Prosci's Change Management Maturity Model

Prosci’s Change Management Maturity Model is based on benchmarking research and interactions with companies experiencing change. The maturity model describes the varying levels of change management capability across organizations. The maturity model has five levels or stages, from no change management to organizational competency. Each level involves more attention and management of the people side of change.

Below is a more detailed explanation of each level as well as the action steps your organization can take to move to the next level of the model. The tutorial concludes with research data on Maturity Model level from the 2007 benchmarking report.

Description:

At Level 1 of the maturity model, project teams are not aware of and do not consider change management as a formal approach for managing the people side of change. Projects at this level can have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Project leadership is focused only on the 'concrete' or tangible aspects of the project including funding, schedule, issue tracking and resource management.

• Communications from the project are on a 'need to know' basis only and typically infrequent.

• Employees find out about the change first through rumors and gossip rather than structured presentations.

• Executive support is in the background as evident through funding authorization and resource allocation, but active and visible sponsorship is not present.

• Supervisors and managers have little or no information about the change, and have no change management skills to coach their employees through the change process.

• Employees react to change with surprise; resistance can be widespread.

• Productivity slows and turnover increases as the change nears full implementation.

Change management is applied on a project at this level only as a last resort when employee resistance jeopardizes the success of the project.

Level of integration between project management and change management

At this level, change management is reactive and an add-on to the project. No integration with project management takes place at the beginning of the project.

Description:

In Level 2, elements of change management begin to emerge in isolated parts of the organization. The effort to manage the people side of change is infrequent and is not centralized. Characteristics of this level are:

• A large variation of change management practices exists between projects with many different change management approaches applied sporadically throughout the organization; some projects may be effectively managing change while others are still in Level 1.

• Elements of communication planning are evident, but there is little sponsorship or coaching as part of change management.

• Managers and supervisors have no formal change management training to coach their employees through the change process.

• Change management is typically used in response to a negative event.

• Little interaction occurs between the isolated project teams using change management; each new project “re-learns” the basic change management skills.

Change management is applied on a project when resistance emerges or when the project nears implementation with only isolated projects using change management at the beginning of their project. Some elements of communication planning occur early in the lifecycle.

Level of integration between project management and change management

In Level 2, change management is not fully integrated into project management. On projects that use change management, the project team is aware and knowledgeable of change management. In certain instances, a change management advocate can encourage the integration of change management and project management.

Description:

At Level 3, groups emerge that begin using a structured change management process. Change management is still localized to particular teams or areas in the organization. Organizations at this level can have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Structured change management processes are being used across multiple projects; multiple approaches and methodologies are being utilized.

• Some elements of knowledge sharing emerge between teams in the organization; experiences are shared between teams in some departments or divisions.

• While change management is applied more frequently, no organizational standards or requirements exist; pockets of excellence in change management co-exist with projects that use no change management.

• Senior leadership takes on a more active role in sponsoring change and consider this role part of their responsibilities, but no formal company-wide program exists to train project leaders, managers or coaches on change management.

• Training and tools become available to project leaders and team members; managers are provided with training and tools to coach front-line employees in future changes.

Steps for moving to Level 4

1. Enlist executive support for applying change management on every project and for building change competencies at every level in the organization.
2. Select a common methodology that can be used throughout the organization. Begin acquiring the tools and training necessary to rollout the common methodology.

Change management is initiated at the start of some projects, with a large fraction still applying change management as a reaction to employee resistance during implementation.

Level of integration between project management and change management

In Level 3, teams who are successful at change management integrate change management with their overall project management methodology at the inception of the project. Communication planning is integrated at the planning phase, and other plans are developed prior to implementation.

Description:

In Level 4, the organization has selected a common approach and implemented standards for using change management on every new project or change. Note: a common methodology does not mean a ‘one-size-fits-all’ recipe – effective methodologies use repeatable steps but are built on understanding the situation and using the appropriate tools for the specific change. Organizations at this level can have one or more of the following characteristics:

• There is an enterprise-wide acknowledgement of what change management is and why it is important to project success.

• A common change management methodology has been selected and plans are developed for introducing the methodology into the organization.

• Training and tools are available for executives, project teams, change leaders, managers and supervisors. Managers and supervisors are provided formal training in change management.

• A functional group may be created to support change initiatives, with roles like ‘Director of Change Management’; organizations create a ‘center of excellence’ – individuals, groups or administrative positions dedicated to supporting change management efforts and building change management skills.

• Executives assume the role of change sponsors on every new project and are active and visible sponsors of change.

• Resistance and non-compliance is expected in isolated instances. Some project teams still do not understand why they are using change management. Adoption is not yet at 100% and the organization is in the process of building change management skills throughout the organization.

Steps for moving to Level 5

1. Create a formal position or staff group that is responsible for the effective deployment, training and improvement of change management competencies.
2. Correct non-compliance. Analyze gaps in the organization that are not applying the selected methodology and develop plans to implement improvements.

At Level 4, teams regularly use a change management approach from the beginning of their project. Change management work begins at the planning phase of the project.

Level of integration between project management and change management

Project management and change management are integrated from the beginning, to the point where they are not separable. Project teams follow both project and change management milestones.

Description:

Level 5 is having change management competency as part of the skill set of the organization. Organizations at this level can have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Effectively managing change is an explicitly stated strategic goal and executives have made this a priority.

• Employees across the enterprise understand change management, why it is important to project success and how they play a role in making change successful.

• Change management is second nature – it is so commonplace that it is nearly inseparable from the initiatives.

• Managers and supervisors routinely use change management techniques to help support a broad range of initiatives from strategy changes to individual employee improvement.

• The organization gathers data to enable continuous improvements to the common change management methodology, tools, and training.

• Extensive training exists at all levels of the organization.

• Higher ROI, lower productivity loss and less employee resistance are evident across the organization.

Change management begins before projects begin.

Level of integration between project management and change management

When organizations have developed a high level of change management competency, change management steps are completely integrated into project management. Planning and design phases have both project and change management elements and are viewed as standard practice.