IT Change Advisory Board (CAB): Complete Guide to Change Governance

Understanding the Change Advisory Board

What Is a CAB?

The Change Advisory Board is a governance body responsible for evaluating, prioritizing, and authorizing changes to IT services and infrastructure. Rooted in ITIL best practices, the CAB brings together technical experts, business stakeholders, and operational leaders to make informed decisions about proposed changes.

The CAB's primary functions include:

• Change evaluation: Assessing proposed changes for risk, impact, and readiness
• Prioritization: Sequencing changes based on business need and resource availability
• Authorization: Approving or rejecting changes based on evaluation criteria
• Coordination: Ensuring changes don't conflict with other planned activities
• Learning: Reviewing completed changes to improve future processes

CAB vs. Change Management

The CAB is a component of the broader change management process, not the entire process itself. While change management encompasses the full lifecycle from request through post-implementation review, the CAB specifically focuses on the evaluation and authorization phase.

CAB Authority Levels

Organizations typically establish multiple authorization levels based on change risk and impact:

Tier 1: Standard Change Approval

• Pre-authorized changes with established procedures
• No CAB review required
• Example: Routine patches to non-production systems

Tier 2: Local Change Authority

• Low-risk changes within single team or system
• Team lead or application owner approves
• Example: Configuration changes to test environments

Tier 3: CAB Approval

• Moderate to high-risk changes
• Full CAB review and authorization
• Example: Production database upgrades

Tier 4: Executive CAB (eCAB)

• High-impact or enterprise-wide changes
• Senior leadership involvement
• Example: Core infrastructure replacement

CAB Charter Development

Purpose of the Charter

The CAB charter establishes the board's authority, scope, and operating procedures. A well-crafted charter prevents scope creep, clarifies decision rights, and sets stakeholder expectations.

Essential Charter Components

1. Mission Statement

Define the CAB's purpose clearly and concisely:

"The Change Advisory Board provides governance oversight for IT changes, ensuring that modifications to production systems are evaluated for risk, impact, and business alignment before implementation."

2. Scope Definition

Specify what the CAB does and doesn't govern:

In Scope:

• Production environment changes
• Infrastructure modifications
• Application deployments affecting multiple users
• Security configuration changes
• Network topology modifications
• Vendor-managed system updates

Out of Scope:

• Development environment changes
• Individual user requests (service requests)
• Break/fix activities (incident management)
• Pre-approved standard changes
• Emergency changes (handled by eCAB)

3. Authority Statement

Document the CAB's decision-making power:

• Authority to approve, reject, or defer changes
• Escalation paths for disputed decisions
• Conditions requiring executive approval
• Emergency override procedures

4. Operating Principles

Establish guiding principles for CAB operations:

• Risk-based decision making
• Business alignment prioritization
• Transparency in evaluation criteria
• Continuous improvement focus
• Stakeholder collaboration

Sample Charter Template

# Change Advisory Board Charter
 
## 1. Purpose
The CAB provides governance oversight for IT changes to minimize
service disruption while enabling business innovation.
 
## 2. Scope
### 2.1 In Scope
- All changes to production IT systems and infrastructure
- Changes affecting >25 users or critical business processes
- Security policy and configuration modifications
- Vendor system updates requiring coordination
 
### 2.2 Out of Scope
- Development/test environment changes
- Service requests (handled via service desk)
- Standard changes (pre-approved catalog items)
- Emergency changes (eCAB process)
 
## 3. Membership
### 3.1 Core Members (Required Attendance)
- Change Manager (Chair)
- Infrastructure Manager
- Application Development Lead
- Information Security Representative
- Service Desk Manager
 
### 3.2 Advisory Members (As Needed)
- Business unit representatives
- Project managers for major initiatives
- Vendor technical contacts
- Compliance/audit representatives
 
## 4. Meeting Cadence
- Weekly CAB: Tuesdays, 2:00-3:30 PM
- Emergency CAB: Convened within 2 hours as needed
- Monthly review: First Tuesday, extended to 2 hours
 
