Conversation with Merlin [email protected] · Mon Jan 01 2024

How do you design a project intake form for change projects that

When designing a project intake form for change projects, it is important to include key information that will help in the prioritization and evaluation of the projects. Here are some key elements to consider including on the project intake form:

  1. Project Information:

    • Project name and description
    • Business unit or department requesting the project
    • Project sponsor and key stakeholders
  2. Project Scope:

    • Clearly defined objectives and deliverables
    • Scope boundaries and any related projects or initiatives
  3. Impact Assessment:

    • Anticipated impact on the organization, stakeholders, and business processes
    • Alignment with strategic business objectives
  4. Feasibility:

    • Available resources (financial human, and technological)
    • Technical feasibility and potential constraints
  5. Urgency and Timeline:

    • Project timeline and critical milestones
    • Urgency or time sensitivity of the project
  6. Risk Assessment:

    • Identification of potential risks and mitigation plans
    • Dependencies and potential roadblocks
  7. Change Management Considerations:

    • Anticipated resistance to change and strategies for managing it
    • Change impact assessment and communication needs
  8. Stakeholder Expectations:

    • Stakeholder analysis expectations
    • Involvement and communication requirements
  9. Scoring or Evaluation Criteria:

    • Criteria for evaluating the project's potential for success and strategic alignment
    • Weighting factors for different evaluation criteria

By including these elements in the project intake form, change management teams can gather comprehensive information to effectively evaluate, prioritize, and initiate change projects. Additionally, the use of a prioritization matrix, decision trees, or scoring models can further support the objective evaluation and ranking of projects based on the collected data.

What is the criteria for scoring or evaluating

The criteria for scoring or evaluating change projects can vary depending on the specific needs and priorities of an organization. However, a comprehensive evaluation typically includes the following key criteria:

  1. Strategic Alignment:

    • The extent to which the project aligns with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
  2. Feasibility:

    • Assessment of the project's feasibility in terms of available resources, technology, and expertise.
  3. Impact:

    • Anticipated impact of the project on the organization, stakeholders, business processes, and customer experience.
  4. Risk:

    • Identification and evaluation of potential risks associated with the project and the effectiveness of mitigation plans.
  5. Urgency:

    • Assessment of the urgency or time sensitivity of the project and the impact of delays.
  6. Change Management Considerations:

    • Evaluation of the project's potential impact on stakeholders, change readiness, and strategies for managing resistance to change.
  7. Cost-Benefit Analysis:

    • Comparison of the anticipated benefits of the project against the projected costs and resources required for implementation.
  8. Dependencies:

    • Evaluation of the project's dependencies on other initiatives, systems, or external factors.
  9. Overall Feasibility:

    • A holistic evaluation of the project's feasibility, considering all relevant factors and potential challenges.

These criteria can be weighted based on the organization's specific priorities and can be used to create a scoring model or prioritization matrix that objectively evaluates and ranks change projects. Keep in mind that the criteria and their weightings may evolve based on the organization's changing priorities and strategic initiatives.

Create a create a scoring model or prioritization matrix that objectively evaluates and ranks change projects

Certainly! Below is an example of a simple scoring model for objectively evaluating and ranking change projects. This model can be adapted and expanded based on the specific needs and priorities of your organization.

Criteriaing (1-10) Project A Project B Project C

ategic Alignment 8 7 9 6 Feasibility 7 6 8 7 Impact 9 8 7 9 6 7 5 8 Urgency 8 9 6 Change Management Considerations 7 9 8 6 Costenefit Analysis 9 8 7 7 Dependencies 6 7 8 5 Overall Feasibilityweighted average) 7.56 7.89 7.67

In this scoring model, each project is evaluated based on the specified criteria, and each criterion is assigned a weighting based on its importance. The scores for each criterion are then multiplied by the weighting, and the weighted scores are totaled to provide an overall score for each project. The projects can then be ranked based on their overall scores, with the highestoring projects being prioritized for implementation.

This model provides an objective and approach to evaluating andizing change projects based on a range of important criteria. It can be adjusted to reflect the specific needs and priorities of your organization, and additional criteria can be added as necessary.

How do I plan organizational change management resources for these projects?

Planning organizational change management resources for projects involves identifying the specific change needs of each project and aligning resources accordingly. Here are the steps to effectively plan change management resources for these projects:

  1. Assess Change Needs:

    • Evaluate the specific change impacts of each project, including the nature and extent of the changes on processes, systems, people, and the organization as a whole.
    • Identify potential areas of resistance and analyze the cultural and organizational readiness for change2. Develop a Change Management Plan:
    • Create a comprehensive change management plan for each project, outlining the strategies, activities, and resources to facilitate successful change adoption.
    • Define clear objectives, stakeholders, communication strategies, and engagement tactics tailored the unique needs of each project.
  2. Allocate Change Management Resources:

    • Assign change management professionals or teams with the necessary expertise and experience to each project based on the complexity, scope, and impact of the change initiatives.
    • Consider the need for change management consultants, trainers, communication specialists, and leaders with demonstrated change management capabilities.
  3. Provide Training and Support:

    • Offer training skill development programs for managers, supervisors, and employees who will be impacted by the change to equip them with the necessary tools to navigate the transition effectively.
    • Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and to impacted stakeholders to address their concerns and ensure their readiness for the changes.
  4. Establish Communication Channels:

    • Develop tailored communication plans and channels for each project to ensure effective dissemination of information, transparent dialogue, and stakeholder engagement throughout the process.
  5. Monitor and Adapt:

    • Continuously monitor the progress of change initiatives and adjust resource allocations and strategies as needed based on real-time feedback, resistance levels, and emerging challenges.

By following these steps, organizations can effectively plan and allocate management resources to ensure the successful implementation of change projects while mitigating resistance and maximizing stakeholder support. Additionally leveraging change management methodologies such as Prosci ADKAR or Kotter's 8-Step Process can provide valuable frameworks structuring and managing organizational change initiatives.

Is there an excel spreadsheet I can use to plan resourcing for a change management project?

There are several templates and examples of Excel spreadsheets available that can be used to plan and allocate resources for change management projects. While I cannot provide a specific file, I can guide you on creating one. Here are some key elements and columns that you can include in an Excel spreadsheet for planning change management resources:

  1. Project Name: Clearly identify the name of each change project.

  2. Change Needs Assessment: Assess and score the change impact and level of resistance for each project.

  3. Change Management Plan: Outline the key elements of the change management plan for each project, such as objectives, strategies, activities, and communication plans.

  4. Assigned Resources: List the change management professionals or teams allocated to each project, including their roles and responsibilities.

  5. Required Training and Support: Document the training and support needs for each project, including the type of training, target audience, and delivery method.

  6. Communication Strategy: Detail the communication plan for each project, including messaging, channels, and engagement tactics.

  7. Budget Allocation: Include the budget allocated for change management resources for each project.

  8. Monitoring and Adaptation: Describe the monitoring and feedback mechanisms to track the progress of change initiatives and make necessary adjustments.

You can customize the spreadsheet to align with the specific needs and priorities of your organization's change management processes. Additionally, you may consider using project management software systems such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or other similar tools that offer specialized templates for change management resource planning.

By utilizing this Excel spreadsheet or a project management software, organizations can effectively plan, allocate, and monitor resources for change management projects, ultimately facilitating successful change adoption and implementation.