How to get the most from this Execution Plan

Firstly,  please bring questions about this Execution Plan (or any other question) to the “Ask a Question” section in The Clubhouse

Here’s how to get the most out of the content in this Execution Plan,

1. Read the entire EP once – Read through this entire EP, watch any videos and download the resources.  Don’t execute on the steps until you have finished reading the entire EP.  This will help you understand the progression of the steps and put them into context.
2. Complete the steps – This Execution Plan is a checklist.  Each step builds upon the next.  Complete each step in order.

Good luck and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Overview

People frequently experience sudden and dramatic changes in their work environment when organisations implement projects, especially IT projects, and as a result may resist strongly. In today’s increasingly complex project environment, project managers need to manage the “people aspects” of the project proactively if they are to achieve its objectives.

Understanding the level of change a project will cause is the key factor in determining the level of emphasis to place on human and organisational factors before and during implementation. The project manager should use formal techniques to assess the amount of change the project may cause in the organisation’s environment.

Using formal and proven methods for managing change is essential for implementing IT projects when the cost of failure is high and the probability of failure is real due to change resistance factors, lack of effective sponsorship, poor change agent skills and a variety of other risk factors. The purpose of using a proven change management methodology is to increase the likelihood of successfully implementing changes associated with technology projects.

Experience suggests that successful implementation of changes associated with IT projects requires careful planning, teamwork, commitment, and structure. Project managers must understand the significance of people in key change management roles and the corporate culture in which they operate. This understanding is important because many individuals involved in the project will function in more than one role and for certain people, roles will overlap.

Strong project sponsorship is essential. While a project should have one sponsor who initiates and effectively owns the project, there may also be several secondary (or sustaining) sponsors, each filling a different role in the change management process. The project manager must understand the criteria for effective sponsorship and must actively cultivate such sponsorship for the project.

Appropriate levels of commitment are also essential for successful project implementation. For IT projects, support from the user community is necessary. Effective communication with the user community is critical to obtain and sustain a high level of commitment and support for the project effort.

Project managers should recognise that resistance to technological change is inevitable. Identifying sources of potential resistance and developing a plan to manage resistance is essential to reduce project risk and increase the likelihood of a successful implementation.

This Execution Plan discusses principles involved with managing the changes associated with an IT project. In addition, the final activity discusses an approach for managing change that is most appropriate when major “transformational change” is envisaged.

Key Considerations

What does the stakeholder expect?

The stakeholder expects the Project Manager to understand the level of resistance to change a project will have on their organisation and develop and implement an effective plan to optimise the acceptance of the change.

How will this technique support the business objectives and realise the anticipated business potential benefits?   

The Project Manager has effectively addressed processes for managing change when:

• Team members understand project roles and their relationship to each other and the organisation.
• Strong sponsorship has been developed and maintained.
• Effective project communications have been provided.
• Resistance has been identified and effectively addressed.
• Teamwork and synergy necessary to achieve project success have been cultivated.

What will the proposed deliverable(s) do and look like?

• List of individuals in key positions:
  • Initiating Sponsor.
  • Sustaining Sponsor.
  • Change Agents.
  • Change Targets.
• External communications plan.
• List of resistance factors.
• Transition plan.
• Organisational Change Management Plan.
• Implemented Organisational Change Management Plan.
• Regular and effective project communications with external community.
• Plans to strengthen and maintain strong sponsorship.
• Strategy to address new resistance.
• List of weak synergy characteristic.
• Plan to strengthen team synergy.
• The organisation is trained, transformed and accept the change.

How long does this generally take?

The time required to produce the deliverables depends on the size, scope, complexity of the project and the amount of resistance the organisation has toward the project implementation.

• It may take 3-10 days to produce the deliverables in Phase 1, Project Definition.
• Implementing and managing the organisational change process is on going through the life of the project starting in Phase 3, Project Management and Control.

Who should participate?

The Project Manager, the core team and key individuals from the stakeholder organisation develop the Organisational Change Management Plan during Phase 1, Project Definition.

The Project Manager is responsible for implementing and managing the processes during Phase 3, Project Management and Control.

What materials are required?

• Organisational change surveys or questionnaires.
• Collaborative Approach Strategy guide and workshop formats.

What are the potential technique-related issues / financial risks?

When organisational change is not properly planned for and managed, the project team, which may consist of users and technicians, may resist performing their jobs so deliverables may not be completed on time, within budget or meet user needs.

As the project gets closer to implementation, user quality, productivity and morale may suffer because of fear of losing their jobs.

When the project is implemented, users may continue to resist by refusing to use the new system or complain about the new system which is reduces productivity and negatively impacts morale.

Inputs & Outputs