BSBINN601

Lead and manage

organisational change
Learner Guide
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BSBINN601
Lead and manage organisational change
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents...................................................................................................................................2
Unit of Competency............................................................................................................................5
Performance Criteria...........................................................................................................................6
Foundation Skills.................................................................................................................................7
Assessment Requirements..................................................................................................................8
Housekeeping Items................................................................................................................................9
Objectives...............................................................................................................................................9
1. Identify change requirements and opportunities.............................................................................10
1.1 – Identify strategic change needs through an analysis of organisational objectives.......................11
Strategic change................................................................................................................................11
Change management process...........................................................................................................11
Types of change................................................................................................................................12
Drivers for change.............................................................................................................................13
Strategic change needs.....................................................................................................................14
Learning task one..............................................................................................................................15
Activity 1A.........................................................................................................................................16
1.2 – Review existing policies and practices against strategic objectives to identify where changes are
required................................................................................................................................................17
Reviewing policies and practices.......................................................................................................17
Learning task two..............................................................................................................................18
Activity 1B.........................................................................................................................................19
1.3 – Monitor the external environment to identify events or trends that impact on the achievement
of organisational objectives..................................................................................................................20
The external environment.................................................................................................................20
PESTLE analysis..................................................................................................................................20
Learning task three...........................................................................................................................24
Activity 1C.........................................................................................................................................25
1.4 – Identify major operational change requirements due to performance gaps, business
opportunities or threats, or management decisions.............................................................................26
Operational change requirements....................................................................................................26
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Learning task four.............................................................................................................................31

Activity 1D.........................................................................................................................................32
1.5 – Review and prioritise change requirements or opportunities with relevant managers...............33
1.6 – Consult stakeholders, specialists and experts to assist in the identification of major change
requirements and opportunities...........................................................................................................33
Change requirements and opportunities..........................................................................................33
Stakeholders, specialists and experts................................................................................................35
Learning task five..............................................................................................................................36
Managers who are affected by the change.......................................................................................36
Activity 1E.........................................................................................................................................37
2. Develop change management strategy............................................................................................38
2.1 – Undertake cost-benefit analysis for high priority change requirements and opportunities.........39
Cost-benefit analysis.........................................................................................................................39
Learning task six................................................................................................................................41
Activity 2A.........................................................................................................................................42
2.2 – Undertake risk analysis and apply problem solving and innovation skills to identify barriers to
change and agree and record mitigation strategies..............................................................................43
Risk analysis......................................................................................................................................43
Barriers to change.............................................................................................................................44
Mitigation strategies.........................................................................................................................45
Learning task seven...........................................................................................................................47
Activity 2B.........................................................................................................................................48
2.3 – Develop change management project plan..................................................................................49
Change management project plan....................................................................................................49
Gantt charts.......................................................................................................................................50
Learning task eight............................................................................................................................51
Activity 2C.........................................................................................................................................52
2.4 – Obtain approvals from relevant authorities to confirm the change management process..........53
Confirming the change management process...................................................................................53
Learning task nine.............................................................................................................................54
Activity 2D.........................................................................................................................................55
2.5 – Assign resources to the project and agree reporting protocols with relevant managers.............56
Assigning resources...........................................................................................................................56
Reporting protocols..........................................................................................................................57
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Learning task ten...............................................................................................................................59

Activity 2E.........................................................................................................................................60
3. Implement change management strategy........................................................................................61
3.1 – Develop communication or education plan, in consultation with relevant groups and individuals,
to promote the benefits of the change to the organisation and to minimise loss................................62
Developing a communication or education plan...............................................................................62
Learning task eleven.........................................................................................................................66
Activity 3A.........................................................................................................................................67
3.2 – Arrange and manage activities to deliver the communication or education plans to relevant
groups and individuals..........................................................................................................................68
Delivering the communication plans.................................................................................................68
Learning task twelve.........................................................................................................................71
Activity 3B.........................................................................................................................................72
3.3 – Consult with relevant groups and individuals for input into the change process.........................73
Consulting with others......................................................................................................................73
Learning task thirteen.......................................................................................................................76
Activity 3C.........................................................................................................................................77
3.4 – Identify and respond to barriers to the change according to risk management plans.................78
Responding to barriers to the change...............................................................................................78
Learning task fourteen......................................................................................................................80
Activity 3D.........................................................................................................................................81
3.5 – Action interventions and activities set out in project plan according to project timetable..........82
Action interventions and activities....................................................................................................82
Learning task fifteen..........................................................................................................................84
Activity 3E.........................................................................................................................................85
3.6 – Activate strategies for embedding the change.............................................................................86
Activating strategies for embedding change.....................................................................................86
Learning task sixteen.........................................................................................................................87
Activity 3F..........................................................................................................................................88
3.7 – Conduct regular evaluation and review and modify project plan where appropriate to achieve
change program objectives...................................................................................................................89
Evaluation and review.......................................................................................................................89
Learning task seventeen....................................................................................................................91
Activity 3G.........................................................................................................................................92
Skills and Knowledge Activity............................................................................................................93
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Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit................................................................................94

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Unit of Competency
Application

This unit describes skills and knowledge required to determine strategic change requirements and
opportunities; and to develop, implement and evaluate change management strategies.

It applies to managers with responsibilities that extend across the organisation or across significant
parts of a large organisation. They may have a dedicated role in human resources management, human
resources development, or work in a strategic policy or planning area.

The unit takes a structured approach to change management and applies to people with considerable
work experience and organisational knowledge.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector

Creativity and innovation – innovation

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Performance Criteria
Element Performance Criteria
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Identify change 1.1 Identify strategic change needs through an analysis of

requirements and organisational objectives
opportunities 1.2 Review existing policies and practices against strategic
objectives to identify where changes are required
1.3 Monitor the external environment to identify events or
trends that impact on the achievement of organisational
objectives
1.4 Identify major operational change requirements due to
performance gaps, business opportunities or threats, or
management decisions
1.5 Review and prioritise change requirements or opportunities
with relevant managers
1.6 Consult stakeholders, specialists and experts to assist in the
identification of major change requirements and
opportunities

2. Develop change 2.1 Undertake cost-benefit analysis for high priority change
management strategy requirements and opportunities
2.2 Undertake risk analysis and apply problem solving and
innovation skills to identify barriers to change and agree and
record mitigation strategies
2.3 Develop change management project plan
2.4 Obtain approvals from relevant authorities to confirm the
change management process
2.5 Assign resources to the project and agree reporting
protocols with relevant managers

3. Implement change 3.1 Develop communication or education plan, in consultation

management strategy with relevant groups and individuals, to promote the
benefits of the change to the organisation and to minimise
loss
3.2 Arrange and manage activities to deliver the communication
or education plans to relevant groups and individuals
3.3 Consult with relevant groups and individuals for input into
the change process
3.4 Identify and respond to barriers to the change according to
risk management plans
3.5 Action interventions and activities set out in project plan
according to project timetable
3.6 Activate strategies for embedding the change
3.7 Conduct regular evaluation and review and modify project
plan where appropriate to achieve change program
objectives
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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Skill Performance Description

Criteria

Reading 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2  Interprets detailed information that may deal with complex
ideas related to issues both within and outside the
workplace context

Writing 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1  Uses clear and precise language to develop information
about objectives, requirements, activities and
recommendations
 Develops complex plans and strategies in appropriate
format for the audience and purpose

Oral 1.6, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 3.3  Discusses and seeks information using appropriate
communication structure and language for the particular audience
 Uses questioning and active listening to clarify or confirm
understanding

Numeracy 2.1, 2.3, 2.3  Interprets, analyses and presents numeric/financial

information in complex documents

Navigate the 1.1-1.6, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1,  Takes a lead role in the development of organisational
world of work 3.2 strategic goals and associated roles and responsibilities

Interact with 1.5, 1.6, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1-  Uses a variety of communication tools and strategies to
others 3.3 build and maintain effective working relationships
 Uses inclusive and collaborative techniques to seek
feedback, negotiate and consult with a range of
stakeholders

Get the work 1.1-1.5, 2.1-2.5, 3.1,  Plans, organises and implements activities required to
done 3.2, 3.4-3.7 achieve strategic priorities and outcomes, including
consulting with others and sequencing events to minimise
uncertainty for staff
 Uses problem-solving skills to identify and analyse issues or
barriers, and develop responses
 Develops new and innovative ideas through exploration
and lateral thinking
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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 Analyse and interpret information about the organisation’s internal and external environment and
consult with stakeholders to identify requirements and opportunities for changes that support
organisational objectives
 Prioritise opportunities for changes with input from managers
 Develop a change management project plan for the priority changes incorporating resource
requirements, risk management and timelines
 Develop strategies to communicate or educate the changes and embed them
 Obtain approvals and agree reporting protocols with relevant managers and implement the plan
including addressing barriers to change
 Review and evaluate the change management project plan and modify as needed to achieve
objectives

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Explain the change management process or cycle and strategies for communicating and embedding
change
 Explain how organisational behaviour and the external environment can impact on change
strategies
 Describe the components of a change management project plan
 List potential barriers to change and explain possible strategies to address barriers

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the creativity and innovation and include
access to:

 Workplace documentation and resources

 Office equipment, materials and software packages
 Case studies or, where available, real situations
 Interaction with others

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

Links

Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes

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Housekeeping Items
Your trainer will inform you of the following:

 Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and
where the breakout and refreshment areas are.

 Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any
security issues they need to be aware of.

 What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is.

 That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions.

 That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each
other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn.

