The very nature of configuration management is the control of the configuration. This was the initial premise under which the control discipline was established and, later, formalized in DoD-D-5010.19 (1969) into a statement which defined control as: "The systematic evaluation, coordination, approval or disapproval, and implementation of all approved changes in the configuration of a configuration item after formal establishment of its configuration identification."

What this definition does not impart is the scope and magnitude of the configuration change control task, or the rationale for configuration changes. The purpose of this bulletin is to describe the software change control process in the context of a structured programming environment. The bulletin provides a description of:

• Problems inherent in or to the control process,
  
• The control process
  
• The control environment as defined by the software life cycle,
  
• The tools, forms, and procedures associated with each life cycle phase and the methodology instituted to attain a free flow of communication,
  
• The role of the Configuration Control Board, and
  
• Finally, the transition process from completion of the development phases to the Operational and Maintenance phase.