## 5. Decision Authority
### 5.1 CAB Authorization
- Standard and normal changes (Risk Level 1-3)
- Implementation windows during standard hours
 
### 5.2 Executive Escalation Required
- Enterprise-wide changes (Risk Level 4-5)
- Changes during change freeze periods
- Changes with unmitigated high risks
 
## 6. Operating Procedures
### 6.1 Submission Requirements
- RFC submitted minimum 5 business days before CAB
- All mandatory fields completed
- Risk assessment documented
- Backout plan validated
 
### 6.2 Evaluation Criteria
- Technical feasibility
- Risk level and mitigation adequacy
- Business justification
- Resource availability
- Schedule conflicts
 
## 7. Metrics and Reporting
- Change success rate target: >95%
- Emergency change ratio target: under 10%
- CAB efficiency target: under 5% deferred for information
 
## 8. Charter Review
This charter will be reviewed annually or when significant
process changes occur.
 
Approved: _________________ Date: _________
         IT Director
 
Effective Date: _________
Review Date: _________

CAB Membership Structure

Core Membership Roles

Change Manager (Chair)

• Facilitates CAB meetings
• Sets meeting agenda
• Documents decisions
• Tracks action items
• Reports CAB metrics
• Enforces process compliance

Infrastructure Manager

• Represents infrastructure team
• Assesses infrastructure impact
• Identifies resource constraints
• Validates technical approaches
• Confirms maintenance windows

Application Development Lead

• Represents development teams
• Assesses application dependencies
• Coordinates release schedules
• Validates deployment procedures
• Provides technical expertise

Information Security Representative

• Evaluates security implications
• Validates compliance requirements
• Reviews access changes
• Assesses vulnerability exposure
• Confirms security controls

Service Desk Manager

• Represents end-user perspective
• Coordinates user communication
• Assesses support readiness
• Provides incident trend data
• Plans support coverage

Operations Manager

• Coordinates operational resources
• Validates monitoring capabilities
• Assesses operational risk
• Confirms rollback capabilities
• Plans operational support

Advisory Membership

Advisory members participate when changes affect their areas:

Business Representatives

• Validate business justification
• Confirm timing acceptability
• Assess business impact
• Authorize business testing

Project Managers

• Coordinate project-related changes
• Provide implementation context
• Manage cross-project dependencies
• Track project schedule impacts

Vendor Representatives

• Provide technical expertise for vendor systems
• Validate vendor-specific procedures
• Confirm vendor support availability
• Share known issues and workarounds

Compliance/Audit Representatives

• Validate regulatory compliance
• Confirm audit trail requirements
• Assess control implications
• Review documentation adequacy

Membership Guidelines

Attendance Requirements

• Core members: Mandatory attendance; delegate if unavailable
• Advisory members: Required when relevant changes scheduled
• Delegates: Must have authority to make decisions
• Quorum: Minimum 4 core members for valid meeting

Member Responsibilities

• Review agenda and change requests before meeting
• Provide timely assessment of assigned changes
• Communicate concerns before CAB if possible
• Support post-meeting action items
• Participate in change reviews

Rotation and Succession

• Annual membership review
• Succession planning for each role
• Cross-training for backup coverage
• New member orientation process

CAB Meeting Operations

Meeting Cadence Options

Weekly CAB (Most Common)

• Suitable for: Most organizations
• Duration: 60-90 minutes
• Coverage: All pending changes

Bi-Weekly CAB

• Suitable for: Smaller organizations, stable environments
• Duration: 90-120 minutes
• Coverage: Accumulated changes

Daily CAB

• Suitable for: High-change-volume environments, DevOps shops
• Duration: 15-30 minutes (stand-up style)
• Coverage: Next 48-72 hours of changes

Meeting Structure Template

Pre-Meeting (15 minutes before)

