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Positioning the project for success
2008 Kickoff Series

As the new year begins, Prosci and the Change Management Learning Center are excited to release a three part series focused on launching effective change management programs for your upcoming projects. The three tutorials in the 2008 Kickoff Series will examine specific steps you can take to ensure your projects meet their objectives by effectively managing the people side of change.

  • Module 1 - Applying best practices in change management
  • Module 2 - Positioning the project for success - the Prosci PCT Model
  • Module 3 - Developing a solid change management strategy

 

Actions you can take to prepare your change management program:

 

Positioning the project for success - the Prosci PCT Model

The Prosci PCT (Project Change Triangle) Model shows the three elements that must be present for projects and initiatives to be successful in your organization. Regardless of if you are implementing process improvements, new technologies and systems, redefined job roles and organization structures, or any combination of the above, success will be tied to how effective the Leadership/Sponsorship, Project Management and Change Management are for the project.

As you are kicking off new projects for 2008, take a minute to evaluate the Leadership/Sponsorship, Project Management and Change Management elements of your project.

  • Is Leadership/Sponsorship positioned to make this change a success (do they understand and are they ready to fulfill their role)?

  • Is Project Management supporting successful execution of the 'technical side' of the project?

  • Is Change Management supporting successful management of the 'people side' of the project?

A successful project has all three elements in place. One of the first steps you can take to ensure you are well-positioned for upcoming projects is to evaluate each of the three elements and then take steps to improve your scores and positioning.

 

Prosci PCT Assessment

Below is the Prosci PCT Assessment. The webpage will calculate your scores for Leadership/Sponsorship, Project Management and Change Management. No information is captured or distributed, the assessment works like a calculator and does not retain any data you input.

Scoring for the PCT Assessment: Each of the questions below should be scored 1 to 3 on the following scale:

'1' = Inadequate - A score of a ‘1’ means that your project fails to meet the qualities described in the statement
'2' = Adequate - A score of a ‘2’ means that your project does meet the qualities described in the statement, however this is not viewed as a strength of the project
'3' = Exceptional - A score of a ‘3’ means that not only do the qualities exist for your project but they are also considered a strength or asset to the overall project

 

Leadership/Sponsorship

1. The change has an executive sponsor.
2. The executive sponsor has the necessary authority over the people, processes and systems to authorize and fund the change.
3. The executive sponsor is willing and able to build a sponsorship coalition for the change, and is able to manage resistance from other managers and supervisors.
4. The executive sponsor will actively and visibly participate with the project team throughout the entire project.
5. The executive sponsor will resolve issues and make decisions relating to the project schedule, scope and resources.
6. The executive sponsor can build awareness of the need for the change (why the change is happening) directly with employees.
7. The organization has a clearly defined vision and strategy.
8. This change is aligned with the strategy and vision for the organization.
9. Priorities have been set and communicated regarding this change and other competing initiatives.
10. The sponsor will visibly reinforce the change and celebrate successes with the team and the organization.

 

Project Management

1. The change is clearly defined including what the change will look like and who is impacted by the change.
2. The project has a clearly defined scope.
3. The project has specific objectives that define success.
4. Project milestones have been identified and a project schedule has been created.
5. A project manager has been assigned to manage the project resources and tasks.
6. A work breakdown structure has been completed and deliverables have been identified.
7. Resources for the project team have been identified and acquired based on the work breakdown structure.
8. Periodic meetings are scheduled with the project team to track progress and resolve issues.
9. The executive sponsor is readily available to work on issues that impact dates, scope or resources.
10. The project plan has been integrated with the change management plan.

 

Change Management

1. A structured change management approach is being applied to the project.
2. An assessment of the change and its impact on the organization has been completed.
3. An assessment of the organization's readiness for change has been completed.
4. Anticipated areas of resistance have been identified and special tactics have been developed.
5. A change management strategy including the necessary sponsorship model and change management team model has been created.
6. Change management team members have been identified and trained.
7. An assessment of the strength of the sponsorship coalition has been conducted.
8. Change management plans including communications, sponsorship, coaching, training and resistance management have been created.
9. Feedback processes have been established to gather information from employees to determine how effectively the change is being adopted.
10. Resistance to change is managed effectively and change successes are celebrated, both in private and in public.

 

 

