Procurement

Capability development

Reviews

Transition management

Assurance

Benefits management

Procurement

The ability to secure the provision of resources, choosing strategies for obtaining best value from supply chains.

Procurement is the process for securing the goods and services that are required from external suppliers to satisfy change initiative needs as appropriate.

Knowledge

Application

1

Knowledge of the organisation’s approach to procurement.

Establish the type, quality and quantity of the resource requirement.

Consider:

• The type of relationship with a supplier.
• The chosen life cycle approach, which may impact the resource requirement.
• The level of risk that the organisation is willing to take and the amount of control
  required.
• The resources available in-house to manage the process.
• The availability, capacity and capability of suppliers.

2

Knowledge of what needs to be captured in a procurement specification.

Develop detailed specifications for the procurement of resources for a change initiative.

Consider:

• The detailed functional and technical specification to deliver the defined requirements.
• Recognition of which stakeholders need to be engaged.
• The benefits of engaging specialist support.
• The way in which contract types will be evaluated.

3

Knowledge of the range of technical and commercial options.

Evaluate technical and commercial options for fulfilling the requirements, and agree a procurement plan with relevant stakeholders.

Consider:

• The governance rules for due diligence, including the preferred supplier list and the organisational financial strategy.
• The way in which an appropriate procurement plan, which takes into consideration the complexity of the organisational approach, can be developed.
• Ways to determine value propositions from the available options, both short and long term.
• What constitutes best value in terms of the options available.
• Ways to secure stakeholder engagement.

4

Knowledge of the internal skills and resources required to support the process, and ways in which negotiation can be conducted.

Negotiate and secure internal resources to effectively deliver a change initiative.

Consider:

• The governance process to follow.
• The objectives of a change initiative to be met.
• The benefit of using appropriate negotiation techniques.

5

Knowledge of the organisation’s procurement framework.

Comply with organisational procedures when selecting and negotiating with suppliers, based on a rigorous tendering process.

Consider:

• What steps need to be followed.
• The approaches to selecting suppliers.
• The need for qualified resources to select suppliers.
• The benefits of knowing ‘what good looks like’.
• Ways in which priorities and trade-offs can be determined to support the negotiation process.
• The limits and levels of authority for negotiation.
• Ways to motivate performance.
• The benefits of good listening skills

6

Knowledge of the appropriate controls for the contract.

Agree viable contracts and statements of work, in line with organisational requirement.

Consider:

• Ways to gain a common understanding of the agreed terms and conditions.
• The need for agreed ownership of activities.
• The dependencies between activities.
• The agreed payment mechanism.
• The requirement to have controls over performance.

Reviews

The ability to manage progression through the life cycle of a change initiative.

Reviews are a way of gathering information to provide an assessment on the status of a change initiative and the ongoing viability of the work, and to supply advice and guidance.

Knowledge:

Application:

1

Knowledge of the factors that need to be evaluated when establishing a review schedule.

Consider factors which need to be evaluated during a review and establish and implement a schedule of reviews incorporating key milestones during and after a change initiative.

Consider:

• The types of review that best align with the different governance structures and life cycle approaches.
• The options for review formats and when they are appropriate to use, considering the stakeholder landscape.
• Ways to analyse the complexity, risk profile and value of a change initiative.
• Any legal and regulatory requirements that need to be considered.

2

Knowledge of ways of obtaining the relevant sources of data to inform the review.

Obtain appropriate information from valid sources to inform the review.

Consider:

• The information that is needed, the way it will be obtained, the purpose of the review and how it will be used.
• The stakeholders who are best placed to provide the information.
• Ways to validate the data.
• Different ways in which the reviews will be conducted.

3

Knowledge of the governance process and response strategies.

Maintain records of any deviations from plans, to include reasons for and responses to the deviations.

Consider:

• The tolerance levels in place for all parties engaged in a change initiative, and the impact on the business case and the wider organisation.
• Ways to identify and document deviations.
• The range of potential actions or solutions to address deviations and how to determine their suitability.
• The appropriate governance structure to follow for escalation routes and audit, depending on the severity of the deviation.

4

Knowledge of ways to involve relevant stakeholders.

Communicate the outcomes of reviews to relevant stakeholders, and confirm stakeholder understanding and acceptance of proposed actions.

Consider:

• Ways of determining stakeholder needs and preferred method of presentation to gain formal acceptance.
• The use of data to inform decision making.
• Ways of confirming understanding and acceptance.
• The implications of the proposed actions.

5

Knowledge of re-planning activities.

Implement agreed actions and update lessons learned.

