People Plan Programme: piloting new change management processes
Thursday, 07 November 2019
The Change Management Working Group has been considering ways we can improve our performance in this area. Key features of the new approach are:
- Unifying oversight of change management in one place
- Having oversight of the change portfolio across the University
- Ensuring that the pace and scale of change are managed across the University
- Introducing a standardised procedure for all new projects
- Introducing new resources include toolkits and training
Part of this work has been the creation of a Planning & Change Board (developed from the existing Planning Group) and its associated Change Sub-Group, along with a new process for assessing and approving proposed change initiatives.
New templates for proposing ideas and developing business cases are being trialled, and the Change Sub-Group has already received its first submissions. Chairs and Secretaries of decision-making committees have recently received training on the new processes and were able to offer further constructive feedback to help ensure the transition goes smoothly. Further training and support will be made available, with sessions being planned during the Autumn term, for Heads of Functions, Heads of Schools, Deans and Business Partners in the first instance.
We caught up with Vicki Holmes (Head of Technology Enhanced Learning, CQSD) as an early adopter of the new templates to find out how she found using them:
“Some sections were quite challenging to complete, but we’ve come away with greater insight and are clearer about our next steps. The template pushed us to focus on and pin down the fundamentals of the project – what you’re doing, what you want to achieve and why. Articulating these aspects in written form very much clarifies your own thinking.
“The template was useful in prompting us to think about the relationship of the project with other work, as well as the impact or involvement of other colleagues and groups. It also helped to identify gaps – in our knowledge, or in our plans – which is very valuable early on.”
For more information on the new templates and processes, please see the Change Management webpage.