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Change Management Process A process is a set of interrelated actions and activities performed to achieve a specific product, result, or outcome. When properly applied, the change management process increases the likelihood that individuals and organizations effectively transition to a future state...

Change Management Process A process is a set of interrelated actions and activities performed to achieve a specific product, result, or outcome. When properly applied, the change management process increases the likelihood that individuals and organizations effectively transition to a future state to achieve expected benefits. Individuals and stakeholders need information, leadership support, training, coaching, rewards, reinforcement, and time to decide whether to engage in change and to what degree. The transition from the current to a future state is achieved by applying change management processes so that stakeholders are engaged before, during, and after the change process. Effective change management results when the perceived negative impacts and risks of the change are minimized and the overall expected benefits are achieved, ideally within the budget and schedule. Process groups are associations of similar or related processes that serve as guides for the application of change management knowledge, skills, and abilities during change management implementation. These groups are linked in that the output or result of one process becomes the input of another process. Processes within each group are iterative, sometimes simultaneous, and may be applied multiple times throughout the change management effort. Change initiatives may employ various approaches (e.g., waterfall, agile). Change management processes, given their iterative and sometimes simultaneous nature, should be properly adapted for effectiveness, regardless of the project management methodology employed. The process of change management described in this document draws on many existing change management methodologies and identifies generally accepted practices rather than replicating a particular methodology. Practitioners using a particular methodology will find commonalities and perhaps additional suggestions for extending their change management efforts. As an emerging discipline, the ACMP Standard does not mandate particular activities or process steps. Consequently, those familiar with the language of standards will not be surprised at the absence of the word “shall” in describing the processes. Instead, the language describes generally accepted practice; therefore, processes, their sub-processes, and actions are generally used but not required. The following process groups are used to organize and elaborate on the processes performed by change management practitioners during the change initiative.