 Ground rules for participation:

o Smile

o Support and encourage other participants

o When someone is contributing everyone else is quiet

o Be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas

o Be on time

o Focus discussion on the topic

o Speak to the trainer if you have any concerns

Objectives
 Discover how to identify change requirements and opportunities

 Know how to develop change management strategy

 Learn how to implement change management strategy

 Gain skills and knowledge required for this unit

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1. Identify change requirements and opportunities

1.1. Identify strategic change needs through an analysis of organisational objectives

1.2. Review existing policies and practices against strategic objectives to identify where changes are
required

1.3. Monitor the external environment to identify events or trends that impact on the achievement
of organisational objectives

1.4. Identify major operational change requirements due to performance gaps, business
opportunities or threats, or management decisions

1.5. Review and prioritise change requirements or opportunities with relevant managers

1.6. Consult stakeholders, specialists and experts to assist in the identification of major change
requirements and opportunities
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1.1 – Identify strategic change needs through an analysis of organisational

objectives

Strategic change
Change is a constant feature of every organisation’s landscape. Those organisations which fail to adapt
and change are at risk of being overtaken by their competitors. There are many examples of
organisations which have failed to keep their products and services up-to-date and competitive. Years
ago, it would have been unheard of to go into a shop with a camera film and get the photographs
printed on the same day. Nowadays, it’s the norm and organisations which do not offer the same
service standards as their competitors are at risk of losing custom.

Change management process

Managing change is a complex process involving many different factors, not least of all: people.

When change is well-managed:

 There is a clear vision of the change – the nature of it, the driving forces behind it, its
objectives and expected impact

 There is good planning and communication with everyone who is affected by the
change

 Support is provided for people throughout the

change process via encouragement, reassurance,
training and other practical support

 Implementation of the change is planned and well-

controlled

 There is good monitoring and evaluation to ensure

that the change achieves its objectives.

A useful overarching model to follow when managing change is D.E. Hussey’s EASIER Model, which he
described in his 1995 book ‘How to Manage Organisational Change’.

Hussey’s EASIER model

Hussey’s EASIER model encourages the change manager to:
 Envision

o have a coherent view of the future and what it looks like

 Activate

o ensure that others understand and commit to the change

 Support

o inspire others to produce the necessary effort to implement the change

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 Implement

o use plans and schedules to control the activity needed to make the change a
reality

 Ensure

o monitor and control the implementation to ensure that the change is on track

 Recognition

o reinforce the desired behaviour and recognise people’s efforts.

Types of change
There are two main types of change:
 Incremental change

 Fundamental change.

Incremental change
Incremental change is also referred to as ‘step change’. This is where change takes
place gradually, one step at time. How we communicate gives us a good example of
incremental change. Hundreds of years ago, written communication was typically
performed using a quill and paper. Nowadays, we use mobile telephones, the internet
and computers to exchange messages and information. It wouldn’t have been possible
to go straight from the quill to a hand held device in one step – there were many steps
in between such as the printing press, typewriters, computers, the internet and mobile
technology. Incremental change represents progress by evolution rather than
revolution – that is to say that there is a gradual development over a period of time.

Another good example of incremental change is the Rolls Royce motor car. If you look
at a picture of a 1930s Rolls Royce compared with a current model, they look like they are completely
different cars. If you look at a 1930s model, then a 1940s one and every decade until the present day,
you can actually see the evolution of the car and how some key features have been maintained, but yet
each decade has brought with it new models which reflect modern tastes and technological advances.
As a business, Rolls Royce recognised that standing still with their successful 1930/40s model was no
guarantee of long-term success. They have continually evolved and developed the technology, the
styling, the performance of the vehicle to keep up to date with the rest of the market.

Incremental change is less painful for organisations to undertake, generally speaking. It often involves
continuous improvement, refining and developing processes and procedures, products and services. It
builds on what is already in place and develops it further. There is clear continuity between what was
done in the past and the new way of doing things.
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Fundamental change
Fundamental change makes a more noticeable impact on the organisation. It can be considered more of
a revolution than an evolution – a ‘big bang’ or reactive change. Examples might include restructuring
the organisation to reduce staff costs, relocating, merging with or acquiring another organisation or
introducing new technology throughout the organisation. When fundamental change has taken place,
it’s visible within the organisation; this is not always the case with incremental change.

Drivers for change

There are many factors which drive the need for change which will be explored in the sections to follow.

One of the key drivers is a change in the organisation’s objectives.

For example, if the organisation’s business plan is to break into a new territory with new products, using
new equipment, in a new location, then there is clearly a need for change on a number of different
levels. This will impact on many aspects of the business, such as staff, skills, resources and procedures.

The organisational objectives are the first place to look when identifying opportunities for, and the
requirements of, change. The objectives set out what the organisation is aiming to achieve over the next
period, usually 3-5 years (but increasingly, organisations are setting objectives for 10-20 years or even
longer). A comparison between the organisation’s current position and its future aims will identify the
change that needs to take place.

This might involve:

 Reducing/increasing staffing

 Developing staff skills and knowledge

 Changing the staffing structure

 Developing or providing new products or services

 Operating in a new territory

 Implementing new technology

 Developing new ways of working.

All of these changes will require careful planning and management for them to be successful, so having
a good understanding of the organisation’s aims is crucial to managing change successfully. All change
programs should follow the same direction as the organisation’s objectives otherwise they will conflict
and compete with each other.
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Strategic change needs

It is important to analyse organisational objectives as part of the process of identifying strategic change
needs. The objectives drive the future direction of the organisation and it is important that any change
programs support that direction.

Change needs may involve:

 People

 Processes

 Technology

 Structure.

All of these factors can play an enormous role in the success of the organisation and it’s important that
any changes in these areas are in the right direction and at the right time.
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Learning task one

Reflect on changes that have taken place in your, or another, organisation over the last two or three
years. What were the changes, and what were the drivers for change?
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Activity 1A
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1.2 – Review existing policies and practices against strategic objectives to

identify where changes are required

Reviewing policies and practices

When change is introduced within an organisation, there is often a requirement to alter the ways of
working. Whether a change involves new or fewer employees, new products and processes or new
technology, there will always be an impact on the existing policies and practices.

If an organisation decides to extend its product range and to improve the quality standards of the
existing products, there might be an impact on the existing policies and practices.

For example, the decision could affect:

 Staff training

 Manufacturing processes and standards

 Audit processes

 Quality management

 Occupational health and safety.

When planning a change initiative in an organisation, it is important to scrutinise the strategic objectives
for indications that changes may be required to existing policies and procedures. This is an activity that
is best undertaken with the input from other people in the organisation as each person will be able to
offer their own insights in terms of how existing policies and practices may be affected.

For example, the manufacturing manager may not appreciate the implications of the strategic
objectives for staff training and development, but the HR manager is likely to have a very good idea of
this.

When strategic objectives are set, it offers a natural point in time to reflect on current practices and
processes and to identify where they need to be updated or replaced.

Key questions to ask when reviewing policies and practices include:

 Is this still fit for purpose (i.e. does it do what we need it to do)?

 Does this need to be updated?

 Does it need to be replaced?

 Is it now obsolete?

 Are new policies and practices required?

 If so, what is their scope (i.e. what should they cover)?

 Who should be involved in developing and testing them?

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Learning task two

Give examples of two policies and/or practices that have changed recently in your organisation (or an
example organisation) and briefly explain why they needed to change.
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Activity 1B
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1.3 – Monitor the external environment to identify events or trends that impact
on the achievement of organisational objectives

The external environment

The external environment has a major part to play in any organisation’s life. Organisations do not exist
in a vacuum.

They are affected by many things, including:

 Competitors

 Government policy

 Legislation

 Technological developments

 Trends in ‘people management’

 Environmental developments

 Social trends.

An example was given earlier of the photo-processing company which fails to match or better their
competitors’ one-hour photograph processing services. In this instance, there has been a lack of
observing the trends in the market which could lead to a significant loss of business as customers
become used to being able to have their photos printed almost instantly.

In another example, an organisation which fails to adopt environmentally-friendly practices might find
itself at a disadvantage when tendering for contracts if such practices are a requirement of the contract.
One training organisation failed to progress in the tendering process with a retail company when its
representative only wrote on one side of the paper in their notepad; the retailer noted this and felt that
it demonstrated a lack of awareness of environmental issues. Environmental awareness was high on the
retailer’s agenda. The lack of up-to-date awareness cost the training organisation the contract.

PESTLE analysis
The PESTLE analysis is a widely-used tool for ensuring that trends in the external environment are
monitored.

PESTLE stands for:

 Political

 Economic

 Sociological

 Technological

 Legal
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 Environmental.

Political
This is concerned with what is happening politically in the environment in which you operate.

It includes areas such as:

 Tax policy

 Employment laws

 Environmental regulations

 Trade restrictions and reform

 Tariffs

 Political stability.

Economic
This is concerned with what is happening within the economy.

It includes things like:

 Economic growth/ decline

 Interest rates

 Exchange rates and inflation rate

 Wage rates

 Working hours

 Unemployment (local and national)

 Credit availability

 Cost of living.

Sociological
This is concerned with what is occurring socially in the markets in which you operate or expect to
operate.

This includes:
 Cultural norms and expectations

 Health consciousness

 Population growth rate

 Age distribution

 Career attitudes
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 Emphasis on safety.

Technological
This is concerned with what is happening in the area of technology and how this impacts on your
organisation.

It includes areas such as:

 Mobile phone technology

 Internet

 Social media.

Legal
This is concerned with what is happening with changes to legislation.

This may impact:

 Employment

 Access to materials

 Quotas

 Resources

 Imports/exports

 Taxation.

