Stakeholder

Engagement Plan:

Background to Roles
and Responsibilities
Overview
The Change Network Hierarchy
Driving change across large organizations
Adoption Core
Team
Project Sponsor (CIO)
Adoption
Extended Team
Assists development of the
strategy and plans that will be
executed by the Change
Network
Executive • The face of the change
• Communicates the business WHY for the change with peers and
Sponsor employees
• 2 hours/month
• The face of the change to impacted groups
Sponsor Coalition • Communicates the business WHY for the change with peers and
employees
• 2 hours/month. Target 4-5 executives.
• Drives change through a region or function
Ambassadors • Encourages employees to engage with the change
• ~4 hours/month. Target 5-10 Directors and above.
• Drives change at the individual level
Change Champions • Helps peers become highly performant
• ~10 hours/month. Target 20-40 employees from
various levels.
• Leads change with employees
Managers & Supervisors • ~4 hours/month. Targets all employee
managers.
Employees
Change Network Rules
There are three sizes of Change Network that you can choose:
• Foundational Change Network: You have to have a minimal change network that includes
sponsors and managers, or you will not get strong business adoption of the technology
• Adding Peer-Level Expertise: You can expand one level to add a broad group of users who are
trained to help their colleagues adopt new ways of working using the technology
• Adding Mid-Level Leaders: You can expand one final level to add a group of Directors (or Vice
Presidents in a large company) whose job is to help move the change forward in a region or
function

Adding Mid-Level Leaders

Adding Peer-Level Expertise

Ambassadors Foundational Change Network

Change Champions
Executive Sponsor Sponsor Coalition Managers & Supervisors
ACM Core Team
• This is the group that creates the adoption strategy and develops the adoption plans.
• The team is typically made up of members from different functional areas and business units. The
role of the Project Sponsor resides in this team.
• Members typically focus on specific deliverables based on their skill set, such as communication
plans and learning plans, but they will be involved in all aspects of strategy and planning.
• While the team will develop the adoption plans, they are not the primary actors during adoption
execution. The primary actors are the members of the Change Network. The Change Network is
made of the Sponsors, Ambassadors, Champions, and Managers. They are the key advocates for
the change and play the primary role in adoption execution.
• The team responsibilities include coaching each of these Change Network groups to ensure that
the adoption is successful.
ACM Extended Team
Extended teams are teams that assist the ACM Core Team with a specific effort or plan for a finite work
stream and time. This team is typically made up of distinct groups:

• Employees from different functional areas or sites that are assigned to specific tasks as needed
• Existing business units that perform specific activities, such as internal communications and
training organizations, that can support adoption by assisting in the execution of the adoption
plan
• Special teams that need to take on roles for the project – e.g. HR to help with Rewards and
Recognitions to design and manage the Awards Program to reinforce the change
• Ancillary resources that are engaged to provide assistance in the development and delivery of the
adoption plan. This can include specific capabilities like mass printing or roadshow delivery that
can involve the engagement of a vendor or internal or external service provider.
Executive Sponsor
Overall accountability for the adoption of the technology within the organization to achieve the
required business results. To achieve this, the Executive Sponsor will be required to create a Sponsor
Coalition, which they then guide and oversee throughout the project. The key activities that the
Executive Sponsor will be expected to undertake are:

• Participate actively and visibly throughout the project; issue critical communications as defined in
the Communications Plan and Stakeholder Engagement Plan
• Build a coalition of sponsorship with other Executive Sponsors, Business Unit Sponsors, and
manage stakeholder resistance
• Communicate directly with Business Unit Sponsors and employees on the importance of adoption
and adoption progress
Sponsor Coalition
Responsible for the adoption of the technology within an impacted group or business unit. Each
sponsor nominates Ambassadors to drive adoption of the change within the group or business unit.
The key activities that the Sponsor Coalition member will be expected to undertake are:

• Participate actively and visibly throughout the project; issue critical communications as defined in
the Communications Plan and Stakeholder Engagement Plan
• Work actively with the Ambassadors to drive adoption in the business
• Build a coalition of sponsorship with the other Business Unit Sponsors and key business unit
stakeholders
• Manage resistance within the business unit
Ambassadors
Ambassadors will typically be directors or vice presidents, and drive the change throughout a region or
function. Each Ambassador works closely with their relevant Sponsor Coalition member to achieve this.
The Ambassadors may have to engage with a number of other Ambassadors to ensure the successful
adoption across a business unit/area. Key activities include:

• Discussing the concepts, and communicating about the project, during normal business activities
with peers, direct reports and other employees
• Providing regular communications and project updates to their units through existing channels
• Evangelize personal use of the technology and features, explaining the productivity and efficiency
benefits achieved
• Leading a team of Change Champions, and providing the Change Champions with direction,
during the pre and post adoption phases
• Gather and provide feedback to the core team regarding the effectiveness of Adoption Execution
Change Champions
Change Champions are typically supervisors, employee peers, or nominated support staff who have
received advanced and extended technology training. The Change Champion is responsible for
providing colleagues with a nearby resource for ad-hoc technology usage guidance and Q&A support.
The Change Champion will assist peers and other colleagues to adopt new ways of working using the
technology. The Change Champion will provide assistance by:

• Developing a group coaching plan that provides a schedule of support for the group of users that
the Change Champion is responsible for
• Attending initial on-boarding briefings, training, and periodic review meetings
• Answering questions and providing guidance on appropriate topics
• Evangelize personal use of the technology and features, explaining the productivity and efficiency
benefits achieved
• Reviewing adoption progress with colleagues
• Providing feedback to Ambassadors on issues and resistance, and the overall progress of adoption
Managers and Supervisors
All managers or supervisors who have direct reports need very special support. An employee’s direct
supervisor is crucial in delivering the most personal messages for that employee. Managers provide
assistance by:

• Leading employees through change

• Introducing change to their employees
• Managing employees through transition
• Reinforcing and celebrating successes
Full Details:

Roles and Responsibilities of

the Change Network
Sponsorship Coalition Role
and Responsibilities
Sponsorship Coalition – Goals
The sponsorship coalition will drive awareness of key concepts such as:

• Why is the technology important to this Business Unit or Impacted

Group?
• What types of competitive advantages will it provide?
• How will the technology help drive collaboration and innovation at the
Customer?
• Why is it important to adopt and use the technology as quickly as
possible as a Customer employee?
Sponsorship Coalition – Activities
The sponsorship coalition will drive awareness of these concepts by:

• Discussing these concepts and communicating about the project

during their normal business activities with peers, direct reports, and
employees
• Providing communications and project updates to their Business Unit
or Impacted Group through existing channels
• Evangelizing personal use of the technology and features, and
explaining the productivity and potential efficiency benefits achieved
• Rewarding and recognizing employee participation and usage as
deployments begin
Sponsorship Coalition – Accountabilities
Each sponsorship coalition member’s responsibilities and commitments:

• Develop the Change Network organization for their Business Unit or Impacted
Group. Although the core team recommends at least two Ambassadors for each
sponsor coalition member, the exact composition of each sponsor’s organization
should be determined by that sponsor. The core team will provide examples of
different models and help with development and recruitment as needed.
• Recruit at least two members from their business unit/impacted group to join the
Adoption Core Team. These team members will serve as liaisons between the
sponsor coalition member and the Adoption Core Team.
• Commit to two hours per month for awareness activities.