- Chair reviews submission compliance
- Technical leads preview complex changes
- Identify missing information
- Prepare discussion points

Meeting Agenda (90 minutes)

1. Opening (5 min)
   - Roll call and quorum verification
   - Agenda review and modifications
   - Time-sensitive items identification

2. Previous Meeting Review (10 min)
   - Action item status
   - Post-implementation reviews
   - Failed change analysis

3. Forward Schedule Review (10 min)
   - Upcoming change calendar
   - Conflict identification
   - Resource availability check

4. Standard Change Review (10 min)
   - New standard change candidates
   - Standard change exceptions

5. Normal Change Evaluation (45 min)
   - Change-by-change review
   - Risk assessment validation
   - Implementation plan review
   - Decision recording

6. Emergency Change Ratification (5 min)
   - Review of recent emergency changes
   - Process compliance verification

7. Closing (5 min)
   - Summary of decisions
   - Action item assignment
   - Next meeting preview

Change Evaluation Protocol

For each change request, the CAB evaluates:

1. Completeness Check

• All required fields populated
• Risk assessment completed
• Backout plan documented
• Testing evidence provided
• Approvals obtained

2. Technical Assessment

• Implementation approach soundness
• Resource requirements realistic
• Dependencies identified
• Monitoring plan adequate
• Rollback procedure viable

3. Risk Evaluation

• Risk level appropriate
• Mitigation measures adequate
• Residual risk acceptable
• Communication plan sufficient
• Support coverage confirmed

4. Schedule Validation

• Implementation window appropriate
• No conflicts with other changes
• No conflicts with freeze periods
• Resource availability confirmed
• Business timing acceptable

5. Decision Recording

• Approved: Ready for implementation
• Approved with conditions: Specific conditions noted
• Deferred: Additional information required
• Rejected: Unacceptable risk or timing

Meeting Facilitation Best Practices

Preparation Excellence

• Distribute agenda 48 hours ahead
• Pre-screen changes for completeness
• Identify discussion items in advance
• Prepare CAB deck with key data

Time Management

• Allocate time based on change complexity
• Park lengthy discussions for offline
• Use timekeeper for major items
• Reserve time for emerging issues

Decision Quality

• Ensure all perspectives heard
• Document rationale for decisions
• Capture conditions and concerns
• Confirm action item ownership

Engagement Optimization

• Rotate presentation responsibility
• Encourage constructive challenge
• Recognize excellent submissions
• Share lessons learned

Change Evaluation Criteria

Risk Classification Framework

Risk Level 1 - Minimal

• Single system, non-production
• Easily reversible
• No user impact during implementation
• Implementation time under 1 hour
• No dependencies

Risk Level 2 - Low

• Single system or application
• Reversible within 2 hours
• Limited user impact
• Implementation time 1-4 hours
• Minimal dependencies

Risk Level 3 - Moderate

• Multiple systems or applications
• Reversible within 4 hours
• Moderate user impact
• Implementation time 4-8 hours
• Some dependencies

Risk Level 4 - High

• Critical systems or infrastructure
• Complex rollback procedure
• Significant user impact
• Implementation time >8 hours
• Multiple dependencies

Risk Level 5 - Critical

• Enterprise-wide impact
• Extended or difficult rollback
• Major business disruption potential
• Multi-day implementation
• Complex dependencies

Impact Assessment Matrix

Evaluation Checklist

Technical Readiness

• Implementation plan detailed and clear
• Technical resources identified and available
• Test results documented and acceptable
• Monitoring plan defined
• Rollback plan tested and documented
• Dependencies mapped and coordinated

Business Readiness

• Business justification documented
• Business approval obtained
• User communication planned
• Training completed (if required)
• Support team briefed
• Success criteria defined

Risk Readiness

• Risk assessment completed
• Mitigation measures implemented
• Residual risk accepted
• Escalation procedures defined
• Emergency contacts identified
• Backup resources available

