultant accepts the proposed location, but the commercial instruction remains unresolved. Is the change fully authorized?