Environmental
This is concerned with what is happening with respect to ecological and environmental issues. Many of
these factors will be economic or social in nature.

They may include areas such as:

 Waste management

 Recycling

 Corporate social responsibility

 Global warming

 Society attitudes to environmental matters.

By monitoring each of these areas on a regular basis, it is possible to identify any trends or events that
may impact the achievement of the organisation’s objectives.
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This need not be an onerous task and it can be achieved by:

 Regularly reading publications and websites which are concerned with your industry
and others associated with it
 Signing up to relevant special-interest groups and associations, either in person or
online
 Maintaining a network of contacts who can notify you about emerging trends and
events affecting your industry
 Encouraging specialists within the organisation to keep up-to-date with trends and
developments in their particular areas of interest (e.g. human resources, the
environment, finance)
 Follow the national and local press to identify any developments or events that are
useful to know about.
Depending on the size and complexity of your organisation, it may be useful to conduct a group session
where the relevant people pool their information regarding emerging trends and developments that
they are aware of. Alternatively, this information may be collated by a named individual on a regular
basis so that your organisation is continually reviewing information about the external environment.
The rest of completing a PESTLE analysis should be a database of information which affects, or could
potentially affect, your organisation.
The next step is to sift through that information and decide:
 What can be discarded as irrelevant or unimportant?
 What requires further investigation?
 What should be acted upon?
Armed with good quality information about the organisation’s external operating environment, the
people involved in managing change are well-placed to identify what changes may be required and then
link these back to the overall strategic objectives.
PESTLE is a useful tool which categorises the main factors which may impact on an organisation’s future.
Other external environmental factors (some of which are incorporated in PESTLE) which
are important to consider may include:
 Consumer-driven
 Ecological
 Economic
 Ethical
 Global
 Legal
 Political
 Social
 Technological
 The drive to corporate sustainability
 The move to a knowledge economy
 Workforce-driven.
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Learning task three

Using PESTLE, under each category give one example of a factor which is relevant to your organisation
(or example organisation):

1. Political

2. Economic

3. Sociological

4. Technological

5. Legal

6. Environmental.
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Activity 1C
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1.4 – Identify major operational change requirements due to performance gaps,

business opportunities or threats, or management decisions

Operational change requirements

Operational change may be required for a variety of different reasons including:
 Performance gaps

o gaps between actual and desired performance

 Business opportunities

o opportunities that present themselves which may be useful for the organisation
to pursue – this may be due to internal or external factors

 Business threats

o threats to organisational success, which may be due to internal or external

factors

 Management decisions

o senior managers may decide to develop, improve, reduce, redesign and limit a
range of the organisation’s products, services and processes.

We’ll now look at each of these in turn.

Performance gaps
Performance gaps may exist for a wide variety of reasons. A performance gap is a difference between
expected or desired performance and the actual performance of the organisation. Performance gaps
can be positive or negative.

A positive performance gap might include:

 Better customer feedback than expected

 Higher volumes of sales

 Better quality standards being achieved.

A negative performance gap might typically include things like:

 Turnover and profitability being lower than target

 Shortfalls in quality

 Problems with product/service delivery.

A performance gap implies that there is already an understanding of actual and desired performance –
without that information, it is impossible to accurately quantify the gap.
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Some examples of clearly-defined performance gaps include:

 A manufacturing organisation finding that 95% of its products meet quality standards,
as opposed to a target of 97%

 A media organisation fulfilling 90% of its customers’ requirements for photographs and
written copy within eight hours, as opposed to a target of 95%

 A catering organisation achieving sales targets of $10,000 per week against a target of
$12,000.

In each of these examples, there is a clear shortfall, or gap, between actual and desired performance.
Knowing that the gap exists, and being able to quantify it, enables the organisation to identify areas
where change is necessary.

Taking the examples one step further:

 The manufacturer would scrutinise which aspects of quality were falling short and
identify the source of the problem (e.g. processes, machinery, raw materials, human
error)

 The media organisation would analyse which aspects of customers’ requirements were
not being fulfilled within the stated timescales and identify the source of that problem
(e.g. communication problems, lack of clarity, lack of access to equipment and training)

 The caterer would analyse its sales data to identify what is and is not selling and to
which customers and locations; it would also analyse customer feedback and
complaints.

In all of the above examples, the key action is analysis of the situation to be able to pinpoint what
specifically is causing a problem. It should be noted that such analysis is not only necessary when there
are problems. If the caterer is enjoying unprecedented sales of a particular product to one customer for
example, it would be useful to analyse the reasons for this so that this positive performance can be
repeated in other areas of the business.

This analysis permits the identification of key areas requiring development or improvement, hence the
change opportunity. However, it is likely that no single reason will be identified and it is more likely that
there are a range of factors impacting on the organisation’s performance. In this case, it would be
important to rank the relevant factors in order of importance and/or impact and to single out those that
are to be tackled.

There is a danger at this stage of trying to solve all the problems at once. This can lead to a wide range
of ‘change initiatives’ all taking place at the same time, which can result in confusion and lack of control.
This may be counter-productive to what the organisation is trying to achieve.
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Some key questions to consider when analysing performance gaps

include:
 What is the performance gap?

 What is its impact?

 What data supports this?

 How important/relevant is this performance gap?

 What improvement is required, specifically?

Business opportunities
The internal and external environments can both present opportunities for the business.

Some examples of internal opportunities may include:

What’s happening? Possible opportunity

Outdated equipment failing or becoming obsolete Review all equipment and source new
models/suppliers

Personnel leaving the organisation for a variety of Review the organisation structure to achieve
reasons greater efficiency/flexibility/

Key personnel becoming trained/qualified in a Review job roles to ensure that specialist skills are
technical skill being deployed in the workplace

External opportunities may include:

What’s happening? Possible opportunity

Competitor is in financial difficulty Acquisition of or merger with the competitor

New product/technology development Acquire/adopt the product/technology for own

range of products/services

Changes in senior personnel in customer Review existing agreements with new senior
organisations personnel

This is only a tiny snapshot of the types of opportunities that may be relevant to different organisations
and is designed to illustrate the point that anything happening either inside or outside the organisation
potentially provides an opportunity for change.

As with performance gaps earlier, key questions to ask when opportunities arise include:
 What is the actual/potential opportunity?

 How, where and when may it affect our organisation?

 What would be required for us to take advantage of this opportunity?

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Business threats
As with opportunities, the internal and external environments can also present threats for the business.

Some examples of internal threats may include:

What’s happening? Possible threat

Low staff morale and engagement Staff may resist new targets and ways of working

Poor management of systems security System security is vulnerable to unauthorised

access and potential sabotage

Poor teamwork between departments Negative impact on the quality of information or

lack of co-operation

Some examples of external threats may include:

What’s happening? Possible threat

Competitor is opening premises nearby Skilled and experienced staff may be recruited by
the competitor

Increase in minimum wage Increased wage costs

Key supplier goes out of business Inability to provide full product/service range

Again, this just gives a glimpse of the types of external threats which can drive change in an
organisation.

The types of questions that would be relevant to explore might include:

 What is the actual/potential threat?

 How, where and when may it affect our organisation?

 What would be required for us to avoid this threat harming our

organisation?

Management decisions
Senior managers make a wide range of decisions on a daily basis. Some of these decisions will be barely
discernible to the majority of people in the organisation and others will have far-reaching and long-
lasting effects.

Decisions will be based on a number of factors, for example:

 Data concerning the performance of the organisation

 The overall organisational goals and objectives

 Senior managers’ views and principles

 Innovative ideas for development.

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A management decision to change the design of a key product, for example, could have major
implications for the rest of the organisation.

It may include changes in:

 Manufacturing processes

 Equipment

 Packaging design

 Storage and distribution

 Pricing

 Customer access.

So, management decisions can be a source of change within an organisation.

Again, key questions that would be useful to ask as a result of management decisions
might include:
 What is the decision?

 Why has it been made?

 How does it impact current and future operations?

 How does it impact the achievement of organisational

objectives?

 What are the wider implications of the decision?

In summary, this tells us that opportunities for change can be

found all around us:
 From an analysis of current performance

 In response to internal or external business opportunities

 In response to internal or external business threats

 As a result of management decisions.

It is important to be alert to all of these potential sources of change so that any change taking place in
the organisation is done so in a well-planned manner, taking account of other changes that are taking
place.
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Learning task four

For each of the following, give one example of a potential opportunity for change which is relevant to
your organisation (or example organisation):

1. Performance gaps

2. Business opportunities

3. Business threats

4. Management decisions.
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Activity 1D
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1.5 – Review and prioritise change requirements or opportunities with relevant

managers
1.6 – Consult stakeholders, specialists and experts to assist in the identification
of major change requirements and opportunities

Change requirements and opportunities

From a thorough analysis of change requirements arising from the organisation’s objectives, its policies
and practices, the external environment and its internal environment, many potential change
opportunities emerge. These opportunities may complement each other or they may conflict. They may
be low cost and relatively easy to implement, or they may be expensive and disruptive to implement.
They may elicit staff support or they may result in staff resistance. It is important to sift through the
possibilities to arrive at the key changes that are required.

It is challenging for one person to do this alone; it is unlikely that any one individual will have sufficient
knowledge of the business, its policies and practices and its internal and external environments to be
able to confidently assess the nature and extent of the changes needed. This should very much be a
team affair involving the most relevant people in and around the organisation.

Internally, there may be relevant managers who can offer an insight into the opportunities for change
and their relative priorities.

They may be managers who are:

 Affected by the change

 Holding a leadership position in the organisation

 Participating in the change project.

