(Successful Change Management -11 Elements Cont. 4)

(9. Integrate change management with project management and improvement processes cont.)

The Dimensions of this Integration (5)

i) people (understanding who performs what in project and change management roles within the team and organisation structure, ie

 (source:Prosci, 2023j)

There are no right or wrong team structures, just pluses and minuses for each one; need to be aware of them and be prepared to handle, eg advantages of

Team A (having change management resources on the project team)
    - encourages more transparent communication and information flow between the team and the impacted group
    - encourages teamwork & collaboration
    - creation of feedback from impacted groups

Team B (having change management separate but supporting the project team)
    - promotes neutrality
    - chance to provide independent point of view
    - ability to focus exclusively on change management
    - direct access to leadership

"...the choice of integration approach is typically based on the nature of the project and the norms of the organisation..."
Prosci, 2023j

Sometimes structures are in place before the change resources are selected.

Some actions for integrating people and roles

    - ensure access to primary sponsor of the change (there is a strong correlation between sponsor access and meeting or exceeding objectives
"...71% of participants who reported having adequate or more than adequate access to their sponsors met or exceeded project objectives. In contrast, only 21% with little or no access met or exceeded objectives..."
Prosci, 2023j)

     - clearly defined roles, responsibilities and relationships (agreeing on who does what; identify areas of overlap, establish common expectations; reduce the potential role conflict
"...maintaining transparency along with access to information also fosters good working relationships..."
Prosci, 2023j)

    - the present and involved (
"...be sure you are aware of and involved in project activities so that you have a good understanding and involvement in how solutions will be designed, developed and deployed..."
Prosci, 2023j)

ii) process (this addresses
"...how the phases, stages and activities of project management and change management come together during the project life-cycle. Integrating the process dimensions enables these complementary disciplines to more effectively exchange information, sequence work, and align the timing and desired outcomes for project milestone dates..."
Prosci, 2023j

NB The earlier the better for the introduction of change management into the project life-cycle, ie
"...the earlier change management is started, the more effective exchanging information, sequencing work, and the alignment of project milestone dates will be..."
Prosci, 2023j

The change management approach needs to be process driven with specific deliverables, milestones, etc so that change management is integrated with project management.

Some actions for integrating process:

    - be structured in your approach (the more rigorous, process-oriented and milestone-driven, the easier it is to integrate)

    - define your deliverables (the more specific your deliverables, the more effective the integration)

    - actively identify key points in time for integrating activities (there are times when integrating activities is critical for the success, eg project milestone dates like start, solution testing, training starts, go live and outcomes)

iii) tools (identify opportunities to integrate specific tools and associated deliverables, eg communication plans and risk assessment:
"... Integrating commonly used tools creates opportunities for collaboration between the disciplines, reduces duplication of effort and promotes common understanding..."
Prosci, 2023j