What is a Change Directive (CD) and how does it differ from a Change Order (CO)?

What is a Change Directive (CD) and how does it differ from a Change Order (CO)?

• A. A CD is an owner-issued directive to modify contract scope with a plan for later CO; a CO is a formal contract modification agreed by both parties.
• B. A CD is an minor clerical update to the schedule; a CO is only about price.
• C. A CD is issued by the contractor to request extra time; a CO is a payment adjustment.
• D. A CD is a design change by the design professional; a CO is an administrative update.

Answer: (A)

When a project needs a modification quickly, the owner may issue a Change Directive that directs the contractor to proceed with a change in work, even though the price and exact terms aren’t settled yet. The key thing is this directive authorizes the work to move forward and creates a plan to finalize the modification later. In contrast, a Change Order is a formal contract modification that both parties sign to officially alter the contract; it records the new scope, price, and schedule as agreed terms. So the Change Directive gets the work started and keeps the project moving, with the understanding that a Change Order will be prepared to formalize the change. The Change Order, once signed, becomes part of the contract and reflects the mutually agreed-upon changes in scope, cost, and timing.

When a project needs a modification quickly, the owner may issue a Change Directive that directs the contractor to proceed with a change in work, even though the price and exact terms aren’t settled yet. The key thing is this directive authorizes the work to move forward and creates a plan to finalize the modification later. In contrast, a Change Order is a formal contract modification that both parties sign to officially alter the contract; it records the new scope, price, and schedule as agreed terms.

So the Change Directive gets the work started and keeps the project moving, with the understanding that a Change Order will be prepared to formalize the change. The Change Order, once signed, becomes part of the contract and reflects the mutually agreed-upon changes in scope, cost, and timing.