Let’s look at each of these types of manager in turn.

Managers affected by change

Some managers will be affected by the proposed change; they will be able to see what might and might
not work in practice. They may have views about how staff and customers are likely to respond to the
proposed change and they have a pivotal role in making the change successful; without their support it
will be very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the desired results from the proposed changes.

When consulting with these managers, it is essential to gain their input to proposals at the earliest
opportunity. If managers feel that change is being imposed on them without the chance to influence
what’s happening, it can result in half-hearted compliance, downright resistance or even sabotage.

A useful approach would be to bring managers together to consult them about their views and ideas for
dealing with the challenges that face the organisation. In a large organisation, this can be achieved by
having a working party comprised of a representative sample of managers from a range of functions
across the business. This consultation may be crucial in the eventual success (or otherwise) of the
change program. The earlier that management commitment and support can be gained, the better.
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Managers in a leadership position

Some managers hold a leadership position and may be instrumental in determining the proposed
changes. They will hold their views for a reason; whether they’re based on relevant research and data,
or an intuitive ‘gut feel’ about the direction the organisation should be taking. They will have their views
about what changes are required and the priority of these. They may need less persuading than
managers who are affected by the change as they are more likely to have been involved in identifying
the need for change.
However, there may still be some managers in senior leadership roles who do not agree with the
proposed changes. This is a challenging situation as these senior leaders have the power and ability to
either support the change program or to ignore it. Again, at worst, they may fail to support the change
by not releasing the required budget or personnel to support the change effort. In this case, efforts
should be made to ensure that all senior leaders share the same level of commitment and enthusiasm
for the change program.
This can be very challenging as it can be relatively easy for anyone to claim that they are supportive of
an idea and yet carry on as normal, as if the change doesn’t involve them. What’s needed here is a
whole-team approach from the senior management team to ensure that everyone supports the
proposed changes and that there is a clear expectation that individuals will be held to account for
delivering the results that they have agreed to.
Managers that are participating in the change project
Another potential group of managers include the people who are active participants in the change
project.
The types of manager in this category include:
 The enthusiasts
 The press-ganged.
The enthusiasts
These are managers who have energy and enthusiasm for making the change
successful. They have perhaps been waiting for some time for a positive change to happen and they see
this as a great opportunity. They will commit to their roles and will need little motivation as they are
sufficiently self-motivated to complete the project.
The press-ganged
These are managers who have been asked or told to participate in the change project against their will.
They are likely to lack enthusiasm and may see the project as extra work, unnecessary and a waste of
time and resources. Their commitment to their role in the project team may be flimsy and this may be
demonstrated by failure to attend meetings, failure to complete tasks and a general failure to engage in
the project.
Of course, these represent opposite ends of the spectrum and there will be many different types of
participants with varying levels of engagement with the change program. Whatever the level of
commitment to change, it is important to ensure that these managers are given the opportunity to
review and prioritise the change requirements so that they can have a positive influence on the
outcome of it. This can again be done via consultation meetings with relevant managers to elicit their
views.
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Stakeholders, specialists and experts

Depending on the nature of the changes being considered, it may be necessary to consult with any
appropriate stakeholders, specialists and experts who can advise on change opportunities. These
individuals may be existing employees, external contractors, consultants or agencies. Whether they are
internal or external, the same principles apply to consulting with them.

The first step is to identify the need for specialist input. Let’s imagine that a graphic design company is
seeking to streamline its work flow and update the technology used by staff. There may be an internal
expert who has worked in a variety of contexts and has excellent, up-to-date knowledge of technology
and how it can be best deployed. Alternatively, all the staff may have worked in the organisation for a
long time and have little or no understanding of external developments. In the latter case, it would be
advisable to bring in the services of an external contractor or agency to benefit from their expertise and
industry-knowledge.

In either event, the process of consulting with a specialist should broadly follow a pattern.

The person in charge of the change process will be required to:

 Define what he/she is hoping to achieve from a specialist’s input

 Identify the area in which specific input and expertise is required

 Define the credentials required in the specialist/expert (e.g. qualifications, sector

experience)

 Recruit a specialist to meet the required credentials

 Brief the specialist on the exact requirements and be specific about what they do and
do not need to look at

 Agree key activities, timescales, budget and reporting

 Review the specialist’s progress at different times during their work, if appropriate

 Review the specialist’s findings and recommendations with

them, asking for their rationale where appropriate.

By managing the specialist’s input, it is possible to avoid wasted time and

resources on activities that are outside the scope of the proposed changes.

For example, there is no point in the specialist recommending investment of

$100,000 in equipment when the organisation’s budget simply will not
sustain such an investment.
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Learning task five

Briefly describe how you would consult with and review change requirements with one of the following
types of people:

Managers who are affected by the change

1. Managers who hold a leadership position in the organisation

2. Managers who are participating in the change project

3. Specialists and experts.

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Activity 1E
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2. Develop change management strategy

2.1. Undertake cost-benefit analysis for high priority change requirements and opportunities

2.2. Undertake risk analysis and apply problem solving and innovation skills to identify barriers to
change and agree and record mitigation strategies

2.3. Develop change management project plan

2.4. Obtain approvals from relevant authorities to confirm the change management process

2.5. Assign resources to the project and agree reporting protocols with relevant managers
 P a g e | 43

2.1 – Undertake cost-benefit analysis for high priority change requirements and
opportunities

Cost-benefit analysis
When developing the change management strategy, it is essential to know that the effort applied in
making and sustaining the change will be worthwhile in the long term.

For example, in 2010 ABC supermarket chain conducted a rebranding exercise in an effort to build a
new identity in an increasingly competitive market. After 18 months and at a cost of $6 million, the
newly-branded XYZ supermarket chain had record losses of $15 million with 30,000 job losses. This was
hardly a beneficial change for the organisation, its employees or its customers, as customers also saw
price increases during this time. While it was necessary to modernise the organisation, the decision to
conduct a high-profile rebranding exercise led to an embarrassing and expensive failure.

A cost-benefit analysis is a simple tool which enables decision-makers to assess the scope of the change
opportunity and decide whether it is worth the investment required.

To complete a cost/benefit analysis, you have to:

 List costs and benefits
 Assign a monetary value to the costs
 Assign a monetary value to the benefits
 Compare costs and benefits.
Listing costs and benefits
First, list all of the costs associated with the proposed change and then do the same for all of the
potential benefits. You should try to anticipate any unexpected costs and any benefits that you may not
initially have expected. You should also consider the costs and benefits over the lifetime of the change,
not just the initial start-up costs.

Assigning a monetary value to the costs

Costs include the costs of any physical resources needed, as well as the cost of the human effort
involved in all phases of implementing and sustaining the change.

Costs are often relatively easy to estimate and may include things like the cost of:
 New equipment and materials
 New or altered premises
 Recruitment and/or training
 Rebranding.
It's also important to consider any associated intangible costs.

For example, there may be a temporary decrease in productivity while new equipment is installed and
the workforce learns how to use it. Ongoing costs should also be factored in to the calculations; this
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might include things like ongoing training and recruitment or other increased overheads such as energy
use.

Assigning a monetary value to the benefits

This step is more challenging than the previous step. It's often very difficult to predict revenues
accurately, especially for new products. Also, alongside the anticipated financial benefits, there are
often intangible benefits that are important outcomes of the change project.

An example of an intangible benefit might be ‘greater customer goodwill’ or ‘better brand awareness’.
These are valuable benefits but difficult to quantify. Similarly, a change program may impact on
employee satisfaction or health and safety.

Comparing costs and benefits

The final step is to compare the total value of your costs to the total value of your benefits and use this
to identify whether or not the benefits outweigh the costs. This analysis will help you to decide your
course of action. It is important at this stage to consider the ‘payback time’. That is, how long it will take
to reach the point at which the benefits have repaid the costs.

Decisions can sometimes be made on the basis of ‘gut feel’. In other words, a decision feels right
intuitively. This can sometimes work but a more robust and
systematic approach is to conduct a cost/benefit analysis. This
shows that you have been thorough in your thinking and that you
have objectively analysed the data. Senior leaders who will be
required to support the change management strategy by
committing a budget to it are going to want to see the proposed
benefits of your plan weighed against the costs of it. The
cost/benefit analysis is a simple and effective way of making this
case to senior leaders.
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Learning task six

Thinking of a recent change that has taken place in your organisation (or an example organisation), list
some of the costs and benefits associated with its implementation. Note that it is not necessary to give
exact figures, but to give an overview of the types of costs and benefits involved.
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Activity 2A
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2.2 – Undertake risk analysis and apply problem solving and innovation skills to
identify barriers to change and agree and record mitigation strategies

Risk analysis
When planning a change management strategy, it is important to consider the
potential risks as well as the anticipated benefits. All change carries with it a risk
and it is important to predict what those might be so that action can be taken to
either avoid or minimise their effects.

The following example shows how an inadequate risk analysis may have been
responsible for affecting biodiversity in some parts of Australia.

In 1935, cane toads were deliberately introduced to Australia from Hawaii. Cane toads feed on insects
and larvae which affect sugar cane production and their introduction was designed to limit damage to
crops. However, cane toads are not selective in their diet and they are suspected of being responsible
for the demise of several species. They are now considered a pest and have no natural predators. This is
probably not what the authorities intended when the initiative to introduce them was first agreed.

Risk analysis is the process of assessing the likelihood of risk against its potential severity.

The diagram below shows how it works in practice.

High risk
Severity

Low risk

Likelihood

For each risk identified, assess the likelihood of it happening and its potential severity. A judgement
then needs to be made as to whether or not to proceed with a change management program based on
the risk analysis.