Compliance Readiness

• Regulatory requirements satisfied
• Security review completed
• Audit trail requirements met
• Documentation complete
• Approval chain documented
• Post-implementation review scheduled

Decision Matrix

Emergency CAB (eCAB) Operations

When to Invoke eCAB

Emergency CAB procedures apply when:

• Critical incident resolution requires immediate change
• Security vulnerability demands urgent patching
• Business-critical deadline cannot accommodate normal CAB
• Regulatory requirement mandates immediate action
• Safety concern requires immediate remediation

eCAB Convening Protocol

Step 1: Emergency Declaration

• Incident manager or change requester declares emergency
• Documents business justification for emergency
• Identifies minimum viable change scope

Step 2: Rapid Notification

• Change Manager notified immediately
• Core eCAB members contacted (phone/text)
• Target convening time: Within 2 hours

Step 3: Virtual Assembly

• Conference call or video meeting
• Minimum quorum: 3 core members
• Chair or designated delegate leads

Step 4: Expedited Review

• Abbreviated risk assessment
• Essential controls verification
• Rollback plan confirmation
• Approval or rejection decision

eCAB Participants

Minimum Required:

• Change Manager (or delegate)
• Technical expert for affected system
• Operations representative

Recommended Additional:

• Information Security (for security changes)
• Business representative
• Service Desk manager

Expedited Risk Assessment

# Emergency Change Risk Assessment
 
## Change Summary
[Brief description of emergency change]
 
## Business Justification
[Why emergency process required]
 
## Risk Evaluation
□ What could go wrong?
□ What is the impact if it goes wrong?
□ How quickly can we recover?
□ What is the risk of NOT making this change?
 
## Minimum Controls
□ Technical expert available during implementation
□ Rollback plan defined (even if abbreviated)
□ Monitoring in place to detect issues
□ Communication plan for affected users
 
## Decision
□ Approved - Implement immediately
□ Approved with conditions: ___________
□ Rejected - Use normal CAB process

Post-Emergency Requirements

All emergency changes require:

Within 24 Hours:

• Complete RFC documentation
• Full risk assessment retroactively
• Detailed implementation notes

Within 5 Business Days:

• Post-implementation review
• Root cause analysis (why emergency needed)
• Process improvement recommendations

At Next CAB:

• Emergency change ratification
• Review of emergency process compliance
• Lessons learned discussion

Emergency Change Limits

To prevent abuse of emergency procedures:

• Emergency changes should be under 10% of total changes
• Repeated emergencies for same system trigger review
• Non-emergency use of eCAB escalated to management
• Monthly reporting on emergency change patterns

CAB Metrics and Reporting

Key Performance Indicators

Volume Metrics

Quality Metrics

Efficiency Metrics

Process Compliance

Reporting Framework

Weekly CAB Summary

# CAB Summary - Week of [Date]
 
## Meeting Statistics
- Duration: [X] minutes
- Attendance: [X]/[X] core members
- Quorum: Yes/No
 
## Change Decisions
- Reviewed: [X]
- Approved: [X]
- Approved with conditions: [X]
- Deferred: [X]
- Rejected: [X]
 
## Notable Items
- [Summary of significant changes]
- [Concerns raised]
- [Action items assigned]
 
## Forward Look
- Changes pending for next CAB: [X]
- Upcoming high-risk changes: [List]
- Schedule conflicts identified: [List]

Monthly CAB Report

# Monthly CAB Report - [Month Year]
 
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence overview of CAB performance]
 
## Volume Analysis
| Metric | This Month | Prior Month | Trend |
|--------|------------|-------------|-------|
| Changes Reviewed | X | X | ↑↓ |
| Changes Implemented | X | X | ↑↓ |
| Emergency Changes | X | X | ↑↓ |
 
## Quality Analysis
| Metric | This Month | Target | Status |
|--------|------------|--------|--------|
| Success Rate | X% | 95% | ✓/✗ |
| Failed Changes | X | Under 5% | ✓/✗ |
| Incident-Causing | X | Under 2% | ✓/✗ |
 
