A reader recently asked me to comment on the difference between Change and Release Management. The first question “Is it a request or proposal?” is a good one. When we use the term proposal, normally we are speaking about major changes that will involve significant risk, cost, or organizational impact. Proposals are normally initiated by the portfolio management process. They can also be submitted by a program or project management office. Again remember that each organization is unique and how they do this and at what level it takes place can be different from organization to organization. This is defined at a high level, but the details necessary will depend on the organizational requirements. For the most part, before the new or significantly changed service is chartered it is critical that the proposed change be reviewed for its potential impact on other services, shared resources, and the change schedule. These proposals are submitted to change ma...