Develop a change management strategy
Submission details
Candidate’s name
Candidate ID:
Group
Phone no
Assessor’s name
Phone no.
Assessment date/s
Time/s
The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your assessor.
Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See specifications below for details.
Performance objective
The candidate will demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to develop a change management strategy.
Assessment description
Using the scenario information supplied as Appendix1 of this document, the candidate will undertake a cost-benefit analysis for high-priority change requirements, undertake a risk analysis, identify barriers, and develop mitigation strategies. The candidate will develop a change management project plan, assign resources and develop a reporting process. The candidate will then present their analysis and project plan to management for approval.
Procedure
Review the simulated workplace information for Fast Track Couriers in Appendix 1 Use the Template for Project plan shown in Appendix 2 of this document.
Develop a change management strategy for Fast Track, which you will present to management (your assessor) for approval, by following steps 3–8 below.
Identify change goals and specify:
who/what is impacted
how they are impacted
when the impacts will be realised.
Ensure the change goals you have identified are related to organisation’s strategic goals.
Undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the of the change requirements. Include:
the change requirements
the costs of changes
risks
the possible benefits of each change
assessment of the benefits against the costs and risks
categorised changes:
feasible (F)
maybe feasible (MF)
not feasible (NF).
Undertake a risk analysis of the change requirements:
identify the risks and barriers
analyse and evaluate the risks and barriers
identify mitigation strategy.
Develop a change management project plan. In order to justify your plan, include a brief explanation of the change management theory/methodology followed to embed change. Your plan must reflect theory and you must be prepared to explain to management how key elements of your plan, such as stakeholder management, communication, education/training plans, show elements of a particular theory.
Include the following components in your plan:
Stakeholder management:
identify key stakeholders and roles
identify commitment level
identify concerns/issues (and how can these will be addressed)
consultation methods for engaging identified stakeholders.
Communication plan:
audience
message
when this communication will occur
how the message will be communicated (e.g. email, face to face, newsletter)
person responsible.
Education/training plan:
participants
the skills the training will provide
when the training will occur
how the training will be delivered (e.g. class room, online, on-the-job)
person responsible.
Your project plan should also include a measuring/reporting strategy. Measurement and reporting strategy should include:
how you will measure success
how you will report success including:
format of reports
when will reports be produced (weekly, fortnightly, monthly)
who will receive a copy of the report.
Finally, your project plan should also include a list of resources (humans, tools, supplies, etc.)
Deliver a formal presentation (using PowerPoint) to management (your assessor) to gain approval for your change management strategy. Your assessor will approve your strategy based on your completion of this assessment task and satisfaction of specifications below.
Ask for authorisation to implement strategy.
Submit all documents to your assessor as per the specifications below. Ensure you keep a copy of all work submitted for your records.
Specifications
You must submit
your change management project plan developed using the given template
copy of your presentation containing analysis and change management project plan.
Deliver a PowerPoint presentation
Your assessor will be looking for:
knowledge of change management process or cycle
knowledge of components of change management project plan
knowledge of specific organisational requirements
knowledge of potential barriers to change
knowledge of a range of strategies for embedding change
leadership skills to gain acceptance of plan and gain trust,
planning and organising skills
problem-solving skills to identify and respond to barriers to change and analyse risks
verbal communication skills to describe and promote change management plan.
Appendix 1
Task: Fast Track Couriers Pty Ltd
It is the end of the 2013 financial year. You are an external change management consultant employed by Fast Track Couriers. You have been asked by the General Manager to develop a change management strategy and present the strategy to management for approval.
Management has identified the following high-priority change requirements:
Goal A: Implement PDA/ GPS usage (productivity function) on truck fleet in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year.
Goal B: Implement one person/truck policy using automatic lift gates in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year.
Achievement of these goals should increase net profit in the next financial year by $200,000 due to increased efficiencies and increased business.
Goal A is essential to the business to ensure (in priority order):
Most efficient use of resources to cover market needs. Management will look at more than the raw hours spent on job and consider all factors such as job difficulty, traffic conditions in order to optimise fleet usage.
Job performance measurement for training needs.
Recognition of outstanding performance (bonuses for exceeding targets; advancement/ leadership opportunities).
Goal B is essential to the business to ensure:
Most efficient use of resources to cover market needs.
Reduced need to hire external truckers; use present employees as much as possible.