## Efficiency Analysis
| Metric | This Month | Target | Status |
|--------|------------|--------|--------|
| Avg Cycle Time | X days | 5 days | ✓/✗ |
| Deferred Rate | X% | Under 5% | ✓/✗ |
| Compliance Rate | X% | 95% | ✓/✗ |
 
## Significant Events
### Failed Changes
- [Change ID]: [Root cause summary]
 
### Emergency Changes
- [Change ID]: [Justification summary]
 
### Process Issues
- [Issue]: [Resolution status]
 
## Improvement Actions
- [Action]: [Owner] - [Due date]
 
## Next Month Preview
- Major changes scheduled: [List]
- Known risks: [List]
- Resource constraints: [List]

Dashboard Design

CAB Operations Dashboard

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    CAB Operations Dashboard                  │
├─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────────────┤
│  Success Rate   │ Emergency Rate  │     Cycle Time          │
│     96.2%       │     7.3%        │      3.8 days           │
│   ↑ vs target   │  ✓ vs target    │    ✓ vs target          │
├─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────────────┤
│                 Monthly Change Volume                        │
│  ████████████████████████████████ 142 changes               │
│  Approved: 128 │ Deferred: 9 │ Rejected: 5                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Change Success Trend (6 months)                 │
│  100%│    ●                                                  │
│   95%│──●───●───●───●───●─── Target                         │
│   90%│                                                       │
│      │  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    Top Change Categories                     │
│  Security Patches    ████████████████ 34                    │
│  App Deployments     ███████████████ 31                     │
│  Infrastructure      ████████████ 28                        │
│  Configuration       ██████████ 22                          │
│  Database            ████████ 18                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall 1: Rubber-Stamp Syndrome

Symptoms:

• All changes approved without discussion
• Meeting feels like a formality
• No one asks substantive questions
• Same people always approve

Root Causes:

• Change requests lack detail
• Members unprepared for meeting
• No accountability for decisions
• Risk tolerance too high

Solutions:

• Require detailed risk assessments
• Distribute agenda 48 hours ahead
• Track decision outcomes to individuals
• Calibrate risk thresholds annually
• Rotate devil's advocate role

Pitfall 2: Bureaucratic Bottleneck

Symptoms:

• Long backlogs of pending changes
• Business complaints about delays
• Teams circumventing CAB process
• "Emergency" changes increasing

Root Causes:

• CAB meets too infrequently
• Overly broad scope
• Perfectionist culture
• Understaffed process

Solutions:

• Increase CAB frequency
• Expand pre-approved standard changes
• Implement tiered approval authorities
• Add resources for change coordination
• Streamline submission requirements

Pitfall 3: Missing Stakeholders

Symptoms:

• Decisions made without key input
• Changes fail due to unknown dependencies
• Business surprised by changes
• Repeated implementation conflicts

Root Causes:

• Incomplete membership model
• Poor attendance enforcement
• Advisory members not engaged
• Insufficient change details

Solutions:

• Review and update membership annually
• Enforce attendance requirements
• Build relationships with business units
• Require dependency mapping
• Improve communication processes

Pitfall 4: Poor Documentation

Symptoms:

• Can't explain why decisions were made
• Same issues discussed repeatedly
• Audit findings for process gaps
• Inconsistent decision rationale

Root Causes:

• Rushed meetings
• No documentation standards
• Unclear roles
• Inadequate tools

Solutions:

• Allocate time for documentation
• Create decision templates
• Assign dedicated note-taker
• Implement CAB management tool
• Regular documentation audits

Pitfall 5: Risk Assessment Theater

Symptoms:

• Risk levels always "low" or "medium"
• Assessments completed hastily
• Similar changes rated differently
• High-impact failures from "low-risk" changes

Root Causes:

• Incentive to downplay risk
• Vague risk criteria
• No calibration process
• Insufficient technical detail