Score interpretation

Leadership/
Sponsorship		 Your
score:
25-30 Leadership/Sponsorship is a strength of the project. The primary sponsor is fulfilling most, if not all, of his or her roles and responsibilities on the project - from executive decisions to executive actions.
20-24 Leadership/Sponsorship is a risk for the project. While many of the scores are satisfactory, there are some areas that need improvement. Focus on the questions that scored a '1' or '2' and create action steps you can take to improve this area.
under 20 Leadership/Sponsorship is in jeopardy. All five of Prosci's research studies have identified sponsorship as the number one contributor to overall project success. Try to understand why your leadership scores are so low. Does the leader not understand specifically what he or she needs to be doing? Is the leader unable to perform the necessary activities for some reason - and what is the reason? Try to understand the root cause and then deal with it directly.
Project
Management		 Your
score:
25-30 Project Management is a strength of the project. The change is well-defined and there are tools and systems in place to support the technical side of the project.
20-24 Project Management is a risk for the project. Examine which elements score a '1' or '2' and then focus your efforts here. Have you overlooked particular elements of successfully managing the technical side of the project?
under 20 Project Management is in jeopardy. There needs to be a concerted effort to improve on the 'technical' side of the project. Perhaps the project is just getting started, so you have not developed elements like a schedule, resource requirements or a work breakdown structure. If the project is well underway, you need to take a step back and evaluate the direction you are heading - without a solid understanding of where you are trying to get to and the specific effort required, you may be expending energy and resources in the wrong places.
Change
Management		 Your
score:
25-30 Change Management is a strength of the project. You have done an effective job of understanding the change you are making to employees' day-to-day work and have created plans to drive that transition.
20-24 Change Management is a risk for the project. While some initial steps have been taken on the change management front, there is work to be done to implement a complete, holistic change management approach on your project. Look more closely at factors that scored a '1' or a '2' to identify improvements you can make to your change management program.
under 20 Change Management is in jeopardy. The project is leaving the people behind. In many cases, a great solution is developed but the team neglects the fact that people must adopt and implement the solution for it to be effective. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that the success of the project is directly tied to how well the people side of change is managed. If you do not know where to begin, read more about Prosci's change management methodology and approach in this recent tutorial. You can also email a Prosci analyst or call 970-203-9332 for more help.

 

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Summary

Successful projects have all three of the PCT elements - Leadership/Sponsorship, Project Management and Change Management. Each element provides focus to keep projects on track and ensure they meet their objectives - Leadership/Sponsorship provides governance and direction, Project Management supports the technical implementation and Change Management drives benefit realization by helping impacted employees make their own personal transition. When one or more of the triangle corners is missing, the consequences are predictable and detrimental. As the year begins, think about the different projects you are supporting and ask yourself - Is this project positioned for success? What does its PCT profile look like? How can I improve each of the corners to ensure this project meets its objectives and delivers the expected benefit?

Interested in learning more? Prosci has a free online tool that provides an in-depth discussion of the Prosci PCT Model and tools for applying the assessment to your projects. Sign up for your free account.

 

 

 

Resources for solidifying the Change Management corner of the triangle:

If you are looking for: Then try:
* Research on effective change management Prosci's 2007 Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report shares lessons learned and findings from 426 organizations in 59 countries. The most comprehensive report of its kind, Best Practices in Change Management presents what to do and what not to do on a number of topics ranging from communication to resistance management to manager engagement.
Overview  |  Table of contents  |  Participant list  |  Interactive TOC
* A structured change management methodology Prosci's research based methodology is available in the hardcopy Change Management Toolkit (3-ring binder with CD-ROM) and the online Change Management Pilot 2008 (access from any web-browser). These products present step-by-step guidelines for creating a change management strategy and the associated customized change management plan. Each are complete with over 30 templates and assessments.
Change Management Toolkit  |  Change Management Pilot 2008
* Change management certification Prosci offers open enrollment 3-day certification programs at locations across the United States, or you can bring the program onsite for your organization. During the 3 days, participants learn the foundations of change management and are involved in an intensive workshop where they create a 15-minute change management strategy at the session. Each time you learn a tool, you apply it to the project you bring. -- "Very easily the best, most educational learning experience in which I have ever participated." Chris T.
Change Management Certification Program

 

 

 
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Tools for applying change management:

  • Change management certification ($2100) - 3-day program where you bring a project you are working on and apply all of the assessments and tools as you learn them - taught by former Fortune 500 executives at locations across the U.S.
  • 2007 Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report ($249) - journal-style report with lessons learned and best practices from 426 participants, presented in an easy-to-use format - reads as a checklist of what to do and what not to do
  • Change Management Toolkit ($349) - hardcopy 3-ring binder presenting Prosci's change management methodology; includes templates, checklists and assessments for managing the people side of change (includes CD-ROM)
  • Change Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors ($189) - tools to help supervisors engage and coach their direct reports through change (includes 4 copies of the Employee's Survival Guide)
  • Change Management Pilot 2008 ($449) - online tool including Prosci's change management methodology, eLearning modules and downloadable templates, assessments, presentations and checklists
  • Change Management Pilot Professional 2008 ($559) - the content of the Change Management Pilot plus additional benchmarking data and an online version of the Change Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors
  • Change Management: the people side of change ($18.95) - a primer for anyone involved in organizational change that addresses why manage change, individual change management and organizational change management
  • Employee's Survival Guide to Change ($14.95) - a handbook to help employees survive and thrive during change; answers frequently asked questions and empowers employees to take charge of change

 

*** Prosci also offers leadership packages - groupings of products at discounts that offer you some of the most helpful and common combinations of Prosci change management resources

 

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Email a Prosci analyst or call 970-203-9332 with questions about the methodology, its application, or finding the right resources to support your change management activities.

 

 

 

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