Reduced possibility of lifting injury.
The change management strategy, once approved by the General Manager, should be implemented immediately.
People/structure
Fast Track Couriers has implemented and recruited the people required to fill the roles in the following organisational structure:
Managerial duties/role description
General manager/CFO
Oversees company; approves major business decisions such as strategic goals, change management initiatives; reports to board of directors; prepares financial reports.
HR manager
Oversees and implements change management programs; collect feedback, assessment results, and all other data regarding change management; provides report to the General Manager on implementation of major changes; oversees recruitment.
Sales manager
Coordinates sales team; provides sales team training; manages performance of sales team.
Trucking /operations manager
Coordinates activities of trucking team; manages performance of trucking team; compiles productivity reports; manages operations, authorises purchasing of operational equipment etc.
Office manager
Coordinates activities of accountant and administrative support. Authorises payroll.
Resourcing/budget:
The budget for implementing the change strategy (excluding cost of new trucks, technology and lift gates, lost productivity from truckers) is $25,000. Overruns must be approved by General Manager.
You will be employed for two weeks full-time (40 hrs/week) and 8 hours a week until end of the first quarter.
Resources:
The following resources are available for your use:
Resource
Cost
Availability
Project analyst/manager (you).
$100/hour
Length of project, as needed
Trucking manager (Bob Rogers).
–
Length of project, as needed
Sales team member with high-level oral and written communication skills to assist new Human Resources manager (Jessica Smith).
–
Length of project, as needed
New Human Resources manager Peggy Anderson).
–
PDA/GPS trainer (Jack MacDonald).
$150/hour
Length of project, as needed
Lift gates trainer (Erin Mitchell)
$150/hour
Length of project, as needed
Head office training rooms equipped with training supplies for five participants.
–
2nd week of July 2013 only.
PDA/GPS device, based at office.
–
Length of project, as needed
One new truck with tail gate based at office
–
Length of project, as needed
Other resources must be requested for approval by General Manager.
Education/ training
Goal A: Implement PDA/ GPS usage (productivity function) on truck fleet in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year. Requires a half-day training session.
Goal B: Implement one person/truck policy using automatic lift gates in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year. Requires a half-day training session.
Project management reporting
The General Manager would like you to report to her on a daily basis in the initial week of the project and then weekly until the end of the first quarter. The HR manager should receive a copy of this report.
Template
Fast Track Couriers policy mandates the use of the following project management template.
Green: completed
Amber: in progress
Red: not completed.
Reporting element
Measures
Status
Change goal
Project management
Delivery of project activities as per project plan for each stream
Overall status:
People
Process
Technology
Structure
Stakeholder Management
Stakeholders engaged and comfortable with current position
Communication
Communication plan activities on schedule
Education
Education plan activities on schedule
Cost benefits
Project budget on track
Cost benefits on track to be realised
Risk Management
Risk management plan effectively managing risk
Background information: Fast Track Couriers Pty Ltd
About Fast Track Couriers
Fast Track Couriers is a courier company that has been operating in New South Wales for the last 15 years. Its primary business function is delivering medium to large size packages across metropolitan Sydney.
Strategic plan goals
The organisation’s strategic goals are:
To expand business in the metropolitan area so that small to medium package deliveries market share increases by 7.5%.
To expand the business to include small and medium package deliveries to regional NSW.
To develop an integrated approach to distribution management utilising technology such as PDA devices and GPS.
To develop and maintain a cohesive and well-motivated workforce.
Strategic goals are supported by the following operational and human resources goals.
Operational plan goals
Testing of the distribution management system is to cease and allow implementation within the first quarter of the 2014 financial year.
The truck fleet will need to be expanded by 8 trucks within the 2014 financial year.
Small distribution hubs will be positioned at Maitland, Goulburn, Nowra and Bathurst each manned by two employees within the next eighteen months.
Fast Track Couriers will complete 20% of deliveries to regional locations in the next three years.
Human resources goals:
To incorporate a Human Resources function to facilitate the changes in workforce management in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year.
Introduce professional development and training to achieve organisational goals and promote understanding of organisation’s strategic goals in the first quarter of the 2014 financial year.
Eliminate industrial relations problems in the 2014 financial year. Conclude negotiations with employees and union.
Eliminate lifting injuries.
Employee profile (pre-changes)
Fast Track Couriers employee the following people:
General manager (GM) – Generally on the road; never in office.
