The Organisational Change Process consists of the 4 stages detailed below. It is important to manage your organisational change in line with these to maximise positive outcomes for everyone involved in the change.
At each stage there are recommended core steps, and the Adoption and Change Management (ACM) Toolkit will support you throughout the process in planning and delivering successful change.
During the change process there may also be a need for job evaluation and/or a formal delegated authority staffing business case depending on the change and direct impact on employees – these requirements are primarily considered under stage 2 and stage 3 of the process and where applicable additional delegated authority steps may apply.
Stage 1 – Define the problem
Core Steps
- Nomination of a lead officer to take the project forward.
- Cluster Director/Chief Officer provides agreement to proceed.
- Liaise with Organisational Change and Design Team – P&OD, and Finance colleagues to raise awareness of potential change.
- Define the problem statement(s) – e.g., it could be that a current working method isn’t as effective as expected and improvements are needed; or the demand on current resource is too great and additional/redesigned roles and/or a different structure are required for future delivery. Consider using the service design approach, in particular use of the customer journey/empathy map tools to help inform this.
- Familiarise yourself with ACC’s Organisation Design Principles – these provide us with a “common denominator” by which we can be evidence-led and assess the extent that proposed designs and changes will bring us closer to our purpose in a planned way.
- Clearly establish and set out project requirements. Use the Adoption and Change Management (ACM) toolkit (in full or in part) to define key requirements at each of the stages in order to achieve a successful change.
- Define required outcomes or objectives, ensuring that any targets are measurable and achievable.
- Hold informal discussions / engagement sessions with Trade Unions (TUs) and employee groups likely to be affected by the proposals to gather some initial thoughts and ideas and to help further shape proposals. Use a variety of the most appropriate tools and mediums for your employee groups and which would help maximise their engagement e.g., posts on Teams sites, Webinars, Roadshows, Toolbox Talks, online surveys.
- Extend sessions to other key stakeholders, i.e. external partners, elected members, other clusters, customers, as appropriate.
- Establish impact on employees directly affected and any associated delegated authority requirements
Delegated Authority Requirements
- Gateway Check A – Chief Officer People & Organisational Development and Chief Officer Finance approval to proceed to further develop proposals and draft business case. Establishment Control Board approval may also be required where proposals include recruitment to new/additional roles.
Managing Organisational Change
Adoption and Change Management Toolkit
Org Design Principles Template
Stage 2 – Plan the change
Core Steps
- Further develop the proposals, taking into consideration outcomes at stage 1.
- Ensure awareness and understanding of any policies, procedures, legislation etc which may be of relevance to your proposed change and could influence outcomes.
- Set an overall timescale for completion of the project/implementation of proposals including the identification of key dates/milestones where appropriate (e.g., committee dates /consultation timelines).
- Liaise with Finance colleagues to further discuss any financial implications and confirm the budget position.
- Liaise with Organisational Change & Design Team, P&OD, to further discuss and shape your proposals against the corporate context and undertake any identified delegated authority requirements.
- Review the ACM Pillars and develop an ACM Plan to support you in managing your change.
- Draft Full Business Case outlining proposals, background, link to the LOIP, financial implications, staffing implications, legal and health and safety considerations.
- Undertake job evaluation as required – As part of your proposed change there may be the need to design new job roles and/or redesign existing job roles requiring job evaluation to be undertaken. The Job Evaluation (JE) Decision Tree will help to inform any JE requirements arising from your proposals and where in the JE process a business case is required; or alternatively where a grade change and/or job title change form is appropriate.
- Agree requirements and timescales for formal consultation and the approach to be undertaken with your P&OD Advisor. This includes the requirement for check-in meetings with TU colleagues throughout the process. These may be more relevant for longer consultation periods considering proposals on a larger scale (confirm this with your P&OD Advisor).
- Gateway Check B – Obtain Approval from Chief Officer People & Organisational Development and Chief Officer Finance to progress business case to formal consultation.
- Undertake formal consultation with TU colleagues, directly affected employees, Cluster Chief Officer, Chief Officer P&OD, Chief Officer Finance and any other key stakeholders in accordance with the Consultation Protocol and the Formal Consultation Checklist key steps and activities.
- Maximise and confirm the communication methods to be used throughout to share information and ensure employees have full opportunity to engage and feedback (e.g., email, Microsoft Teams, webinars, conference calls, hard copy, team meetings, 121’s), selecting the most appropriate methods according to the circumstances and keeping your ACM plan up to date with these.
- Update the business case with any feedback received through consultation and make changes as appropriate.
- Gateway Check C: Business case approval and sign off following conclusion of consultation.
Adoption and Change Management Toolkit
Stage 3 – Implement
Core Steps
- Refer to your Adoption and Change Management Plan to ensure effective engagement continues throughout implementation and to support and encourage those directly affected to successfully transition to the new organisational structure.
- ‘Reinforcement’, the final stage of the ADKAR model, and which underpins the Measurement stage of your ACM plan, is really important so that changes are sustained and deliver the expected results – ensure you have considered and planned how to build and foster reinforcement e.g. celebrations, rewards and recognitions, feedback, performance measurements, to help make sure the change is successful.
- Inform employees that the business case has been approved and will move to implementation of the changes.
- Proceed with implementation of any specific people processes, e.g., job matching and/or displacement, with advice from your P&OD Advisor.
- Recruit to approved new roles in accordance with current recruitment procedures.
Managing Organisational Change
Adoption and Change Management Toolkit
Stage 4 – Review
Core Steps
- Evaluate the change process that you have undertaken – complete a lessons learned exercise – consider what went well and also what could have gone better and be improved for a similar future situation.
- Refer back to your Adoption and Change Management Plan, in particular the Measurement Pillar.
- Monitor the change to assess if the desired outcomes have been achieved.