Establishing the scope of change
management
In a previous tutorial released by Prosci and the Change Management
Learning Center, we examined the definition of change management and
reviewed the three clauses that make up that definition: 1) the set of
tools, processes, skills and principles 2) for managing the people side
of change 3) to achieve the required outcomes of the project or
change initiative (read the full
definition of
change management tutorial). This tutorial presents a taxonomy for
making sense of the scope of change management - including what is
in scope and what falls
outside of scope. Creating a working definition and
scope for change management enables practitioners to be more successful
and work effectively with others in the organization who are
implementing change. This is also a topic for ACMP (Association of
Change Management Professionals) that is currently under development.
The goal of the ACMP work in this area is to introduce a working
framework that can serve as a foundation for discussion on this topic in
order to define the boundaries for change management, while at the same
time creating an inclusive community for change practitioners.
Introduction - why it is important to establish scope
As with any discipline or methodology - it is important to establish
the scope of change management. Boundaries are important to establish
what activities fall under the change management umbrella and what work
runs in parallel or conjunction with change management. Benefits of
establishing a clear scope include:
- Dividing work and avoiding overlap between disciplines
- Ensuring that all key elements are addressed
- Showing the relationship between existing techniques and
approaches
- Defining the skills and competencies to perform work effectively
in a given area
In addition, there is an inherent risk of not clearly establishing
scope. It becomes very easy for one group or function to believe that
they are responsible for work that falls under the work responsibilities
of another group - resulting in confusion
and ineffective work steams. For example, imagine the confusion that would result
in developing a new product if there was not a clear distinction between
software development, hardware development, physical design and system
test. The specific skills and competencies needed to develop software
are very different from the skills need to design circuit
boards or the physical housing for a product. In the same way, the
skills and competencies for project management are specific and very
different from change management. Understanding the scope and boundaries
enables both functions to work effectively together, and to avoid any
overlap of activities that may create conflicts for the project. The
boundaries also enable the separation of solution design, development
and implementation from the actions required to manage the technical
side and people side of that solution's deployment.
Introducing a taxonomy
The schematic
below presents a taxonomy that can serve as a discussion framework
for the key phases or
elements of implementing a change
within an organization, beginning with the recognition that a change is
needed and ending with the realization of the desired benefits sought by
the effort.
|
Element |
Objective |
Examples |
| Recognizing that a change is needed |
To identify the internal or external stimulus resulting in
a need for change |
- Internal performance
- Customer inputs
- Competitive threats
- Financial results
- New business opportunities
- Regulatory changes
- Strategic planning
|
| Solution design and development |
To create a solution to improve the performance of the
organization based on the recognition that a change is needed |
- Vision
and strategy development
- Process design / BPR
- New technology
- Restructuring
- Merger/Acquisition
- OD interventions
- New product offering
- New service offering
|
| Solution implementation |
To install a solution that meets technical requirements
and is adopted and utilized |
- Pilots and trials
- Systems and tools deployment
- New process implementation
- Transition to new organization structure and job roles
- Implementation of compensation, appraisal or incentive programs
|
| Project management |
To manage the tasks, resources, budget, time and scope
of technical design and implementation |
- Project planning
- Schedule development and tracking
- Resource management
- Budget development and control
- Issue tracking
- Project oversight
- Project reporting
|
| Change management |
To encourage employees to rapidly, completely and
proficiently make the required changes to their day-to-day
work |
- Readiness assessments
- Change portfolio management
- Change saturation analysis
- Employee engagement
- Change management strategy
- Change management planning
- Change sponsorship
- Communications
during change
- Training
new skills and abilities
- Coaching
employees through transitions
- Resistance management
- Performance measurement
|
While some overlap between disciplines is normal and to be expected,
this taxonomy will be a starting point for discussions about scoping
change management. This framework can assist with internal discussions
about "who is doing what" and how can you make sense out of the many
elements of successful change - from recognizing the need to developing
the solution to managing the technical side and people side of the
solution deployment. The goal is to create an inclusive
framework that allows the discussion to separate out the many
skills that a change practitioner may have (they may be project managers,
change managers and contribute to the solution design) from the
disciplines that are being used to successfully realize change.
###
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Prosci Change Management Certification
Program highlights:
- Apply the methodology as you learn it on a
real project
- Learn from experienced executive instructors
- Become part of a change management community
- Earn 2.4 CEUs, 24 PDUs and 19.75 HRCI
recertification credits
- Walk away with products and course materials
worth over $1000
Download the certification program brochure
Upcoming sessions:
- January 18 - 20, 2011: Tampa, FL area -
OPEN
- January 25 - 27, 2011: San Francisco, CA
area - OPEN
- January 25 - 27, 2011: Washington DC area -
FULL
- February 1 - 3, 2011: Denver, CO area -
OPEN
- February 15 - 17, 2011: Tampa, FL area -
OPEN
- March 8 - 10, 2011: San Francisco, CA area -
OPEN
- March 15 - 17, 2011: Chicago, IL area -
OPEN
- March 22 - 24, 2011: Washington DC area -
OPEN
Visit the certification training page
|
“The best
training class I have had in years. Goes way beyond
the strategy and framework and focuses on real world
problems and the tools to solve them.”
- Jennifer J., April 2009 participant
“This was
the most effective and engaging course I've ever
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- Paul S., January 2009 participant |
|
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 US
-
Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report
($249) - journal-style report with lessons learned and best practices
from 575 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 USB drive)
- 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 ($449) - online tool including Prosci's change
management methodology, eLearning modules and downloadable templates,
assessments, presentations and checklists
-
Change Management Pilot Professional ($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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