- Published
- 7 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 7 October 2026
Define the change and its boundaries
A change impact assessment helps a team investigate what may be affected by a proposal. This RDE template is a planning aid, not a compliance assessment or a substitute for specialist advice. Begin with the current situation, proposed change and scope.
Use a fictional example: replacing a shared enquiry mailbox with an allocation queue. Do not assume that a new tool removes the need to understand responsibilities, access arrangements and exceptions.
Compare before and after
Describe how the task works now and how it is expected to work after the change. Identify which steps remain, which change and which disappear. Record assumptions about the future process so reviewers can challenge them.
Consider people and roles, information, tools, timing, handovers and controls. For the enquiry example, ask who assigns work, who sees the records, what happens when an owner is absent and how unresolved enquiries are identified.
Identify effects and uncertainty
Record the likely effect, who is affected and the evidence available. Mark predictions as assumptions. An expected benefit is not a measured outcome before the change has been implemented and reviewed.
Include unintended effects. A faster assignment step might still create confusion if staff do not understand ownership or if an exception has no route. Seek input from the people carrying out the work and from the relevant system or control owners.
Plan a response and review
For each important impact, record a response, owner and review method. Responses may involve clearer instructions, training, a revised handover, a test or a decision about scope. Keep the response proportionate to the impact.
Agree what needs to be checked before implementation and what will be reviewed afterwards. Escalate concerns that require a decision rather than leaving them as unattended notes. Use your organisation’s approval process.
Use the editable template
Complete one row for a real or fictional change. Review it with someone who understands the current process. Check whether the row describes an effect or merely repeats the proposed solution.
Download the template and adapt its headings. Keep sensitive information in approved systems and share only what reviewers need. Update the assessment as evidence, design or circumstances change.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.
Editable download
Download the editable Word document
Available as a printable PDF and an editable Word document (DOCX). Version 2.0, 7 October 2026. Personal and internal organisational adaptation permitted with RDE author credit retained.