diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index 91291cc8e0..cf3d70b197 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@
 
 *Description of changes:*
 
-*Have you updated the `Unreleased` section of `CHANGELOG.md` with your changes? (y/n) If not, please explain why:*  
+*Have you updated the `Unreleased` section of `CHANGELOG.md` with your changes? (y/n), If not, please explain why:*
+
+*Does your PR include any backward-incompatible changes? (y/n), if yes, please explain the reason. In addition, please
+ also mention any other alternatives you've considered and the reason they've been discarded?:*
+
+```
+For this purpose, we define backward-incompatible changes as changes that—when consumed—can potentially result in 
+errors for users that are using our public APIs or the entities that have `public` visibility in our code-base.
+```
+
+*Does your PR introduce a new external dependency? (y/n), if yes, please explain the reason. In addition, please
+also mention any other alternatives you've considered and the reason they've been discarded?:*
 
 By submitting this pull request, I confirm that my contribution is made under the terms of the Apache 2.0 license.
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b9ce3e9b48..eda5c56fcb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Added
+- `CHANGELOG.md` with back-filling of the previous releases to the change log to provide more visibility on unreleased
+  changes and make the release process easier by using the `unreleased` section of change log. The `CONTRIBUTING.md`
+  has also been updated to ensure this is part of the process.
+- backward-incompatiblity and dependency questions are added to the project's PR process to provide more context
+  on the changes that include these and the alternatives that have been considered.
 
 ### Changed