In the 1930s, the authorities might have considered the risk of the cane toad invading its habitat and
eating everything in its patch as being extremely likely and the attendant severity of that being very
high; this would place this risk in the ‘high’ category. However, it seems that the likelihood/severity was
not estimated as high as it would be nowadays.
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Barriers to change
Any change management program has its drivers for change and potential barriers. The drivers are the
forces in favour for change; the need to improve quality, increase profitability and reduce waste. These
are all positive reasons for making a change. However, the other side of the coin is that there will also
be potential barriers; things which get in the way of change or impede it altogether.

Barriers to change may include:

 Challenges to group norms or established roles

 Existing organisational culture

 Existing reward systems

 Fear of loss of status, security, power or friends

 Interdepartmental rivalry or conflict

 Lack of involvement in the change

 Low morale

 Vested interests.

Challenges to group norms or established roles

People are often comfortable in the roles that they know and are familiar with. Any changes which
threaten that stability can be unsettling and demotivating.

Existing organisational culture

People are used to the existing culture in an organisation. They may not like that culture, but it is
familiar to them, they understand how it works and they understand how to behave within it. Any
changes to the culture can be very threatening to people as they learn a new way of behaving.

Existing reward systems

Any changes to reward systems are typically met with suspicion as staff wish to hold on to what is
acceptable rather than accept the unknown.

Fear of loss of status, security, power or friends

A sense of loss is a very real side-effect of change. In a simple office move, moving an individual away
from their prized desk by a window can create a serious loss of territory, relationships and security. This
can have a significant impact on that person’s motivation and the degree to which they engage in new
ways of working.

Interdepartmental rivalry or conflict

If departments are not fully co-operative, there is a risk that they might try to out-shine each other to
achieve better results and achieve a sense of kudos within the organisation. Such rivalry is
counterproductive to achieving the overall goal but it can be a source of distraction while attempting to
achieve change which involves everyone.
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Lack of involvement in the change

People dislike change which is imposed on them. They respond much more positively if they are
involved in the change program in some way. They will engage more readily if they feel that their views
are important and are listened to.

Low morale
If morale is generally low, there is a danger that any change program will be met with an attitude of
‘here we go again, another change initiative’. Low morale can impede the successful implementation of
a change program so taking steps to improve morale would be important.

Vested interests
It is possible for individuals with a vested interest in the outcome having a disproportionate influence on
the change program which is not necessarily in the interests of the organisation overall.

Mitigation strategies
Having analysed the risks and identified the specific barriers to the change program, the next step is to
plan the strategies to mitigate the risks. In other words, it is important to identify what action should be
taken to prevent the risk/barrier having a negative impact on the change program and to plan for ‘what
if?’ scenarios.

Using the scenario of a graphic design company investing in new equipment and
streamlined work processes to improve quality and productivity, the possible risks
are:
 Technology isn’t fit for purpose

 Technology quickly becomes outdated

 Lack of internal expertise to maximise the use of the technology

 Processes don’t work in practice.

The possible barriers may include:

 Staff resistance to learn new technology and adopt new working practices

 Rivalry between IT department and graphic designers – disagreements about priorities

 Staff lacking an understanding of the need to improve quality and productivity.

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Having identified the possible risks and barriers, it is now possible for the decision-makers to decide
what action, if any, they are going to take to mitigate the risks.

For example, they may decide to:

 Run a pilot with the new technology to test its application in their own context

 Lease the technology so that the costs of updating are managed over time

 Recruit or develop an internal expert

 Ensure staff understand the need for the change and the consequences of not changing

 Involve staff in the design of the new system and working practices

 Train the staff in the new technology

 Reward staff efforts.

Any mitigation strategies arising from the review of the risks and barriers should be captured in a
project plan for managing the change program, as detailed in the next section.
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Learning task seven

Give an example of a change that could be introduced in an organisation. What are the risks associated
with it? What are the potential barriers? What mitigation strategies could be put in place to minimise
the effects of the risks and barriers?
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Activity 2B
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2.3 – Develop change management project plan

Change management project plan

A change management project plan is essential for the successful implementation of any project, no
matter how simple or complex it is. Having conducted all the research and consultation in the previous
steps, it would be a shame to risk its successful implementation by failing to have key actions formally
documented. People generally have unreliable memories when it comes to specific details and so these
are best recorded in the form of a project plan.

Project plans are beneficial because they:

 Avoid any doubt or confusion as to what should be happening and when

 Enable the planning and scheduling of key tasks so that they take place in a logical
order

 Ensure that key tasks are not missed

 Enable accurate budgeting for the activities involved

 Act as a communication tool to update interested parties about what is planned and
what progress is being made

 Enable the systematic review of progress against the plan so that adjustments can be
made if necessary.

The format of the project plan should be fit for purpose. For a relatively straightforward change such as
implementing a new procedure, the plan may be a single page simply listing the key actions, dates and
who is responsible for each action. More complex plans may involve spreadsheets which are interlinked
with each other to provide both a summary and detailed information by project activity.

Whatever format is used, there are some core details that should be included either in the document
itself or in the arrangements for managing the plan.

These include:
 The project title

 Key people involved (e.g. project team leader, project sponsor, project team members,
other stakeholders and interested parties)

 Project objectives, ideally linked to organisational objectives

 What is/is not in the scope of the project (i.e. a specific statement of what the project is
not looking at)

 Timescales

 Budget

 Monitoring and review arrangements

 Reporting arrangements.
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Gantt charts
There are many electronic project planning tools which are widely available. A particularly useful tool is
a Gantt chart which is a useful and simple way of scheduling tasks. It enables tasks to be scheduled in a
clear visual way. It can be made more useful by showing responsibilities, but has the disadvantage of
not easily showing where activities are dependent on others.

A simple Gantt chart is shown below.

Activities Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

1. Research
2. Feasibility
3. Design
4. Test
5. Implement
Stage 1
6. Receive
Feedback
7. Revise
8. Implement
Stage 2
9. Review

In the example above, you can see the key activities and when they should start and finish. It is clear
from this that testing at step four should take place from the end of April to the middle of June. Any
delay in that stage will probably impact on the achievement of the other steps which follow. So if the
completion of the testing step was delayed until the end of July, the rest of the activities would also
have to be delayed, or action taken to minimise the impact of that stage finishing later than planned.
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Learning task eight

Include here an example of a project plan which you have used/or could use to manage a project. Briefly
describe its purpose.
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Activity 2C
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2.4 – Obtain approvals from relevant authorities to confirm the change

management process

Confirming the change management process

Support for the change process is vital. Without the right support from the right people, managing
change can be an uphill struggle. Many change programs falter or come to a halt altogether due to a
lack of support from the right people.

Depending on the nature of the change program, the relevant authorities may include:
 Senior managers

 External agencies and partners (e.g. auditors and inspection agencies)

 Other stakeholders (e.g. internal/external specialists and funding providers).

The support of the relevant authorities can make a significant impact on the change management
process. It can be an ‘enabler’; enabling things to happen, ensuring that actions are taken when
appropriate and that budgets are provided. But a lack of support can be a major ‘blocker’; blocking
progress or delaying progress by failure to engage or provide the support that is needed.

Before progressing to the implementation stage of the change, it is essential to obtain the necessary
approval from the relevant authorities to avoid problems emerging later.

Imagine a scenario where a food manufacturer invests considerable funds in new equipment to improve
quality and production, only to find out later that the food standards inspectors have identified major
flaws in the new machinery and processes. The time, energy and money invested would have been
wasted and so it is essential to get the necessary approval at the start of the process.

This can be done by briefing the relevant authorities about the proposed
changes as part of the research and planning stage. This involves finding out
what they think about your proposals and listening to any concerns or
questions that they have. Also, sharing the change management project
plan with relevant authorities highlights what you are hoping to achieve and
how you propose to do this. Again, this gives them the opportunity to ask
questions where necessary.

Whichever method you use to obtain approval, it is essential to gain that

approval in writing for the avoidance of doubt at a later stage.

It is possible that approval may be given subject to certain conditions being met.

For example, the food standards inspectors may approve the plan for new equipment on the condition
that the equipment manufacturer works on site for a minimum of two months to oversee training and
implantation. Any conditions should be clearly stated and if there are conditions which need to be
adhered to, any actions arising from this should be included in the project plan.
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By doing this, the relevant authorities know exactly what it is that they are approving, and they can see
how you are proposing to tackle any conditions that they have imposed.
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Learning task nine

Give an example of how you would gain approval from a relevant authority for a change project. Explain
why you may need to seek the approval and how you would go about seeking the approval.
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Activity 2D
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2.5 – Assign resources to the project and agree reporting protocols with
relevant managers

Assigning resources
As part of the project planning process, it is important to assign resources to the plan so that it is clear
which resources are required, where and when. Planning at the outset ensures that the resources are
available when needed, they do not conflict and can be deployed at the right time/place in the project.

Resources can include people as well as tangibles such as finance and

equipment/materials, including:
 Contractors

 Employees and managers

 External and internal consultants

 Financial and budget allocation

 Hardware and software

 Physical assets.

Imagine a scenario where a key contractor is required for two weeks on site to complete a key part of
the project plan (say, installation of equipment). If their time is not booked or allocated at the start of
the project, there is a danger that they are unavailable at the time they are needed and then the whole
project is delayed until either the contractor does become available or an alternative is found.

