Final Report - Asian Development Bank

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ADB TA 4271 Shaanxi Qinling Biodiversity Conservation and Demonstration Project
Final Report Appendix 19
29. The move to a commercial delivery culture is a significant change and will require sound
management. An approach based upon the drivers of change method 3 will be used by the IS TA to
facilitate change management. It is emphasized that the QNBG Board and the CEO must be leaders
in the change process. The IS TA cannot be the leader and will only facilitate and guide the QNBG
management in these matters.
30. There are a number of aspects that need to be considered in successful change
management and these include:
31. Address the “human side” systematically. Any significant transformation creates “people
issues.” New leaders will be asked to step up, jobs will be changed, new skills and capabilities must
be developed, and employees can be uncertain and resistant. A formal approach for managing
change — beginning with the leadership team and then engaging key stakeholders (farmers, tourists,
wholesalers, transporters, retailers, research organizations, national and provincial government and
local administration.) need to developed early, and adapted often as change moves through the
organization. The change-management approach should be fully integrated into program design and
decision making, both informing and enabling strategic direction.
32. Start at the top. Because change is inherently unsettling for people at all levels of an
organization, when it is on the horizon, all eyes will turn to the leadership team for strength, support,
and direction. The leaders themselves must embrace the new approaches first, both to challenge and
to motivate the rest of the institution. They must model the desired behaviors and champion the
change process
33. Involve every layer. As transformation programs progress from defining strategy and setting
targets to design and implementation, they affect different levels of the organization. Change efforts
must include plans for identifying leaders throughout the QNBG and relevant stakeholders and
pushing responsibility for implementation down, so that change “cascades” through the organization.
34. Make the formal case. Individuals are inherently rational and will question to what extent
change is needed, especially stakeholders who already hold a level of scepticism over QNBG ’s role.
They will question whether the Agency is headed in the right direction, and whether they want to
commit personally to the goals stated in the Corporate Plan. The creation of a written vision statement
are invaluable opportunities to create or compel leadership-team alignment.
35. Create ownership. Ownership requires more than mere buy-in or passive agreement that
the Corporate Plan goals are acceptable. It demands ownership by leaders of each stakeholder group
willing to accept responsibility for making change happen in all of the areas they influence or control.
Ownership is often best created by involving people in identifying problems and crafting solutions. This
demands extensive participatory processes throughout the TA.
36. Communicate the message. The role of the communication will be to reinforce the core
messages through regular, timely advice that is both inspirational and practical. Communications are
targeted to provide QNBG staff and stakeholders the right information at the right time and to solicit
their input and feedback.
37. Address culture explicitly. The diagnosis of current QNBG culture will identify the core
values, beliefs, behaviors, and perceptions that must be taken into account for successful change to
occur. They serve as the common baseline for designing essential change elements, such as the new
corporate vision, and building the infrastructure and programs needed to drive change. Once the
QNBG organizational culture is understood, it should be addressed thoroughly. Leaders should be
explicit about the culture and underlying behaviors that will best support the new way of doing
business (such as the shift to a customer-satisfaction model), and find opportunities to model and
reward those behaviors.
3
The drivers being (i) agreement over the need for change, (ii) an agreed future or vision, (iii) the resources (skills
and finances), and (iv) the first actionable steps.