Local Techincal (LT) Change Advisory Board (CAB) Reviewers Role and Responsibilites

  1. Proper Classification
    • Confirm the change is correctly categorized (Standard, Normal, Emergency).
    • Confirm the change category (add, change, retire, move) is accurate.
    • To prevent misuse of the Standard category, confirm the change is listed on the CAB-approved Standard change spreadsheet. If a change includes both Standard and Normal components, it must be treated as a Normal change to maintain compliance with the Standard change process.
  2. Risk and Impact Assessment
    • Ensure risk assessment is accurately depicted.
  3. Approvals
    • Ensure all required approvals are in place before scheduling/releasing or implementing the change — including during deferment or pause windows.
  4. Implementation Plan
    • Check that the plan is clear, complete, and includes necessary steps or a link to a documented implementation plan.
  5. Backout/Recovery Plan
    • Ensure there’s a feasible rollback plan in case the change fails. There should be a reasonable backout plan, whether rolling forward, assistance from a vendor or replacing with another backup device.  N/A is not acceptable response. 
  6. Schedule and Change Window
    • The change must be scheduled within an approved window, with sufficient lead time provided for all Normal changes. If proper lead time is not given, the change should not be released. Instead, suggest an alternative date or the change should be escalated to ECAB if it meets emergency criteria.
    • It is important to remember that failure to plan does not justify an Emergency change, as such changes require unanimous ECAB approval and may take time to be approved.
  7. Communication Plan
    • Ensure that all stakeholders have been identified and properly notified when services will experience an impact, whether through a service status message, internal communication, engagement with ITS Communications, or direct outreach. It is important to keep our stakeholders informed.
  8. Dependencies and Pre-requisites
    • Confirm all dependencies are addressed and pre-conditions are met, including attaching the asset / service.
  9. Documentation Accuracy
    • Ensure all required fields are fully completed, accurate, and current. Fields that may seem similar but serve different purposes should not be duplicated.
      • For example, 'Business Need' and 'Customer Experience Impact' should have distinct responses. Similarly, 'Order Summary' should provide a brief overview of the change, while the 'Order Description' should include a more detailed explanation of what is being implemented.
  10. Ensure Policy Compliance
    • Verify the change follows the Change Enablement process and procedures including leading time for approval, communication and Change Windows.
    • Evaluate the responses within the Risk Assessment section to ensure we are responding to the questions correctly on the proposed change(s).  This will ensure we are evaluating the risk properly.
    • If a change doesn’t follow the proper Change Enablement process, including required lead time for approvals, communication, and adherence to change windows — it can lead to:
      • Unplanned service disruptions
      • Increased risk of change failure
      • Lack of stakeholder awareness or preparation
      • Difficulty in troubleshooting if issues occur
      • Non-compliance with audit or regulatory requirements
      • Loss of trust in the change process
      • Verify Risk Assessments Section.
  11. Authorize Changes
    • Approve or reject changes within the delegated authority level.
    • Implementors cannot approve a Change, they are implementing[KW1] .
      • To keep things objective and avoid conflicts of interest approvals need a second set of eyes to make sure the change is necessary, low-risk, and properly planned. It helps prevent mistakes, ensures accountability, and keeps us aligned with audit and compliance standards.
  12. Coordinate with Central Change Advisory Board (CAB)
    • All high-risk and extreme changes will be presented to the CAB for approval.
    • If a change needs to be brought to CAB for awareness, have the implementor/responsible member reach out to the Change Manger in advance.
  13. Engage Stakeholders
    • Notify impacted users and stakeholders before releasing the Change Order to address concerns and prevent negative customer impact.
  14. Validate Testing & Backout Plans
    • Ensure changes have been tested in non-production environments if applicable.
    • Confirm rollback plans are in place and feasible.
  15. Review Post-Implementation (awareness only)
    • Successful w/ errors PIR will be performed by the manager and implementor / responsible participant.
    • Unsuccessful PIR will be performed by the Change Manager and implementor / responsible participant.
  16. Support Emergency Change Processes
    • See the Schedule and Change Window section.
  17. Encourage Change Awareness
    • Educate local teams about the value of Change Enablement.
    • Promote a culture of controlled change and risk mitigation.
    • Assist with locating knowledge base articles and training to assist with change submissions.