For some projects, change is central to why the project was initiated, and organizational or societal changes are needed to deliver the desired outcomes. Within these projects, the project manager and the appropriate team should work with the project sponsor and the impacted stakeholders to identify the changes needed and develop a plan for implementing the required changes.
A plan for undertaking the change should be developed to support organizations and individuals, such as users or citizens, to modify their approach and, where appropriate, behaviours, as related to the project’s desired outcomes.
The plan for change should include a vision or blueprint of the desired future state. The development of this blueprint should include assessing the current state of the impacted stakeholders, identifying the required changes and applying the appropriate techniques for implementation of those changes. The plan should also include a high-level schedule showing when outcomes need to be achieved. Change techniques can include providing communications for instructional, influential and informational purposes, training, mentoring or providing equipment or other resources to the affected stakeholders, as well as the use of specialist organizational change management methods.
NOTE The blueprint can be referred to as a “target operating model”, “future state” or any other term used within an organization.
Identifying the need for change is a critical first step in managing organizational and societal change effectively. Here’s how the project organization can identify the need for change:
- Assess Current Performance: The project organization should conduct a thorough assessment of the current performance of the organization or the societal system in question. This involves analyzing key metrics, indicators, and performance data to identify areas of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. By evaluating performance against strategic objectives, benchmarks, or industry standards, organizations can pinpoint areas where improvements or adjustments are needed.
- Gather Stakeholder Feedback: Engaging with stakeholders is essential for understanding their perspectives, needs, and concerns regarding current practices or processes. This could involve conducting surveys, interviews, focus groups, or feedback sessions with employees, customers, partners, regulators, community members, or other relevant stakeholders. By soliciting input from diverse stakeholders, organizations can gain valuable insights into areas requiring change and build support for change initiatives.
- Analyze External Factors: Organizations should assess external factors and trends that may necessitate change, such as shifts in market dynamics, technological advancements, regulatory changes, competitive pressures, or demographic trends. This could involve conducting market research, industry analysis, or environmental scanning to identify emerging opportunities or threats that may require organizational or societal adaptation.
- Review Organizational Goals and Strategies: Organizations should review their strategic goals, objectives, and priorities to ensure alignment with changing internal and external realities. This involves assessing whether current strategies, business models, or operating models are still relevant and effective in achieving desired outcomes. If there is a mismatch between organizational goals and current capabilities or market conditions, it may indicate the need for strategic realignment or organizational change.
- Monitor Performance Metrics: Regularly monitoring performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) can help organizations identify performance trends, patterns, or anomalies that may signal the need for change. This could involve tracking financial performance, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, or other relevant metrics to identify areas of underperformance or opportunities for improvement.
- Conduct Benchmarking and Best Practices Analysis: Comparing organizational performance against industry benchmarks or best practices can provide insights into areas where the organization lags behind competitors or peers. This could involve benchmarking performance metrics, processes, or practices against industry leaders or benchmarking studies to identify areas for improvement or opportunities to adopt innovative practices.
- Anticipate Future Needs and Challenges: Proactively anticipating future needs, challenges, or disruptions can help organizations stay ahead of the curve and prepare for change. This could involve scenario planning, trend analysis, or foresight exercises to identify potential future scenarios and their implications for the organization. By anticipating future trends and challenges, organizations can position themselves to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
By employing these approaches, the project organization can systematically identify the need for change and develop a clear understanding of the drivers, opportunities, and challenges associated with organizational or societal change initiatives. This lays the foundation for developing effective change strategies and interventions that address identified needs and drive positive outcomes for the organization or society as a whole.
For some projects, change is central to why the project was initiated, and organizational or societal changes are needed to deliver the desired outcomes.
In many cases, change is not just an incidental aspect of a project but rather its central purpose. Some projects are initiated explicitly to drive organizational or societal changes, requiring significant transformations to achieve desired outcomes. Here are a few scenarios where change is central to the project’s objectives:
- Transformational Projects: These projects are initiated to fundamentally transform an organization’s operations, processes, culture, or strategic direction. They often involve comprehensive changes across multiple facets of the organization, such as restructuring, digital transformation, cultural change initiatives, or strategic repositioning. The goal is to achieve a step-change improvement in performance, innovation, agility, or competitiveness to adapt to changing market conditions or capitalize on emerging opportunities.
- Change Management Initiatives: Some projects focus specifically on managing change within an organization or society. These projects aim to facilitate transitions, overcome resistance, and build capabilities to effectively implement desired changes. Change management initiatives may involve developing change management strategies, communication plans, training programs, and stakeholder engagement strategies to support individuals, teams, and organizations through the change process.
