Prepare the Organization for Change
Preparing the organization is mostly a part of the integrator function. It analyzes the sensemaking activities required to facilitate the change and reports results to the program team. During planning, the integrator identifies areas of resistance and support and monitors them before the change process begins. Resistance is often the manifestation of dissatisfaction with the solution rather with the change itself. The integrator should meet with the resisting parties to discuss their issues and find a solution. Supporters should be recruited as agents to actively promote the change. Preparing the organization for change also requires identifying influences from the program environment. Finally, the program team should ensure that all actions are aligned with the vision and strategy of the program.
Mobilize Stakeholders
Empower Staff: One of the best methods for mobilizing stakeholders is to empower staff through distributed control. However, this requires a cultural approach. Employees need to be made aware of the ultimate objectives of the change.
Sensemaking Activities: Recipients will adapt continually to new circumstances and, therefore, new sensemaking activities may need to be undertaken regularly and unresolved issues need to be clarified.
Continuous Process: The influence of stakeholders can change over time and, besides monitoring key stakeholders, the program team may need to undertake specific activities to maintain ongoing support.
Deliver Project Outputs
Programs deliver benefits from project results, such as products, services, or documents. Benefits can be measured only when the project deliverables are integrated into the operational processes. The projects outputs deliver new capabilities for the business and are assessed against the needs of recipients and fit. These needs can change during the course of the program or project. The deliverables are measured at the time of delivery. Important for the organization is the integration into the business to realize value, rather than the project result itself.
Transition Outputs into Business
The program manager and the integrator monitor the integration of the component outputs into the business. They assess the delivery of benefits, which are measured against the key performance indicators that were set during scope delineation and documented in the benefits register. They are assessed on a continual basis. The progression and sequence of transition activities are determined by the pacing, which was determined at the planning stage. Transition activities should be part of each project’s scope. These activities should have a scope, budget, timeframe, and responsible party including expected results.
Transition activities can also be used to take corrective measures or to realign action. The transition process consists of flexible methods based on the continual need to deliver working results, consult with stakeholders, and readjust the processes.