Chief financial officer (CFO) – Reports to GM and keeps office hours; 9–5, Mon–Fri.
Accountant – Reports to CFO and keeps office hours; 9–5, Mon–Fri.
Truck drivers (x20) – Report to office.
Office team manager – Reports to GM and keeps office hours; 9–5, Mon–Fri.
Office team members (x5) – Perform administrative, sales, customer relationship management duties. Monitor truck drivers and handle enquiries. Report to office team manager.
Head office employees
Covered under individual contracts.
Salary range $32,000–$75,000 annum.
Small team of mainly female employees, ranging in age.
Lots of opportunity to participate in learning and development programs due to management support; however little desire to participate.
High employee engagement scores. Employees cite team work and opportunities as motivating factors affecting the business success.
Drivers
Covered by an award.
Salary $45,000 per annum.
Heavily unionised.
Employee demographics are all male employees aged 25–65.
Little opportunity to participate in learning and development programs due to being on the road; however, little to no interest to participate in development opportunities.
Large number of workplace injuries due to heavy lifting.
Low employee engagement scores. Drivers cite pay as an issue.
Currently experiencing low turnover.
History of industrial disputes regarding pay and previous change initiatives.
Background to workforce management and relations
The company communicates with employees via email for head office employees and a printed monthly newsletter for drivers. The company provides information regarding policies procedures through documented manuals that are held in each truck as an employee manual. Office-based staff can access copies of these manuals at the office.
All trucks are fitted with a GPS system to assist drivers with navigating to each pick up and drop off location. Trucks are also assigned a PDA that provides drivers with the details of each pick up and drop off and records when a job starts and finishes. The data from this device is sent back to head office to monitor job progress but is not used to complete productivity reporting. When this device was introduced, drivers were not happy as they felt the organisation was saying that it did not trust the drivers to manually record the time spent on each job. Many of the drivers also resented having to learn how to use the device and thought it was a waste of time.
Head office employees work very closely together and are a very cohesive and motivated team. They are positive about the organisation’s direction and respond well to change.
Drivers have historically reacted negatively to change. Change implemented in the past has met with resistance and was therefore difficult to implement. Drivers have in the past done their best to block any changes from being implemented, even going to the lengths of threatening strike action and having the union involved to assist with resolving the issue.
Fast Track Couriers currently allocates two drivers per truck to ensure that drivers are able to load and unload heavy packages. The strategy going forward is to remove the need for having two drivers per truck by installing an automatic lift gate on the back of each gate at a cost of $10,000 per truck. This will mean that only one driver is needed per truck as no heavy lifting will be required.
It is Fast Track Couriers intention to use these surplus drivers to drive the new trucks that will be purchased to enable the company to extend its services to regional NSW.
Drivers are currently happy with the work environment as they enjoy working as part of a two-man team. The organisation typically leaves the drivers alone and lets them do their job as this is what seems to make them happy. Management has tried in the past to have drivers participate in organisational activities. These activities were not received positively and the drivers complained and asked not to be involved. The drivers’ view is that their preferred team is their two-man driver team and they only see the benefits of that specific working arrangement. There is a high value placed on communication with trucking team members.
Appendix 2 – Project Plan Template
Assessment Task 2: Develop change management strategy
Key elements of presentation to General Manager
Change Goals identified (Expand if necessary)
Goals
Who/what Impacted
How
When
Justification that the goals identified are related to organisation’s strategic goals
Cost-benefit analysis of the change requirements
Requirements
Cost
Risk
Benefit
F/ MF / NF
Risk Analysis
Risk/Barriers
Likelihood
(H/M/L)
Impact
(H/M/L)
Risk response
(Strategies to mitigate risk)
Responsibility
Stakeholder management
Stakeholders
Commitment
Concerns
Addressed by
Consultation methods
Communication plan
Audience
Message
When
Communication method
Person Responsible
Education/training plan)
Who
Training outcome
(knowledge and ability)
When/where
How
Person Responsible
Reporting plan
Measurement of success
Strategy element
Measures
Change goals
●
Change impacts
●
Project management
●
Stakeholder management
●
Communication
●
Education
●
Cost benefits
●
Risk management
●
Reporting Success
Goal
Format of report
Frequency of reporting
Distribution List
Resources (human, tools, equipment etc)
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