- Social Impact Projects: These projects are initiated to address pressing societal challenges or promote positive social change. They may focus on areas such as poverty alleviation, education reform, healthcare access, environmental conservation, or community development. Social impact projects aim to create lasting improvements in the well-being, livelihoods, or opportunities of individuals and communities, requiring coordinated efforts across multiple stakeholders and sectors to drive meaningful change.
- Policy and Governance Projects: Projects in the public sector often aim to drive changes in policy, regulation, governance, or public service delivery to address societal needs or achieve policy objectives. This could involve initiatives such as legislative reforms, regulatory compliance initiatives, public infrastructure projects, or public-private partnerships aimed at improving service delivery, enhancing transparency, or promoting economic development.
- Innovation and Research Projects: Projects focused on innovation, research, or development often seek to introduce novel ideas, technologies, products, or services that have the potential to catalyze transformative change within organizations or society. These projects may involve R&D initiatives, technology pilots, product launches, or market entry strategies aimed at disrupting industries, creating new markets, or addressing unmet needs.
In each of these scenarios, the project’s success hinges on its ability to drive meaningful change and deliver desired outcomes that positively impact stakeholders and society at large. Effective change management, stakeholder engagement, leadership, and collaboration are essential for navigating complex change initiatives and achieving sustainable results that create value for organizations and communities. By embracing change as a central tenet of the project’s objectives, organizations can position themselves to adapt, innovate, and thrive in an increasingly dynamic and uncertain environment.
Within these projects, the project manager and the appropriate team should work with the project sponsor and the impacted stakeholders to identify the changes needed and develop a plan for implementing the required changes.
Collaboration between the project manager, project sponsor, project team, and impacted stakeholders is essential for identifying the changes needed and developing an effective plan for implementing those changes within projects where change is central to the objectives. Here’s how each party contributes to this process:
- Project Manager: The project manager plays a central role in facilitating the change management process within the project. They work closely with the project sponsor, project team, and impacted stakeholders to understand the project’s objectives, scope, and desired outcomes. The project manager leverages their project management expertise to identify change requirements, assess potential impacts, and develop a comprehensive change management plan. This involves conducting stakeholder analyses, assessing change readiness, identifying barriers to change, and developing strategies to mitigate resistance and build support for change initiatives. The project manager also oversees the execution of the change management plan, monitors progress, and adjusts strategies as needed to ensure successful implementation of changes within the project.
- Project Sponsor: The project sponsor provides leadership, direction, and support for the change management process within the project. They work closely with the project manager and other stakeholders to define project objectives, establish priorities, and allocate resources for change initiatives. The project sponsor champions the change efforts, communicates the rationale and benefits of change to stakeholders, and advocates for necessary organizational or societal changes to support project objectives. They also provide guidance and strategic oversight to ensure that change management activities align with project goals and contribute to the project’s success.
- Project Team: The project team members actively contribute to the change management process by providing insights, expertise, and support for change initiatives within their areas of responsibility. They collaborate with the project manager and other team members to identify change requirements, develop implementation plans, and execute change management strategies. The project team members may be directly involved in implementing changes, communicating with stakeholders, and addressing issues or concerns related to change initiatives. Their involvement and commitment are essential for driving successful change within the project and achieving project objectives.
- Impacted Stakeholders: Impacted stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners, regulators, and community members, play a crucial role in shaping and supporting change initiatives within the project. They provide valuable feedback, insights, and perspectives on the potential impacts of changes and contribute to the development of change management strategies. Engaging impacted stakeholders early and often in the change process helps build trust, foster collaboration, and secure buy-in for change initiatives. By involving stakeholders in decision-making processes, communicating transparently, and addressing their concerns, project teams can increase the likelihood of successful change implementation and achieve desired project outcomes.
By working collaboratively with the project sponsor, project team, and impacted stakeholders, the project manager can leverage their collective expertise, influence, and support to identify the changes needed and develop a plan for implementing those changes effectively within projects where change is central to the objectives. Effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management strategies are essential for driving successful change initiatives and achieving desired project outcomes.
A plan for undertaking the change should be developed to support organizations and individuals, such as users or citizens, to modify their approach and, where appropriate, behaviours, as related to the project’s desired outcomes.
Developing a comprehensive change management plan is essential for supporting organizations and individuals in modifying their approaches, behaviours, and practices to align with the project’s desired outcomes. Here are the key components of a change management plan:
- Change Objectives and Goals: Clearly define the objectives and goals of the change initiative, outlining what needs to be achieved and why it is essential for the project’s success. These objectives should be aligned with the project’s overall goals and outcomes.
- Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement: Identify and analyze stakeholders who will be impacted by the change, including users, citizens, employees, customers, partners, regulators, and community members. Develop strategies for engaging stakeholders throughout the change process, ensuring their input, buy-in, and support.
- Change Impact Assessment: Assess the potential impacts of the proposed changes on various stakeholders, organizations, processes, systems, and workflows. Identify potential risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with the change and develop mitigation strategies to address them.
- Communication Plan: Develop a communication plan outlining how key messages about the change will be communicated to stakeholders, including the rationale for the change, its benefits, and the expected impacts. Define communication channels, timelines, and responsibilities for delivering messages and soliciting feedback from stakeholders.
- Training and Development: Identify training and development needs for individuals and organizations affected by the change. Develop training programs, materials, and resources to build necessary skills, knowledge, and capabilities to support successful implementation of the change. Provide ongoing support and coaching to help individuals adapt to new processes, systems, or roles.
- Change Management Strategies: Develop strategies for managing resistance to change and fostering a culture of openness, collaboration, and innovation within the organization. Establish mechanisms for addressing concerns, soliciting feedback, and involving stakeholders in decision-making processes related to the change.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish metrics, indicators, and performance measures to monitor progress toward change objectives and assess the effectiveness of change management efforts. Regularly evaluate the impact of the change on individuals, organizations, and project outcomes, and make adjustments to the change plan as needed.
- Sustainability and Continuity: Develop strategies for sustaining the change over time and embedding new approaches, behaviours, and practices into the organization’s culture, processes, and systems. Ensure that change initiatives are integrated into ongoing operations and that mechanisms are in place to address future changes or challenges.
By developing a robust change management plan, project organizations can support organizations and individuals in modifying their approaches and behaviours to align with the project’s desired outcomes. Effective change management strategies, stakeholder engagement, communication, and training are essential for driving successful change initiatives and achieving project success.
The change plan should include a vision or blueprint of the desired future state.
Developing a comprehensive change plan is essential to support organizations and individuals in modifying their approaches and behaviours in alignment with the project’s desired outcomes. Here are key components that should be included in the change plan:
- Vision or Blueprint of the Desired Future State: The change plan should articulate a clear vision or blueprint of the desired future state that the project aims to achieve. This vision serves as a guiding beacon for all stakeholders, outlining the intended goals, objectives, and outcomes of the change initiative. It should describe the anticipated benefits, improvements, or transformations that will result from the successful implementation of the project.
- Objectives and Goals: The change plan should specify the objectives and goals of the change initiative, detailing what the project seeks to accomplish and the criteria for success. These objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to provide clear direction and enable progress tracking throughout the change process.
- Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Strategy: The change plan should include a stakeholder analysis to identify key stakeholders, their interests, concerns, and levels of influence. Based on this analysis, an engagement strategy should be developed to involve stakeholders in the change process effectively. This may involve communication plans, stakeholder meetings, feedback mechanisms, and other engagement activities to build support and address stakeholder needs.
- Change Impact Assessment: The change plan should assess the potential impacts of the proposed changes on individuals, teams, processes, systems, and the organization as a whole. This involves identifying potential risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with the change initiative and developing mitigation strategies to address them. Understanding the change impacts helps anticipate resistance, allocate resources effectively, and minimize disruptions during the implementation phase.
- Change Management Strategies: The change plan should outline specific change management strategies and tactics to facilitate the adoption of desired behaviors and practices among stakeholders. This may include communication strategies, training and development programs, leadership support initiatives, incentives, rewards, or recognition programs aimed at reinforcing desired behaviors and sustaining change over time.
- Resource Allocation and Timeline: The change plan should allocate resources, including budget, personnel, technology, and other assets needed to support the change initiative. A timeline or project schedule should be developed to sequence activities, milestones, and deliverables associated with the change process. This helps ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and that change activities are executed in a timely manner to meet project objectives.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms: The change plan should include mechanisms for monitoring progress, tracking performance, and evaluating the effectiveness of change initiatives. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be identified to measure the success of the change process and assess its impact on organizational outcomes. Regular reviews, audits, or assessments should be conducted to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to the change plan as needed.
- Sustainability and Continuous Improvement: The change plan should address sustainability and continuous improvement efforts to ensure that change initiatives are embedded into the organization’s culture, practices, and systems over the long term. This may involve establishing feedback loops, learning mechanisms, and mechanisms for sharing best practices to foster ongoing learning, adaptation, and innovation within the organization.