This can be likened to installing a kitchen at home – the project should take ten days but if the
electrician is not available on the days required, then this will hold up the plasterer, the decorator, the
plumber, the floor layers and the kitchen fitters. If the installation cannot go ahead as planned, there
may be a long delay waiting for the electrician to become available. Meanwhile, work has stopped on
your kitchen and the tradespeople have all gone off to work on other jobs; getting them all back at the
right time could prove a nightmare and then the kitchen replacement project lasts three months instead
of ten days.

Part of developing the change management strategy is forecasting which resources will be needed and
when. This may require specialist input which can be obtained from the specialists and experts who
contributed to identifying the change opportunity at the outset. It can also be obtained by seeking
quotes and forecasts from internal departments and external providers.

As part of the cost-benefit analysis, you will already have identified a headline budget for the project. At
this stage you are seeking to allocate that budget across various items of expenditure. It would be
commonplace to use a spreadsheet to manage the numbers on a change management project. This
gives the flexibility to adjust the figures and forecast the impact of these changes over a period of time.

When dealing with physical assets, hardware and software the concern is about having the correct
items in place when needed. Imagine that hardware is being ordered for delivery at the end of
November so that staff training can take place throughout December, ready for a launch in January.
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If the hardware isn’t delivered until mid-December, this will put the training part of the plan under
pressure to be completed on time and may affect the ultimate launch date.

It is important to have clarity about what needs to happen and when. This is why Gantt charts are
useful. They show what steps need to be taken and in what order so that the project can be delivered.

For example, if the hardware supplier understands their deadline, the consequences of failing to meet
that deadline, and is tied into an agreement with penalty clauses for late or non-delivery, then there is a
greater chance that the hardware will turn up on time than if it rested on a verbal agreement as a result
of a quick phone call.

Reporting protocols
The final part of developing the change management strategy is to consider how progress will be
reported, when and to whom. You will have already identified your key stakeholders; those
people/parties who have an interest in the project.

Stakeholders may include:

 Senior managers
 Project sponsor (the person who requested the project
to be done)
 Project team members
 Managers in teams affected by the work of the project
team
 Clients
 User groups
 External agencies (e.g. funding providers).
Before the project is implemented, it is important to consider who the stakeholders are and how and
when they should be communicated with. In some instances, it will be clear how and when to update
certain people as to the project’s progress. Senior managers, for instance, may require a monthly
update at a senior team meeting, whereas external funding partners may request a quarterly update via
a written summary report.

It’s worth planning out a communication chart such as the one shown below.

Stakeholders When How Person

responsible

Senior management team Monthly Presentation at SMT Project leader

meeting

Department X managers Quarterly Summary progress report Project team member

Project team Weekly Project plans or progress Project leader

reports
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A plan such as this shows clearly who is to be communicated with, when, how and who is responsible. It
ensures that nobody is missed in the communication loop and that all key parties are kept up-to-date
with information that affects them. The importance of communication should not be underestimated.

Reporting on progress gives the project team the opportunity to:

 Report on progress made against the project plan

 Highlight problems and outline any action to be taken to resolve them

 Give early indications of the success/impact of the project compared with the initial
forecasts

 Forecast any unforeseen problems in the future

 Recognise the efforts of the project team and/or individuals within it.

When reporting on a project’s progress, it is worth considering the level of detail that is required by the
different stakeholders. The project team members will need a different level of detail than the senior
managers and it makes good sense to tailor the information to different audiences.

For example, it is not desirable to swamp senior managers with detailed data and reports when they will
mainly be interested in a top-line, one-page summary.
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Learning task ten

Using a recent project that you have been involved in at your organisation, or an example of a project
that could be done in a chosen business industry, briefly describe:

 Three different resources allocated to the project plan – and why they were chosen.

 How progress was, or could be, reported to the managers in the organisation/example
organisation.
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Activity 2E
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3. Implement change management strategy

3.1. Develop communication or education plan, in consultation with relevant groups and individuals,
to promote the benefits of the change to the organisation and to minimise loss

3.2. Arrange and manage activities to deliver the communication or education plans to relevant
groups and individuals

3.3. Consult with relevant groups and individuals for input into the change process

3.4. Identify and respond to barriers to the change according to risk management plans

3.5. Action interventions and activities set out in project plan according to project timetable

3.6. Activate strategies for embedding the change

3.7. Conduct regular evaluation and review and modify project plan where appropriate to achieve
change program objectives
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3.1 – Develop communication or education plan, in consultation with relevant

groups and individuals, to promote the benefits of the change to the
organisation and to minimise loss

Developing a communication or education plan

Communicating the change is perhaps the most important aspect of
implementing the change management strategy. Gaining the support
and commitment of everyone involved and/or affected by the
change is also important. Very often, the focus is on ensuring
that the correct people, equipment and materials are in the
right place at the right time, without paying too much
attention to ensuring that the people involved are actually going to
comply with the change.

Take a look at the following true examples.

Example 1
An aircraft manufacturer decided to invest in new equipment and machinery with a view to improving
production times. The largest investment was in one machine which would fill a huge warehouse. The
machine was investigated, researched, purchased and delivered to the site. On delivery however, they
discovered that the building it was to be housed in was too small; the machine would physically fit in
the building, but there was no room for staff movement or storage of materials and so it was totally
impractical. Had managers consulted the staff that were due to be working on the machine prior to its
purchase and installation, they would have pointed this out and potentially avoided a hugely expensive
mistake. A new building had to be built to house the machinery, escalating the initial investment by
hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Example 2
A social housing organisation relaunched its corporate values and set out new standards of behaviour
for all employees to follow. There was a large, highly publicised launch event at which all employees
were encouraged to contribute their views to the corporate values. While a great deal of promotional
material was on display around the organisation, behaviours didn’t change, most notably from the
senior managers who were insisting that behavioural change must happen. The values that had been
agreed and publicised were not being demonstrated by the senior managers and the staff lost
enthusiasm. It felt like the senior team had paid lip service to the change; they wanted everyone else to
change their behaviours but weren’t willing to adapt their own. The corporate values were never
embedded and the whole initiative quietly disappeared from view.

In both these examples, the people involved in driving the change program failed to take account of the
‘people factor’. In example 1, there was a failure to engage the people who had a valuable input to
make regarding the practicalities of the shiny new investment. In example 2, the failure was in the
senior managers not practising what they preached. This was quickly identified as hypocrisy and viewed
with cynicism by the workforce.
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During change, people feel a sense of loss of:

 Relationships

 Territory

 Competence

 Status

 Security.

The effects of this sense of loss cannot be underestimated. A simple change in the office layout can have
a dramatic effect on an individual. Let’s assume that someone has had a desk by the window for the last
four years. The ‘window desk’ is a highly-prized location and with it goes a sense of informal seniority
and status amongst the team. The person who works at that desk has a few indoor plants, photos and
other personal items, as many people do when they work at a desk. Imagine that the office manager
decides to streamline the office layout to make the workflow more logical – they probably have very
good reasons for making the change. But if Brenda, who has the ‘window desk,’ comes in to work on
Monday morning to find that her desk has been moved to next to the toilet, her sense of loss is
understandable. She has previously enjoyed the status, the view and the perk of having a special place
to work. If that is suddenly removed without warning, it’s not surprising that she may react with shock.

It is very easy to dismiss someone’s reaction in this type of situation. ‘What’s the fuss about? I only
moved her desk from there to there’ is what an unthinking manager might say. However, they haven’t
taken any account of the sense of loss that the person may feel. Whether or not the manager feels that
this sense of loss is justified is irrelevant; nobody can judge how another person reacts to a situation,
the important thing is that the manager should anticipate what the reaction might be and consider how
to avoid a negative and disruptive reaction.

This is what the communication part of the change process is all about; considering the points of view of
those who are involved in or affected by the change and taking that into account when planning what to
communicate, when and how.

Good practice suggests that relevant people should be involved in designing the communication
strategy.

This might include:

 People who have been involved in identifying the need for change (e.g. senior
managers, specialists, experts, key personnel)

 People who will be affected by the change (e.g. staff representatives)

 People who will be involved in implementing the change.

Different groups of people will have different needs for communication. Senior managers are
presumably already committed to the change by the time you are thinking about the communication
strategy, so there is less emphasis on explaining the benefits of the change as they will already have
heard these messages. However, for other groups, this will be the first time they hear about what’s
happening and so their needs for information will be different.
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A communication plan or strategy needs to consider:

 Who needs to be communicated with?

 What information do they need?

 What resistance can we anticipate?

 What benefits can we emphasise?

 How can we deal with their questions and concerns?

 How can we gain their support and commitment?

By considering these questions in consultation with relevant people, the communication plan will be an
integral part of the change process rather than an after-thought. Good communication gives the change
process a much greater chance of success than if it is left as something to be squeezed in at the end of
routine team meetings.

Promoting the benefits of the change is an essential element of the communication strategy.

People generally want to know:

 What’s happening?

 Why are we doing it?

 How will it affect me?

The question of ‘why are we doing it’ is often summarised as a quick sound-bite or headline message.
However, it really is the root of gaining support from people. If people understand and accept the
reasons behind a change, they are far more likely to comply with it than if they are simply told what’s
happening.

Not all change is welcomed by staff and it is particularly important to position the less-welcome changes
in such a way as to make a compelling argument in favour of them.

This can be done by simply identifying the benefits of the proposed change.

Will it make the work:

 Easier?

 Faster?

 More enjoyable?

 Better?

 More cost effective?

 More secure?
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The cost-benefit analysis gives good strong data to support any communication strategy, and except for
commercially-sensitive data, there really is no reason to keep this secret from the workforce. If the
proposed change is going to make the company more profitable and more secure, then tell them. If the
changes are going to reduce waste by X% and avoid the need for staff cuts, then tell them.

