The plan is called a backout plan.

In change management terms, a backout plan is the documented procedure that explains how you will return affected hardware and software to their original state if a proposed change fails.

Why it’s called a backout plan

  • It defines the exact steps to reverse the change and restore the previous known-good configuration.
  • It is included near the end of a change order or change management document, alongside risk analysis and implementation steps.
  • Its purpose is to reduce downtime and impact if the change introduces problems that cannot be quickly fixed.

Related terms you might see

  • Rollback plan – often used similarly, especially for databases or software deployments, to revert to a prior stable state.
  • Risk analysis – describes risks and mitigation strategies, but not the detailed reversal procedure.
  • System image plan – focuses on creating or using full system images or backups, which might be part of the backout steps but is not the whole plan.

TL;DR: On a change order form, the section describing how to restore hardware and software if the change fails is called a backout plan.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.