By developing a comprehensive change plan that encompasses these key components, organizations can effectively support individuals, teams, and stakeholders in modifying their approach and behaviours to align with the project’s desired outcomes. The change plan serves as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of change, building momentum, and achieving sustainable results that drive organizational success.
The development of this blueprint should include assessing the current state of the impacted stakeholders, identifying the required changes and applying the appropriate techniques for implementation of those changes.
The development of the blueprint for change should indeed encompass a thorough assessment of the current state of the impacted stakeholders, identification of the required changes, and the application of appropriate techniques for implementing those changes effectively. Here’s how each of these components contributes to the development of the change blueprint:
- Assessment of Current State: Before embarking on any change initiative, it’s crucial to understand the current state of the impacted stakeholders, including their organizational culture, capabilities, processes, systems, attitudes, and readiness for change. This assessment involves gathering data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other diagnostic tools to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the proposed changes. By gaining insights into the current state, project teams can identify areas for improvement, anticipate potential barriers or resistance to change, and tailor change strategies to address specific stakeholder needs and concerns.
- Identification of Required Changes: Based on the assessment of the current state, the next step is to identify the specific changes needed to achieve the desired future state outlined in the change vision. This involves defining clear objectives, goals, and outcomes for the change initiative and translating them into actionable steps or initiatives. Stakeholders should be engaged in this process to ensure their perspectives, priorities, and preferences are considered when identifying change requirements. By clearly articulating the required changes, project teams can create a shared understanding of the change objectives and facilitate alignment among stakeholders.
- Application of Implementation Techniques: Once the required changes have been identified, project teams must apply appropriate techniques and methodologies to implement those changes effectively. This may involve drawing from a range of change management frameworks, models, and techniques, such as Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, Lewin’s Change Management Model, ADKAR Model, or Prosci’s Change Management Process. These methodologies provide structured approaches for planning, executing, and managing change initiatives, including activities such as communication, stakeholder engagement, training, coaching, resistance management, and reinforcement. By selecting the most suitable implementation techniques based on the nature of the changes and the organizational context, project teams can increase the likelihood of successful change adoption and minimize disruption to stakeholders.
Overall, the development of the blueprint for change requires a systematic approach that integrates assessments of the current state, identification of required changes, and application of appropriate implementation techniques. By following this approach, project teams can develop a clear roadmap for navigating the complexities of change, engaging stakeholders effectively, and achieving desired outcomes that drive organizational success.
The plan should also include a high-level schedule showing when outcomes need to be achieved.
Incorporating a high-level schedule into the change plan is essential for providing stakeholders with clarity on when outcomes need to be achieved and for ensuring that the change initiative stays on track. Here’s why including a high-level schedule is important and what it should entail:
- Clarity and Alignment: A high-level schedule helps provide clarity and alignment among stakeholders regarding the timing and sequencing of change activities. By outlining key milestones, deliverables, and deadlines, the schedule communicates expectations and sets a clear timeline for when outcomes need to be achieved. This ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page regarding the pace and progress of the change initiative, fostering alignment and coordination across the organization.
- Resource Planning and Allocation: The high-level schedule enables project teams to plan and allocate resources effectively to support change activities. By identifying the timing and duration of different tasks or phases of the change initiative, project managers can estimate resource requirements, such as personnel, budget, technology, and facilities, and allocate them accordingly. This ensures that resources are available when needed and that they are utilized efficiently to support the achievement of project outcomes within the specified timeframe.
- Risk Management: The schedule helps project teams identify and manage risks associated with the timing of change activities. By identifying critical path activities and dependencies, project managers can assess the impact of potential delays or disruptions on the overall schedule and develop contingency plans to mitigate risks. This proactive approach to risk management enables project teams to anticipate challenges, respond promptly to issues, and minimize the likelihood of schedule delays that could impact the success of the change initiative.
- Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: The high-level schedule serves as a valuable communication tool for engaging stakeholders and managing expectations throughout the change process. By sharing the schedule with stakeholders, project teams can provide transparency regarding the timeline for achieving key outcomes and milestones, solicit feedback, and address concerns or questions proactively. This fosters trust, accountability, and buy-in among stakeholders, enhancing their support for the change initiative and increasing the likelihood of successful implementation.