Communication plans may include a wide range of activities such as:

 Consultation meetings

 Briefings and presentations

 Promotional displays

 Intranet-based information

 Text messaging

 Emails

 Training sessions

 Surgeries (informal drop-in events with key personnel).

It is important to match the right communication method to the audience and the message. It may be
appropriate to announce business growth with banners and balloons and a staff conference, but this
approach would not suit all circumstances.
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Learning task eleven

Thinking about a recent or forthcoming change in your organisation, or an organisation that you know,
briefly describe:

1. The types of loss that were/may be felt by people

2. The benefits of the actual/proposed change.

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Activity 3A
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3.2 – Arrange and manage activities to deliver the communication or education

plans to relevant groups and individuals

Delivering the communication plans

Planning the implementation of the communication is every bit as important as the planning for the
overall change program. The communication strategy should have identified who needs to be
communicated with, how and when.

The implementation step involves practicalities such as ensuring that:

 Invitations to events are appropriate and set the right tone

 People receive invitations to events in good time

 The venue is appropriate in terms of size, location,

accessibility and level of formality

 The timing of the event is appropriate and considers

people’s working hours

 The duration of the event is appropriate – not too long or too

short

 The wording of written communications is clear, unambiguous and concise

 People involved in delivering communication events know their role and purpose

 Steps are taken to record attendance at events

 Where people are unable to attend, alternative arrangements are made.

Communication and training activities are often the first point of contact for the majority of people who
will be affected by or involved in the change and so it is important to get it right.

Do not underestimate the damage that can be caused if the communication process is bungled.

Take the following true scenario:

After a year-long project to completely redesign an organisation’s manufacturing procedures, there was
a launch event for 300 staff and managers to announce the new procedures and explain how they
would be implemented. The Managing Director opened the event. He stood centre-stage looking down
and shuffling his feet. In the most disinterested tone of voice, he said ‘Good morning, I’m Nigel De Souza
and I’m really delighted to be here’. His body language conveyed the exact opposite to his words. The
audience believed the body language and left the briefing deflated and unconvinced that the new
procedures would work. The MD’s lack of commitment and enthusiasm was evident. Why would
anyone else get excited if the guy at the top couldn’t care less?

This illustrates the importance of ensuring that all those involved in delivering the communication
strategy are consistent in their message and that they convey it in a manner that supports the overall
change program.
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To do this, it might be necessary to bring together anyone involved in the communication to agree roles
and responsibilities, to avoid unhelpful duplication and to agree core messages and how they are to be
delivered.

Take a look at the following scenario which shows an organisation getting it right:

A utilities company was redesigning its contract management procedures to ensure that contracts were
managed consistently, with a clear audit trail, minimising inconsistencies and waste.
Recognising that the new system would be met with resistance from the majority of
contract managers, the project leader:
 Appointed a project team of representatives from the various contract management
positions throughout the business to be involved in developing and implementing the
new procedures
 Tested, piloted and modified procedures where necessary
 Had the project team work together to design a training program to roll out the new
procedures
 Made it so that over 30% of the half-day training program focused on only one
question: why are we doing this?
 Used two short ‘talking head’ video clips in the session: one from the chief executive
and one from a senior director, both talking about the need for change from different
points of view
 Dedicated 20% of the session to considering the benefits of the new approach
 Devoted less than 10% of the training session to actually looking at the procedures
 Ensured that everyone in the department attended the session, from senior managers
to junior contract managers.
The result was that people understood the need for the change. Even if they were reluctant to change
their ways of working, they appreciated why it was necessary. Some cynics were even converted to
enthusiastic supporters. This may not have been the result had people been led into a training room to
be shown a PowerPoint presentation just giving the detail of the procedures.

The point from this example is that the project leader really considered
the communication/training piece as an integral part of the change
management process. Taking this viewpoint, he shaped the
communication and training activities to meet the people’s needs. In
other words, he thought about how they might resist and set out to
deliver a compelling argument for change. He wasn’t the most gifted
public speaker, but he arranged a series of events which engaged
people, gave them key messages from key people and excited them
about the future.

Planning and organising a series of briefing events is easy. Making them effective is much more difficult
to achieve.
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When planning your events, ask yourself:

 What are the key messages?

 What’s your ‘takeaway’ message – what do you want people to do as a result of

attending?

 What benefits do you want to emphasise?

 How can you pre-empt questions and concerns?

 Who should be involved in delivering that message?

 What is the best way of getting the message across?

 What innovative methods can you use to get the message to stick?
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Learning task twelve

Think about a recent event at work, or an event that has happened at another organisation, where
change was communicated to groups or individuals. How was the change communicated? What
improvements, if any, can you suggest?
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Activity 3B
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3.3 – Consult with relevant groups and individuals for input into the change
process

Consulting with others

As previously explained, communication is a vital component of the change management process. One
important strand of the communication strategy is the timing and level of consultation with others.
Consultation is concerned with seeking others’ views and input to the process with a view to ensuring
their commitment while gaining useful information.

Consultation need not take place at the end of the process, just before the change implementation
takes place. Indeed, there is a very good argument for having consultations at various steps throughout
the change process, right from the first stages of researching the change opportunities.

The timing of the consultation is important. Too soon, and there are too many unanswered questions
and a sense of frustration that nothing will be happening for a long time. Too late, and people feel that
it is too late to actually have any useful input to the process and there is a sense of frustration that they
have missed out on something important. There are no hard and fast rules. Each change management
program has its own challenges and is unique. The message here is to give careful consideration to the
timing of any consultation activity.

Another consideration is who should be consulted? Except in small organisations, it’s neither feasible
nor desirable to consult with everyone. This would become unmanageable and it raises the expectation
that everyone’s views will be acted upon.

Consultation tends to involve a representative sample of different people from across the
organisation, including:
 Staff

 Managers

 Workers’ representatives

 Different departments/job roles

 Different lengths of service

 Different specialisms.

There are different ways of selecting people to be a part of the consultation process,
including:
 Random selection – picking names randomly from lists of different job roles

 Inviting volunteers

 Inviting specific people on the basis of their expertise.

In practice, it is best to have an element of ‘fair play’ so that the rest of the organisation doesn’t feel
that the consultation group was handpicked as the most engaged, most positive individuals.
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Consultation events can take many different formats:

 Questionnaires and surveys

 On-line forums/discussions

 Face-to-face consultation sessions

 Virtual consultation sessions

 Telephone consultation.

Whichever method used will depend on the nature of the consultation, the numbers and locations of
the people involved.

When planning and conducting a consultation exercise, the following aspects are
important to consider:
 Questions

 Format

 Rules of engagement

 Recording contributions

 Analysing contributions

 Reporting on the outcome of consultations.

Questions
Careful consideration should be given to the questions being asked so as to avoid bias. ‘Do you agree it
would be better to do X?’ is a leading question which suggests the answer that is being sought. A better
question might be: ‘What do you think about proposal X?’

Format
In a consultation, the aim is to encourage everyone to contribute their views and so the format and
tone of the event should be set up in such a way as to encourage that.

For example, if shop floor workers are invited to the boardroom for a consultation event, they might
find that intimidating and prefer the staff canteen. On the other hand, using the boardroom might raise
the importance of the event in the attendees’ eyes. There’s no right/wrong answer; the point is simply
that thought should be given to this.

Rules of engagement
There should be clear rules of engagement so that everyone has a fair chance to contribute to
discussions and so that the more dominant personalities do not have an unfair share of the airtime.

Recording contributions
There needs to be a mechanism for recording the points that are made at the consultation event.
Writing notes, taking minutes and audio-recording the discussion are all valid methods for doing this.
 P a g e | 81

Analysing contributions
How will the information arising from the consultation events be summarised and how will it be used?
Who will have access to this information?

Reporting on the outcome of consultations

After consultations have taken place, the next step is to consider how the information gained will inform
the change management plan. If the outcome from the consultation exercise is ignored, this may be for
very good reasons. However it would be important to communicate this to the consultation group
otherwise they will feel their contributions have been ignored and this will affect their approach to
taking part in similar activities in the future, whether in your organisation or elsewhere.

A great outcome from a consultation exercise is where the project leader identifies something that
nobody else has thought of and the project plan needs to be amended. This shows the true benefit of
consultation. Not only do people feel that their views are important, they have been listened to and
acted upon. How might things have turned out differently for the aircraft manufacturer if, right at the
start of the process, the project leader had consulted with the people who would be using and
managing the new machinery?
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Learning task thirteen

Briefly describe a recent consultation event that you have been involved in or are aware of. How was
the event managed? What worked well? What might be done differently next time?
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Activity 3C
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3.4 – Identify and respond to barriers to the change according to risk

management plans

Responding to barriers to the change

During the development of the change management strategies, potential and actual barriers should
have been identified and action taken to minimise them within the risk management plans. However,
despite this, barriers may emerge that were not anticipated, or they may be stronger than imagined.

There are some key steps that managers can take to identify and respond to barriers during the
implementation of a change program, some of which have already been discussed in this unit.

These include:
 Informing people – communicating with them, telling them what’s happening and why

 Involving people – asking for their input and views, recognising that they may have
some valid input

 Supporting people – listening to their concerns and fears and taking steps to provide
guidance and support where necessary

 Negotiating with people – listening to their points of view and looking for ways of
reaching a compromise or areas where you can both agree.

