NHRD Journal - National HRD Network

The Case for Change
• As part of the project definition, there should
be a compelling "Case for Change" which
can convince all participants and, in due
course, the target population. If everyone
agrees that the project has good and
necessary objectives, they should be far
more supportive of the changes.
This is not the same as the project's main
business benefit case. The business case is
likely to be founded on business strategy and
financial results - often not a compelling
argument for the individuals in the workforce.
In a "Case for Change", it should be clear that
there are better ways of doing things - better for
the organization, better for the workforce, better
for customers and (maybe) better for suppliers.
Sponsorship
The Project Sponsor is usually the person who
saw a need for change and had the authority to
make something happen. There may be several
sponsors who collectively have this role.
The precise ownership of the project is more a
matter for the Project Definition work. What
counts from an organizational Change
Management perspective is not the actual
ownership and rationale for the project so
much as the perceived sponsorship and
purpose. For example, the project might exist
because the Finance Director wants to cut costs,
but it could be a better message that the Chief
Executive wants to build a slick organization
that can beat the competition.
The original Project Sponsor will often have
the power and status to create and deliver the
project and may be able to deliver the change
messages to the areas of the organization
directly involved. In many cases, however, the
change is broader than the immediate influence
of the Project Sponsor. Other supporting
sponsors may be required to promote the project
in other areas of the organization.
Make a Sponsorship Map - initially to show
who is involved and what support they are
offering. Use this to identify who else needs to
participate and what they need to do.
In major change programs many parts of the
organization will be involved, for example:
• The line business unit that houses the
changed process,
• Other departments involved in the process
chain,
• Senior management and general
management of the organization who will
be critical judges of this initiative's success,
• The IT department who build and operate
the technology
• The finance department where the financial
implications will be seen,
• Customer-facing staff who will reflect the
changes when dealing with the clients.
A significant project will require a cascade of
sponsorship, such that all affected parts of the
organization hear strong support from their
leadership. If the message is delivered from the
top and reinforced by the immediate
management, staff are far more likely to believe
in the case for change and to act in support of
the changes.
For critical business change programmes the
message should come from the very top. Get
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November 2007 NHRD Journal