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Annex E Change Control Procedures

E1. Principles

E1.1 Where the JISC or UKERNA see a need to change the Services the JISC may at any time request, and UKERNA may at any time recommend, such a change only in accordance with the Change Control Procedures as set out at section 2 of this annex.

E1.2 Neither the JISC nor UKERNA shall unreasonably withhold its agreement to any change.

E1.3 Until such time as a change is made in accordance with the Change Control Procedure, UKERNA shall, unless otherwise agreed in writing, continue to supply the Services as if the request or recommendation had not been made.

E1.4 Any discussions which may take place between the JISC and UKERNA in connection with a request or recommendation before the authorisation of a resultant change to the Services shall be without prejudice to the rights of either part.

E1.5 Any work undertaken by UKERNA, its sub-contractors or agents, which has not been authorised in advance by a change to the Services and which has not been otherwise agreed in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1.3 of this Schedule shall be undertaken entirely at the expense and liability of UKERNA.

E1.6 The TAU will coordinate the Change Control Procedures. In general, the TAU will act on behalf of the JISC Secretariat in the conduct of the Procedures.

E2. Procedures

E2.1 Discussion between the JISC and UKERNA concerning a change to the Services shall result in any one of the following:

  1. no further action being taken;
  2. a request to change the Services by the JISC ; or
  3. a recommendation to change the Services by UKERNA

E2.2 In order to commence the Change Control Procedure, a Change Control Request (CCR) must be initiated, by either the JISC Secretariat or by UKERNA, and registered.

E2.3 Where the CCR is initiated by the JISC Secretariat, it must contain the following minimum information

  1. the title of the change;
  2. the originator and date of the request or recommendation for the change:
  3. the reason for the change;
  4. full details of the change including any specifications;
  5. a timetable for implementation together with any proposals for acceptance of the change;

and must be sent without delay to the Change Control Office at UKERNA, who will issue a unique sequential number to the CCR, and acknowledge receipt by faxing back a copy of the CCR, complete with sequential number.

E2.4 The JISC Secretariat will decide whether it is appropriate to obtain, if possible, the necessary authorisation for expenditure before initiating a CCR, or to seek this at a later stage when the costs of the change may be better known.

E2.5 UKERNA shall, on receipt of a CCR, assess whether a response can be made within its normal management overheads, or whether significant additional effort is needed to analyse and cost the request; if such a major investigation is needed before responding to the CCR, UKERNA shall make an interim response stating the implied costs an seeking approval before work can to proceed.

E2.6 Subject to the last paragraph, UKERNA shall, within three weeks of the receipt of a CCR, add to it the following information

  1. the price, if any, of the change, including any recurrent implications;
  2. a schedule of payments if appropriate;
  3. details of the likely impact, if any, of the change on other aspects of the Services including but not limited to:
    1. the term of the Agreement;
    2. the personnel to be provided;
    3. the Charges
    4. the payment profile;
    5. the documentation to be provided;
    6. the training to be provided;
    7. Service Levels;
    8. working arrangements; and
    9. other contractual issues;
  4. the date of expiry of validity of the CCR; and
  5. provision for signature by the JISC and UKERNA,

and return a paper copy of it to the Secretariat.

E2.7 Where the CCR is initiated by UKERNA, UKERNA shall complete all of points (a) to (e) in sections E2.3 and E2.6 above, allocate a unique sequential number, and notify its issue by faxing a copy to the JISC Secretariat. However UKERNA shall not undertake more than one resource-day of effort in initiating a CCR without prior agreement.

E2.8 Both UKERNA and the JISC Secretariat shall maintain a register of all outstanding and completed CCRs.

E2.9 As soon as practicable after receiving from UKERNA a new CCR, or a JISC-initiated CCR completed by UKERNA, the JISC Secretariat shall take steps to reach a decision on the CCR.

The outcome may be to:

  1. request further information; or
  2. approve the CCR; or
  3. reject the CCR; or
  4. defer a decision pending discussion by one or more of the JISC's committees; or
  5. modify the CCR (possibly by initiating further CCRs, either in addition or in its place, which would then be treated as from E2.3 above)

E2.10 In simple cases, the decision on a CCR may be reached by Chairman's action. For more substantial matters, the JISC Secretariat shall convene a meeting of the Change Control Board to evaluate the CCR. The composition of the Change Control Board shall be agreed between the JISC Secretariat and UKERNA.

E2.11 In either of cases (2) or (3) in 2.8 above, the JISC Secretariat will arrange for two copies of an approved CCR to be endorsed as to the decision made, signed by or on behalf of the JISC and UKERNA and returned for necessary action and filing by the Secretariat and the Change Control Office.

E2.12 An approved CCR signed by both parties shall constitute an amendment to this Service Level Agreement.