When it comes to responding to barriers, managers should:

 Expect some resistance

o look at the situation from others people’s points of view and consider how they
might be feeling about it

 Empathise

o show understanding and recognise how the change is impacting people, even if
you think they should be more accepting of it

o recognise that individuals are different and we

all feel threatened by different things

 Give advance warning

o the sooner you can let people know that

change is coming, the longer they have to get used to the idea

 Beat the grapevine

o rumours can cause a great deal of upset and confusion

o they are a distraction and they can take considerable effort to unravel

o avoid the ‘rumour mill’ by being open and transparent in all communication
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 Present a positive picture

o show enthusiasm for the change, even if you personally don’t agree with it

o people will look to you for guidance on how to behave so a positive image is
crucial
 Allow people to vent their feelings
o if people are feeling frustrated by having no outlet for their feelings, it can result
in deeply entrenched resistance
o give people the opportunity to say what’s on their minds and then deal with their
fears/objections one by one
 Emphasise the benefits of the change
o if people understand the need for the change and the consequences of not
making it, they are more likely to accept it
o emphasise what’s good about the change while pointing out how any pitfalls are
going to be minimised or avoided
 Reassure people
o be honest with people

o if the change doesn’t involve job losses, or pay cuts or shortened hours, then say
so up front to alleviate any unnecessary angst
 Recognise people’s efforts
o let people know that you appreciate their contributions, recognise their input
and thank them for their co-operation.
Other barriers may present themselves during the change implementation process. This might include
practical things like non-delivery of equipment, lack of availability of technical personnel and costs
increasing unexpectedly. Again, these should have been considered as part of the risk analysis and so
plans should already be in place for responding to any such occurrences.

Through regular monitoring of progress, it should be clear when any problems or barriers emerge. If it is
a problem that has been anticipated, then action should be taken according to the mitigation strategies
drawn up during the development of the change strategy.

However, if unexpected problems occur, the project team should:

 Review the nature and scope of the problem
 Anticipate its impact
 Consider possible solutions
 Decide on the best course of action
 Revise the project plans accordingly
 Implement the remedial action, seeking authorisation where necessary
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 Ensure that the revisions are reported to relevant people through the regular reporting
mechanisms.
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Learning task fourteen

Give examples of two barriers to a recent change that you have been involved with or are aware of.
What were the barriers and how were they dealt with? How might you deal with them differently in
future, if appropriate?
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Activity 3D
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3.5 – Action interventions and activities set out in project plan according to
project timetable

Action interventions and activities

During the implementation stage of the change project, as project lead, you are responsible for ensuring
that the interventions and activities in the project plan are actually carried out at the right time, by the
right people and within budget.

Interventions and activities may include:

 Action research

 Career planning

 Job redesign

 Sensitivity training

 Succession planning

 Surveys (with feedback)

 Team building

 Termination or redeployment

 Training

 Transition analysis.

Each of these interventions or activities in themselves can represent a significant project and would
require careful planning and implementation.

For example, imagine a social care organisation which is broadening its client base to include sections of
the population which are new to the organisation, such as people from minority ethnic groups or people
with particular disabilities. In order to effectively and professionally deliver services to these client
groups, it may be important to undertake a period of sensitivity training with staff to ensure their
understanding of the new clients’ needs, protocols around working with these clients, cultural norms
and standards. This is not simply a case of running some training sessions.
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It would be important to:

 Identify the specific need for the training – what specifically do you want the staff to be
able to do differently as a result of the training?

 Source a training provider who is suitably qualified and experienced (either internally
or externally)

 Work with managers to identify the people who require the training and brief them
accordingly

 Make practical arrangements for the training events

 Ensure the training events take place as arranged

 Obtain feedback on the quality and effectiveness of the training from the attendees

 Seek feedback from attendees’ line managers

 Follow up at regular intervals after training to ensure that the learning is being applied
in practice.

The range of interventions and activities that may take place during the implementation of the change
strategy is potentially large and complex. Many of the types of interventions listed above have
significant implications for human resources and employment legislation.

For example, if termination or redeployment is an activity arising from the change strategy, then expert
guidance will be needed to ensure that the correct procedures are followed and that legislation is not
breached.

Timing is of particular importance when implementing actions relating to

employment legislation and it is important to adhere to the timetable set out in
the original project plan.

For instance, if redundancies are to take place, there is a minimum timescale

from announcing the intention to make certain job roles redundant to people
actually leaving the organisation. If the minimum timescale is not observed, then
this can leave the organisation open to a challenge from an affected employee,
which could be an expensive process. Where actions linked to the project plan
have implications on human resources matters, it is essential that specialist HR
guidance is sought. However, such guidance should have been put in place
during the research and planning phase of the change management program and
it should not be something that is ignored until the actual implementation.
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Learning task fifteen

Briefly describe one intervention or action relating to a project plan with which you have been involved,
or are aware of. What was the intervention/action? Why was it necessary? When was it carried out?
 P a g e | 92

Activity 3E
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3.6 – Activate strategies for embedding the change

Activating strategies for embedding change

Managing change isn’t just about planning and implementation. It’s also about embedding the change
so that the new way of doing things replaces the old. In other words, change can be considered
successful when people have forgotten how they used to do things before. Only then can you say that
the change has truly become embedded in the way that they operate.

However, achieving this does not happen by accident and deliberate strategies are necessary to ensure
that the change is embedded and not left to chance.

This can be achieved by:

 Modelling the new way of doing things in your own behaviour
 Monitoring how teams and individuals are working
 Publicising the results of any formal monitoring activity (e.g. audit reports)
 Seeking feedback from teams and individuals about how they are finding the changes
 Challenging examples of behaviour which do not match the new ways of working
 Modifying procedures if necessary as a result of monitoring/audit/feedback
 Giving feedback to people on how they are implementing the changes
 Recognising successes and publicising them
 Taking corrective action where there is a failure to follow new ways of working (e.g.
setting objectives and managing individual performance).
As with any part of the change management process, the strategies for embedding the change should
not be an afterthought. They should be considered at the outset in terms of how the change is going to
be sustained so that sufficient time and effort can be applied to this important part of change
management.

For example, if you decide to discuss the team’s views about the changes at
every team meeting for the first three months, then this will need to be
planned on the meeting agendas and time will have to be allocated for
constructive discussion.

One of the most important ways of embedding change is to model the new
ways of doing things yourself.

In one organisation, the senior managers issued an instruction that all office workers were to adopt a
‘clear desk policy’ to reduce clutter and untidiness in the offices and therefore improve productivity.
Very quickly it became apparent that the senior managers were not adopting this policy in their own
behaviour. In addition, employees were found to be hoarding their paperwork on the floor under their
desks; they complied with the ‘clear desk policy’ but no-one had told them that the floor was included.
The result was that due to the lack of role modelling from the senior team and the lack of clarity about
the new rules, they very quickly went back to the old way of doing things.
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Learning task sixteen

Think of a recent example of change in your organisation, or an example organisation, that you are
aware of. What strategies were used to embed the change?
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Activity 3F
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3.7 – Conduct regular evaluation and review and modify project plan where
appropriate to achieve change program objectives

Evaluation and review

It is important to regularly evaluate and review the progress of the change management program to
ensure that it stays on track and is achieving the desired results. It can be very tempting to put all the
energy and focus into planning and implementing the change program, but give very little thought to
ensuring that the desired results are being achieved.

Evaluation and review should take place on a regular basis. The exact timing will depend on the nature
of the change program. In some small-scale change programs, it may be appropriate to review on a daily
basis, whereas in other cases, monthly reviews would be appropriate.

For example, if a small catering company introduced new food handling procedures, it would be
inappropriate to monitor progress a month later. The manager/owner would want to see an immediate
impact and so this may involve daily monitoring and reporting until they are satisfied that the new
procedures have been fully embedded.

However, in a large scale, complex change program, this would be unwieldy and expensive to
administer and it would not yield enough useful information to demonstrate progress. In this case, it
would be more appropriate to monitor on a monthly basis.

For example, if a large retail organisation implemented a new customer service strategy, there would
need to be a longer term review of progress taking in sales figures, customer complaints and
observations of staff conduct. In such an example, the results would not be immediate but would be
seen gradually over a period of time.

Methods used for reviewing and evaluating progress towards achieving the change
program objectives may include:
 Reviewing and analysing relevant data (e.g. sales data, waste figures, productivity and
efficiency data)

 Audit processes to formally monitor compliance with new ways of working

 Seeking feedback from relevant people – asking for their feedback and opinions about
the progress being made

 Reviewing the change management project plan.

The outcome of reviewing and evaluating progress is an understanding of what’s

going according to plan and what is not. Where there are deviations from the plan,
further actions can be agreed and implemented to get things back on course.
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Depending on the amount of deviation from the plan, it may be necessary to:
 Implement contingency plans

 Reprioritise the existing actions

 Reschedule activities

 Reallocate responsibilities

 Revise the original change program objectives

 Learn from previous successes/mistakes.

Whatever action, if any, is taken as a result of a review, it should

take the organisation a step closer to fully implementing the change program. The project team should
now be in a position to reflect on what was successful and what was not so successful in the
implementation of the change. This is valuable learning for all involved in managing change and it
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Learning task seventeen

Think of a recent change programme which you have been involved in, or are aware of, and briefly
describe how the project was evaluated and reviewed. What methods were used to do this? What
modifications, if any, were made to the project plan?
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Activity 3G
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Skills and

Knowledge Activity
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Nearly there...

Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find an activity titled ‘Major Activity’. This is an
opportunity to revise the entire unit and allows your trainer to check your knowledge and
understanding of what you have covered. It should take between 1-2 hours to complete and your
trainer will let you know whether they wish for you to complete it in your own time or during the
sessions. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move onto the next,
well done!
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Congratulations!

You have now finished the unit 'Lead and manage organisational change'.