Change / Transition Planning and Review

Problem

It is probably true today to say that there is no such thing as a technology project, but that most business projects have a major technology element.  In many ways, the technology side is simpler to predict, plan and manage than the organisational change management side. Yet many organisations leave the organisational change aspects of the business project to the technical project manager.  A sure way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! Other organisations do not follow up after transition to ensure that the new ways of working have been embedded.  We believe one of the reasons for the continuing poor rate of project success is this lack of focus on organisational change and transition planning and review.

Solution

We regard transition as the implementation of project products into the business as usual environment.  Transition is one aspect of the broader organisational change that may be required.  We employ the change and transition planning guidance from the MSP programme management method to support Business Change Managers in planning transition and associated organisational change. 

We recommend the development of a set of organisational change metrics that are meaningful, measurable, manageable at the right level and applicable to the organization that will be going through the change. In addition, we do this using approaches that engage stakeholders and that are supportive, increasing the likelihood of participation by these stakeholders rather than creating resistance.  We administer these metrics with empathy and encouragement, so that the approach is viewed as a conduit for improvement rather than a source of reprimand.

We build an organizational readiness metric document that outlines the selected metrics, the methods of measurement, the associated standards (e.g. what constitutes red, yellow or green), and when the metrics will be measured.  We report that status of the metrics in an organisational readiness stop light chart.

After transition, we support Business Change Managers and the sponsors of the change initiative in ensuring that organisational change is embedded and associated benefits are realised to schedule, or that corrective action initiated.

Please contact us to discuss our approaches to organisational change, and the development of robust transition plans.

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