Solutions:

• Calibrate risk scoring with examples
• Review failed change risk ratings
• Require technical validation
• Tie risk ratings to controls
• Periodic risk calibration sessions

Integration with IT Processes

Change and Incident Management

Incident-Triggered Changes:

• Emergency CAB process for critical incidents
• Accelerated review for incident workarounds
• Post-incident permanent fix through normal CAB

Change-Caused Incidents:

• Immediate notification to CAB
• Implementation pause for assessment
• Rollback decision protocol
• Root cause included in PIR

Integration Points:

• Incident history informs risk assessment
• Change schedule visible to incident management
• Failed changes create problem records
• Incident trends drive standard changes

Change and Problem Management

Problem-Resolution Changes:

• Root cause changes receive priority
• Recurring incident prevention reviewed
• Technical debt reduction tracked
• Known error workarounds documented

Integration with IT Risk Management:

• Risk register informs change risk assessment
• Change failures update risk register
• Control changes require risk review
• Risk acceptance documented in RFC

Change and Release Management

Release Coordination:

• Major releases require CAB review
• Release schedule aligned with change calendar
• Release components tracked as related changes
• Post-release review feeds change metrics

DevOps Integration:

• CI/CD pipelines may bypass traditional CAB
• Automated gates enforce change policies
• Deployment telemetry provides outcomes
• Canary releases reduce change risk

Change and Configuration Management

CMDB Integration:

• Changes update configuration items
• Impact analysis uses CMDB relationships
• Unauthorized changes detected via CMDB
• Change audit trail in CMDB

Tools and Technology

CAB Management Capabilities

Essential Features:

• Change request submission and tracking
• Risk assessment workflow
• CAB calendar and scheduling
• Decision recording and reporting
• Integration with ITSM platform

Advanced Features:

• Automated risk scoring
• Conflict detection
• Approval workflow automation
• Predictive analytics
• Change correlation analysis

Tool Categories

ITSM Platforms (Full Suite):

• ServiceNow Change Management
• BMC Remedy Change Management
• Cherwell Change Management
• Freshservice Change Management

Lightweight Options:

• Jira Service Management
• Zendesk (with apps)
• Custom SharePoint solutions
• Change management log templates

Implementation Considerations

Tool Selection Criteria:

• Integration with existing ITSM
• Workflow customization capability
• Reporting and analytics
• User experience and adoption
• Total cost of ownership

Implementation Approach:

• Start with core workflows
• Configure approval routing
• Build essential reports
• Train CAB members
• Iterate based on feedback

CAB Maturity Model

Level 1: Initial

Characteristics:

• Ad hoc CAB meetings
• Informal review process
• Limited documentation
• Reactive to problems

Improvement Focus:

• Establish regular meeting cadence
• Create basic charter
• Define core membership
• Implement simple tracking

Level 2: Managed

Characteristics:

• Regular CAB meetings
• Documented charter and procedures
• Consistent membership
• Basic metrics tracked

Improvement Focus:

• Standardize risk assessment
• Improve submission quality
• Build CAB reporting
• Integrate with other processes

Level 3: Defined

Characteristics:

• Comprehensive procedures
• Tiered approval model
• Integrated with ITSM
• Regular process review

Improvement Focus:

• Optimize meeting efficiency
• Expand standard changes
• Enhance risk calibration
• Automate reporting

Level 4: Quantitatively Managed

Characteristics:

• Data-driven decisions
• Predictive capabilities
• Continuous optimization
• Industry benchmarking

Improvement Focus:

• AI-assisted risk assessment
• Automated compliance checking
• Change success prediction
• Process mining insights

Level 5: Optimizing

Characteristics:

• Continuous innovation
• Proactive risk management
• Self-service capabilities
• Industry leadership

Improvement Focus:

• Share best practices
• Contribute to standards
• Drive industry innovation
• Enable business agility

Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Week 1-2: Planning

• Assess current state
• Define CAB scope and authority
• Identify core membership
• Draft initial charter

Week 3-4: Setup

• Finalize charter
• Configure CAB tools
• Create submission templates
• Schedule first CAB meeting

Phase 2: Launch (Weeks 5-8)

Week 5-6: Pilot

• Conduct initial CAB meetings
• Process first changes
• Collect feedback
• Adjust procedures

Week 7-8: Expansion

• Include all in-scope changes
• Refine risk assessment
• Build reporting
• Train stakeholders

Phase 3: Optimization (Weeks 9-12)

Week 9-10: Analysis

• Review initial metrics
• Identify bottlenecks
• Gather improvement ideas
• Benchmark against targets

Week 11-12: Enhancement

• Implement improvements
• Expand standard changes
• Enhance reporting
• Document lessons learned

Phase 4: Maturation (Ongoing)

Monthly Activities:

• CAB effectiveness review
• Metrics analysis
• Process adjustments
• Stakeholder feedback

Quarterly Activities:

• Risk calibration session
• Charter review
• Membership assessment
• Tool optimization

Annual Activities:

• Full process audit
• Benchmark comparison
• Strategic alignment review
• Major enhancement planning

Templates and Resources

RFC Submission Checklist

# RFC Submission Checklist
 
## Before Submitting
□ Business justification documented
□ Technical approach reviewed by peers
□ Risk assessment completed honestly
□ Implementation plan detailed
□ Backout plan tested
□ Test results documented
□ All dependencies identified
□ Required approvals obtained
 
## Submission Quality
□ Clear, concise title
□ Detailed description
□ Accurate categorization
□ Correct risk classification
□ Realistic implementation window
□ Complete contact information
□ Supporting documentation attached
 
## Submission Timing
□ Submitted 5+ business days before CAB
□ Implementation scheduled 2+ days after CAB
□ No conflicts with freeze periods
□ Resources confirmed available

CAB Meeting Checklist

# CAB Meeting Checklist
 
## Pre-Meeting (Chair)
□ Agenda distributed 48 hours ahead
□ Change requests pre-screened
□ Incomplete submissions returned
□ Discussion items identified
□ Room/bridge confirmed
 
## During Meeting
□ Quorum verified
□ Previous action items reviewed
□ Each change properly evaluated
□ Decisions clearly recorded
□ Action items assigned
□ Next meeting previewed
 
## Post-Meeting
□ Minutes distributed within 24 hours
□ Decisions communicated to requesters
□ Action items tracked
□ Metrics updated
□ Issues escalated as needed

Post-Implementation Review Template

# Post-Implementation Review
 
## Change Information
- RFC Number:
- Change Title:
- Implementation Date:
- Implementer:
 
## Outcome Assessment
- Status: □ Successful □ Partial □ Failed □ Backed Out
- Within Schedule: □ Yes □ No (variance: ___)
- Within Scope: □ Yes □ No (deviation: ___)
 
## Issue Summary
[Any issues encountered during implementation]
 
## User Impact
[Actual user impact vs. expected]
 
## Lessons Learned
### What Went Well
-
 
### What Could Improve
-
 
### Recommendations
-
 
## Risk Assessment Accuracy
- Predicted Risk Level:
- Actual Risk Level:
- Assessment Accuracy: □ Accurate □ Under □ Over
 
## Sign-off
- Implementer: ___________ Date: ___
- Change Manager: ___________ Date: ___

Related Resources

Building effective IT governance requires multiple integrated capabilities:

• Change Management Process: Comprehensive change lifecycle management
• IT Governance Framework: Strategic IT alignment
• IT Operations Excellence: ITIL implementation
• IT Governance KPIs: Executive metrics and dashboards
• IT Service Level Management: SLA design and monitoring
• IT Project Risk Management: Project risk frameworks
• IT Management Hub: Complete operations resources

Download our change management log template to implement CAB tracking immediately.