The Adoption Core Team members will assist their sponsor coalition member by
developing and managing all awareness and communication materials, in many cases
sponsor involvement is limited to a final review and signature on emails, postings, etc.
Ambassadors Role and
Responsibilities
Ambassadors – Goals
The Ambassadors will drive key concepts such as:

• How to achieve key persona benefits for the relevant business scenarios
using the technology
• Specific potential benefits and use of the technology for functional
roles (e.g. accounting)
• Promotion and coordination of training resources in their area
Ambassadors – Activities
The Ambassadors will drive awareness of these concepts by:

• Discussing these concepts and communicating about the project

during their normal business activities with peers, direct reports, and
employees
• Providing communications and project updates to their Business Unit
or Impacted Group through existing channels
• Evangelizing personal use of the technology and features, and
explaining the productivity and potential efficiency benefits achieved
• Gathering and providing feedback to the core team regarding the
effectiveness of change management and adoption progress
Ambassadors – Accountabilities
Each Ambassador’s responsibilities and commitments:

• Assist in recruiting Change Champions for their organization

• Provide localization guidance on materials and communication
• Commit to four hours per month for activities (as defined above)

The Adoption Core Team (and Adoption Extended Team depending on the number of
Ambassadors) will assist each Ambassador by developing and managing all awareness
and communications materials. In many cases the Ambassador’s involvement will be
limited to material delivery and minor localization.
Change Champions Role
and Responsibilities
Change Champions – Goals
The Change Champions will drive key concepts such as:

• How to achieve key benefits for the relevant business scenarios using
the technology
• New ways of working to make employees lives easier
• Potential benefits and use of the technology for functional roles (e.g.
accounting)
• Promotion of training resources in their area
Change Champions – Activities
The Change Champions will drive these concepts by:

• Providing technical and functional expertise one-to-one and in groups

both in-person, via the phone, and online
• Providing localized training
• Assisting the Sponsor Coalition and Ambassadors as needed
• Evangelizing personal use of the technology and features, explaining
the productivity and potential efficiency benefits achieved
• Gathering and providing feedback to the core team regarding the
effectiveness of change management and adoption progress
Change Champions – Accountabilities
Each Change Champion’s responsibilities and commitments:

• Develop a group coaching plan that provides a schedule of support for the group
of users that the Change Champion is responsible for
• Attending initial on-boarding briefings, training, and periodic review meetings
• Assist in helping answer questions for their group according to the schedule
• Provide guidance on materials and communication, including localization
• Providing feedback to Ambassadors on issues and resistance, and the overall
progress of adoption
• Commit to ten hours per month for activities (as defined above)

The Adoption Core Team will assist the Change Champions by developing and
managing resources to support their role.
Managers Role and
Responsibilities
Managers and Supervisors – Goals
All managers or supervisors who have direct reports need very special support. An
employee’s direct supervisor is crucial in delivering the most personal messages for
that employee. Managers provide assistance by:

• Introducing change to their employees (note: managers with direct reports who are
also managers must treat these people as employees first, and managers second)
• Managing employees through transition
• Reinforcing and celebrating successes
• How to achieve key benefits for the relevant business scenarios using the
technology
• New ways of working to make employees lives easier
• Potential benefits and use of the technology for functional roles (e.g. accounting)
• Promotion of training resources in their area
Managers and Supervisors – Activities
The Managers and Supervisors will drive these concepts by:

• Making a personal choice as an employee themselves to support and

participate in the change by identifying their own areas of resistance
and discussing objections or concerns with their own manager
• Understanding the CM tools and techniques to become capable
change leaders
• Meeting 1:1 to discuss the change and impacts on the employee
• Managing employee resistance
• Evangelizing personal use of the technology and features, explaining
the productivity and potential efficiency benefits achieved
• Gathering and providing feedback to the core team regarding the
effectiveness of change management and adoption progress
Managers and Supervisors – Accountabilities
Each Managers and Supervisor’s responsibilities and commitments:

• Managers should build awareness of the change, using key messages from the CM
team
• Managers should prepare for and hold meetings with their entire group to discuss
the change
• Managers should work with their employees to assess their current state of mind,
develop corrective actions, and then prepare for and meet with employees one-on-
one. These individual steps are repeated as necessary during the change.
• Managers should reinforce change and celebrate success

The Adoption Core Team will assist the Managers and Supervisors by developing and
managing resources to support their role.
© Copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.