- Performance Tracking and Evaluation: The schedule provides a basis for tracking progress and evaluating the performance of the change initiative against established milestones and timelines. By comparing actual progress against planned targets, project teams can identify variances, assess the effectiveness of change strategies, and make informed decisions to keep the project on course. This enables continuous monitoring and improvement of the change initiative, ensuring that it remains aligned with organizational objectives and delivers value to stakeholders.
In summary, including a high-level schedule in the change plan is essential for providing clarity, alignment, and structure to change activities. By outlining key milestones, deliverables, and timelines, the schedule enables effective resource planning, risk management, communication, and performance tracking, ultimately contributing to the success of the change initiative and the achievement of desired outcomes.
Change techniques can include providing communications for instructional, influential and informational purposes, training, mentoring or providing equipment or other resources to the affected stakeholders, as well as the use of specialist organizational change management methods.
Change techniques encompass a variety of approaches and strategies aimed at facilitating successful change within organizations. These techniques can be tailored to address different aspects of change, such as communication, training, resource provision, and organizational change management. Here are some commonly used change techniques:
- Communications: Effective communication is essential for informing, engaging, and aligning stakeholders throughout the change process. Communication techniques can include:
- Instructional Communications: Providing clear instructions, guidelines, or procedures to stakeholders to help them understand their roles, responsibilities, and expectations related to the change.
- Influential Communications: Persuading and influencing stakeholders to support the change by highlighting its benefits, addressing concerns, and fostering a sense of urgency or commitment.
- Informational Communications: Sharing relevant information, updates, or progress reports with stakeholders to keep them informed about the change initiative, its objectives, and its impact on the organization.
- Training: Providing training and development opportunities to equip stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities needed to adapt to the change. Training techniques can include:
- Classroom Training: Conduct structured training sessions, workshops, or seminars to educate stakeholders on new processes, systems, tools, or technologies introduced as part of the change initiative.
- On-the-Job Training: Providing hands-on training, coaching, or mentoring to support stakeholders in applying new skills or behaviours in their day-to-day work environment.
- E-Learning: Delivering online training modules, tutorials, or self-paced courses to accommodate the diverse learning preferences and schedules of stakeholders.
- Mentoring: Pairing individuals changing with experienced mentors or coaches who can provide guidance, support, and feedback to help them navigate challenges and overcome resistance. Mentoring techniques can include:
- One-on-One Mentoring: Establishing mentoring relationships between experienced employees and those who are new to the organization or undergoing significant changes in their roles or responsibilities.
- Group Mentoring: Facilitating group mentoring sessions or peer support networks where stakeholders can share experiences, insights, and best practices related to the change initiative.
- Resource Provision: Providing stakeholders with the necessary resources, tools, equipment, or infrastructure to support the implementation of the change. Resource provision techniques can include:
- Allocating Budgets: Securing funding or budget allocations to invest in new technologies, facilities, or resources required to support the change initiative.
- Providing Equipment: Procuring and deploying hardware, software, or other equipment necessary for stakeholders to perform their roles effectively in the context of the change.
- Offering Support Services: Establishing support teams, help desks, or service centers to assist stakeholders in troubleshooting issues, accessing resources, or resolving challenges encountered during the change process.
- Organizational Change Management Methods: Leveraging specialized methodologies, frameworks, or approaches designed to facilitate organizational change and transformation. Organizational change management methods can include:
- Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model: A systematic approach to leading change, which emphasizes creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding coalition, and anchoring changes in organizational culture.
- Prosci’s ADKAR Model: A framework for managing individual change, which focuses on five key elements: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.
- Lewin’s Change Management Model: A three-stage model of change that emphasizes unfreezing existing behaviours, implementing change, and refreezing new behaviours to sustain change over time.
By combining these change techniques strategically and tailoring them to the specific needs and context of the change initiative, organizations can enhance their capacity to manage change effectively, minimize resistance, and achieve desired outcomes. Effective change management requires a holistic approach that addresses communication, training, resource provision, and organizational dynamics to facilitate successful change adoption and sustainment.
The blueprint can be referred to as a “target operating model”, “future state” or any other term used within an organization.
The terminology used to refer to the blueprint for change may vary depending on the organization’s preferences or industry standards. Common terms include “target operating model,” “future state,” “change roadmap,” or simply “change plan.” Regardless of the terminology used, the blueprint serves as a guiding framework that outlines the desired future state, objectives, strategies, and actions needed to achieve successful change within the organization. It provides stakeholders with a clear vision of where the organization is headed and how it will get there, serving as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of change and achieving desired outcomes. By aligning terminology with organizational culture and context, project teams can effectively communicate the vision for change and rally stakeholders around common goals and objectives.
