From the course: Change Management for Projects

Change management roles

From the course: Change Management for Projects

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Change management roles

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- Every change should have people dedicated to specific roles to ensure that the change transitions smoothly but more importantly, that the change sticks. And as a project manager, there are a number of key roles that you'll need to interact with to make sure the change happens as expected. The first of these is the change manager. Their duties will be to manage the change by developing a change management plan that sets out, among other things, the communication objectives for the change. In addition, they plan a large number of activities to provide support to staff who will be affected by the change. They will also have to prepare a business continuity plan to ensure that the change is not detrimentally disruptive to the business. So the change manager is the person who defines the change management activities. As the project manager, you need to understand how to integrate these into your plan, ensuring the change sticks. The next role is the sponsor. It's highly likely that the sponsor of the project also holds a wider role in the change, like the head of a business unit, looking for the changes to be delivered. Their main responsibilities will be to identify the benefits the change will deliver into the business unit and check that these align with strategic objectives. In addition, they'll also need to gain buy-in and support for the change from key stakeholders within the business. They'll also ensure the funding is provided for the project and that the project gets appropriate approval to begin and continue. Another important role is that of the change agent. This role's usually a voluntary role that can be carried out by anyone within a business unit that is changing. Primarily, a change agent acts as a single point of contact for others in the same business unit. They have all the details of the change and can provide feedback to the project manager. They also act as facilitators, data gatherers, educators and advisors. Their job is to ensure that the change gains the relevant commitment from stakeholders. The change agents will be able to share concerns or information on conflict with the project manager, which will enable them to plan more effectively how the change is delivered. These roles are essential to ensure that the change happens smoothly and effectively, and that it sticks. As the project manager, you'll need to work closely with all of these roles to ensure that concise information is communicated at the right time, so everyone is aware of what's being delivered to the business units and is prepared for the change.

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