Consider:

• Tools and techniques for planning.
• The resources that are required.
• The governance process to support a change.
• Ways in which the knowledge can be used, acted upon and shared.

Assurance

The ability to provide confidence to the governance board that a change initiative is on track to deliver the objectives and intended value.

Assurance is objective and independent, working in partnership with governance and risk management.

Knowledge

Application

1

Knowledge of the assurance approach and strategy.

Effectively resource assurance activities.

Consider:

• The organisation and governance structure that is in place.
• The appropriate resources and capability that are required.
• The engagement approach to secure resource.

2

Knowledge of the scope, priorities and strategic aims of assurance activities.

Agree the scope of, and responsibilities for, manageable assurance activities.

Consider:

• Ways to identify stakeholders and determine their roles in providing and receiving assurance.
• The different options for governance arrangements of a change initiative.
• The appropriate governance for the chosen life cycle.
• The ways in which appropriate levels of independence are ensured.

3

Knowledge of the range of risks associated with a change initiative.

Prioritise assurance activities based on a risk assessment of a change initiative.

Consider:

• The priority and complexity of a change.
• The risk appetite of the organisation and the appropriate risk-based approach to take.
• The wider context in terms of level of value and practicality.
• Ways that stakeholders can be engaged.

4

Knowledge of ways to develop recommendations for corrective action.

Conduct assurance activities, making recommendations for corrective action where required.

Consider:

• Different ways of conducting review activities.
• The organisational attitude, ways of working and culture.
• The sources of data and evidence.
• The ways of presenting the data to enable ownership of actions.

5

Knowledge of ways to engage to ensure ownership of corrective action.

Maintain effective, two-way communication with all stakeholders, such that corrective action is reported, and concerns are addressed.

Consider:

• Appropriate communication skills, and the methods and techniques available.
• Ways to facilitate two-way communication.
• Ways to gain an agreed way forward.

6

Knowledge of the advice, guidance and support that is required to support in the implementation of recommendations.

Provide advice, guidance and support in the implementation of recommendations.

Consider:

• Ways in which stakeholders’ attitudes can be gauged.
• Ways to provide tangible actions to support the implementation of recommendations.
• How to secure ownership of the recommendations.

7

Knowledge of techniques to analyse trends to improve the future performance of change initiatives.

Analyse patterns of change to identify trends to improve the future performance of change initiatives.

Consider:

• Sources of data to inform development.
• Continuous improvement methods such as test, learn and adapt.
• Ways to share the knowledge through communities of practice.

Capability development

The ability to assess organisational maturity in relation to a change initiative and the wider organisation.

Capability development addresses the continuous improvement of competences within an organisation, investing in people and knowledge, and improving the predictability of delivering results and creating the correct context for teams to perform.

Knowledge

Application

1

Knowledge of the current level of organisational maturity.

Use tools and techniques to determine the organisation’s capability to support a change initiative.

Consider:

• The range of tools and techniques that can be used to assess organisational capability and individuals’ skills and competence, to establish their development needs.
• Ways to assess the current level of organisational maturity.
• Methods for adapting behaviour to the needs of a change initiative and good practice.

2

Knowledge of what constitutes a training and development strategy.

Develop and implement a training and development strategy in relation to change initiative management.

Consider:

• The skills required to develop and implement a training and development strategy.
• Ways to develop an appropriate communication and engagement plan.
• Ways to identify organisational, team and individual needs and develop appropriate targets.
• How to support development on an ongoing basis; the approach and methods to be used, including formal and informal.
• The use of data to benchmark and assess improvement to demonstrate achievements.

3

Knowledge of ways to conduct a skills analysis.

Conduct a skills analysis on individuals within an organisation to identify gaps in competences required to deliver a successful change initiative.

Consider:

• The methods of assessment and appropriate options to address gaps.
• The importance of developing goals and objectives consistent with needs and requirements.
• Ways to create an open and honest environment that is supportive of individual and team learning, in order to build trust.
• Behaviours that show areas of potential concern or conflict, and effective resolution methods.

4

Knowledge of the uplifting capability within the organisation.

Apply relevant competency models to the organisation’s workforce in relation to change initiative management.

Consider:

• Ways to maximise formal and informal learning opportunities.
• The alignment of learning outcomes with changing organisational needs.
• Ways to share experience, for example, communities of practice.
• The alignment of roles and responsibilities to the competence model.

5

Knowledge of the options for developing an ongoing people development plan.

Monitor and evaluate organisational learning against objectives.

