MOC scoping—Ensuring that MOC action items are correctly and completely described

Shortly after initiating a Management of Change instance, the owner develops a list of action items that need to be accomplished in order to successfully complete the MOC. This activity is termed “scoping the MOC”. A well-scoped MOC is efficient and lower risk; a poorly-scoped MOC is inefficient and higher risk.The quality of MOC scoping depends largely on the methodology used, with different sites using anything from no scoping at all, guesswork approaches, checklist approaches, to very sophisticated asset-based scoping.This paper reviews the various scoping methodologies using examples from actual MOC processes currently in use at chemical plants and refineries. The scoping techniques are then evaluated in terms of cost and error susceptibility of the resulting MOCs, using quantitative assessment tools. The results of this research provide specific guidelines on how to optimize scoping for small, medium and large MOCs.