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Risk assessment and management - A key foundation for a robust and successful change programme is a meaningful assessment of
main risks and identification of actions that will be needed to mitigate these.
Communicating & Committing Communication - Change creates uncertainty, and often insecurity. Those officers directly involved in management of programme and those who are or are likely to be impacted by change must be kept informed, and at regular intervals. Communication is crucial in managing fears and expectations, and to be effective must be properly planned. It is an essential part of winning commitment to 'new ways of doing things around here'.
Resources - Too often there are inadequate resources put in place. Council officers are often asked to be involved in strategic programmes of change, but as part of their day job. Be clear that dedicated resources will be needed to succeed and this must be factored in to planning.
Relevant skills - Have those leading or engaged in project got right skills for task ahead? In some authorities change management skills now form part of authority's training and development programmes. Desired skills that might typically include project management, process mapping, IT and risk management should be defined, and a match between range of skills and officers to be involved, need to be established.
Implementing Project managing change - Change is a major project and has to be managed in that way, with all associated project management techniques and disciplines.
Benefits capture - A key part of achieving expected objectives set at beginning is to make sure that there are clear accountabilities for capturing benefits and that these are turned into 'real benefits'.
Monitoring and Revising Re-assessment - The change programme needs to be regularly reviewed and updated, with mechanisms for ensuring that lessons are learnt for future.
Essential to supporting these key components is drive and commitment from top - senior management and members. Without this, programme will not succeed. The importance of programme must be evident to everybody within organisation, and must be core to discussions and agendas at all levels in organisation. Lead from front with enthusiasm and energy ensuring that everybody knows how important programme of change is and what it seeks to achieve.
Change in public sector is here to stay and recognition that this requires effective performance and project management to succeed is an important step forward. With growing emphasis being placed in both these areas, councils are well placed to ensure that their programme delivers real improvements.
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