Consider:

• Methods to monitor change through comparison of skills, maturity objectives and subsequent outcomes.
• How to communicate timely feedback in a meaningful way to demonstrate progress to the wider organisation.
• Ways to create an environment of trust, which enables open and honest conversations to aid individual performance.
• How to embed an ongoing learning culture.

Transition management

The ability to manage the integration of the outputs of a change initiative into business-as-usual (BAU), ensuring that outputs enable delivery of the intended value.

Transition management is multi-faceted, its purpose being to facilitate changed capability, bedding in new processes, practices, and tools and techniques. It includes organisational change management and directing benefits realisation management.

Knowledge

Application

1

Knowledge of what is needed to support the transition.

Establish the logistic requirements and key staff required to support a transition.

Consider:

• Different transition strategies that support the chosen life cycle.
• Techniques to identify stakeholders and ways to get their buy-in, including how to build and communicate the transition plan.
• Ways to identify and mitigate any potential areas of concern.

2

Knowledge of the knowledge transfer requirements.

Determine the knowledge transfer requirements for a transition process.

Consider:

• Ways of assessing the differences in processes and ways of working brought about by a change initiative.
• The change management tools and models that are available.
• The ways to capture knowledge requirements and ensure that they have been planned appropriately.
• The need for strong interpersonal skills, including leadership, emotional intelligence, communication and choice of language.

3

Knowledge of the different approaches to transition.

Create a transition plan where priorities, potential disruption and output ownership are key considerations.

Consider:

• Ways to identify which transition activities have the potential to disrupt BAU.
• The dependencies and constraints in place that may impact transition.
• How to capture organisational and business priorities.
• Ways to identify the resources required for transition, including budget, support, coaching and champions.

4

Knowledge of the ways in which to agree a way forward on the transition process plan.

Negotiate with stakeholders to gain agreement on the transition process plan, including staffing solutions, logistics and knowledge transfer requirements.

Consider:

• The engagement of stakeholders and ways to create understanding, including the constraints and complexities that have informed the transition plan.
• How to identify the available transition options that address stakeholder needs.
• Ways to ensure understanding of a change initiative requirements from the business.
• How to actively address conflicts between a change initiative and BAU.

5

Knowledge of the ownership of benefits.

Establish a benefit review process to monitor benefits realisation which meets the requirements of relevant stakeholders.

Consider:

• The benefits life cycle, including: roles and responsibilities, the indicators of success, the sources of data and ways to measure and monitor achievement.

Benefits management

The ability to identify and agree the benefits and determine how they will be measured, monitored and managed throughout a change initiative until they are realised.

Benefits management actively documents, measures and monitors a change initiative to assure realisation. It aligns with the business case and intended outcomes for delivery.

Knowledge

Application

1

Knowledge of the wider organisational strategy.

Demonstrate how the intended benefits relate to strategic objectives and are measurable in a way meaningful to stakeholders.

Consider:

• Ways in which the benefits align to the strategic objectives.
• The different techniques available to measure benefits.
• Ways to quantify and communicate benefits to stakeholders.

2

Knowledge of ways to create a benefits management strategy.

Create a benefits management strategy which considers priorities, timescales and responsibilities, and monitoring methods.

Consider:

• The appropriate approach to determine a benefits management strategy for a change initiative, taking into consideration priorities, timescales, responsibilities and monitoring methods.
• Ways of setting appropriate and realistic benefits targets.

3

Knowledge of ways to assess the intended benefits of a change initiative.

Confirm dependencies between the intended benefits and the outputs, outcomes and related business changes. Prioritise achievement of benefits based on their level of contribution to strategic objectives.

Consider:

• Ways to develop a benefits mapping process that considers the needs and wants of stakeholders.
• Ways to analyse the organisational drivers and how a change initiative will facilitate the achievement of benefits.

4

Knowledge of the use and importance of a benefits realisation plan.

Create a benefits realisation plan which considers funding options, key indicators, milestones and reporting schedules.

Consider:

• The baseline measures that need to be in place, the level of improvement required and the expected timeframe for realisation.
• Ways to monitor end user behaviours and attitudes.
• How progress will be communicated.

5

Knowledge of ways to evidence the value delivered.

Carry out effective monitoring against the benefits realisation plan. Based on monitoring outcomes, take action to highlight recommended adjustments to maximise benefits realisation.

Consider:

• Ways of determining the sources of data required for effective monitoring.
• Appropriate responses to implement any necessary changes to the benefits realisation plan.
• Ways of managing expectations in terms of the timeframe of promised benefits considering any adjustments made.