The Role of Change Management on a Project

For any system implementation to be successful (and business benefits realised), it is critical that the project considers the three dimensions of ‘People’, ‘Process’ & ‘Technology’.

‘Change Management’ seeks to bring adequate consideration and focus on the ‘People’ aspects and to a certain degree the ‘Process’ dimension, but also respecting the interdependency with the ‘Technology’  dimension of the business model.  

In considering the ‘People’ dimension, experience shows that the business can expect some initial drop-off in ‘performance’ during the transition period, before delivering the new levels of performance anticipated in the project business case.  This impact on performance can be represented by the following diagram:

In the context of delivering a project, ‘Change Management’ is about preparing & supporting staff through the transition – minimising the drop-in performance (depth of the dip) and the length of time it takes to return to the pre-existing level of performance and beyond (ie. delivering the business benefits).

On any given project, ‘Change Management’ activities are designed to support staff  as they transition from where they are today (As Is) to the new operating environment (To Be).  Many of the initiatives are also designed to develop understanding, acceptance and commitment amongst all parties for the changes being implemented.  This will help reduce the degree of resistance to the changes and minimise the disruption to ‘business as usual’ – as well as ensure sustainability of the changes being introduced. 

Typical ‘Change Management’ activities might include:

• Identification of ‘stakeholders’ and the expected degree of change they will be exposed to and how best to engage those stakeholders and manage that impact.
• Timely and regular communication to all ‘stakeholders’, using communication vehicles that work well within that organisation. This will also need to address the communication requirements for other parties that are external to the organisation such as employee union representatives, suppliers, customers, etc.
• The development of ‘Process Maps’ and procedure/policy guidelines to assist staff in understanding the desired work practices. Particular ‘cheat sheets’ may also be developed to assist training & user support.
• Planning and ensuring the involvement of staff in testing the new operating ‘systems’ (incl. any new technology & work practices/procedures) - UAT.
• The design, development and delivery of training needed to develop the new skills and knowledge required by staff, under the new operating environment.
• The planning and execution of ‘user support’ for staff during the phased ‘go-live’ period, including the use of the ‘Champion/Ambassador’ model.
• The establishment of ‘Post Implementation Support’ infrastructure and procedures to assist staff with ongoing needs for support, after the project team has disbanded (ie. proposing enhancements and having them tested and released, training needs for new personnel, etc).
• Consideration of any HR elements that might need to be re-aligned with the new operating environment (ie. position descriptions, new team structures, staff recruitment, performance appraisal frameworks, remuneration packages, work locations/office space, etc).

But in the end, each project is different and requires a well considered approach.

To assist you in identifying the best approach for your project, Foundations Consulting has a team of ‘Change Management’ professionals ready to help.  Some of our team members include:

• Nikki Swann
• Jacquie Woods
• Pamela Moutzouris
• Cindy Campbell
• Lisa Winter
• Haydi Ekeberg
• Patricia Brennan
• Casey Stringfellow
• Paula McKay
• Paul Circosta

For more background details on each of our ‘Change Management’ professionals, refer to the ‘Our Team’ section.