APMG Certified Change Management (Foundation and Practitioner)

On completion of the APMG Change Management course attendees will know:

·      How the process of organizational change or transformation occurs.

·      The roles needed to assemble teams most likely to achieve successful organizational change.

·      How people react to organizational change and how to help them adapt.

·      How to develop strategies to keep people motivated while an organization undergoes change

·      The different types of change process e.g. planned and emergent change.

·      How to apply appropriate process frameworks to optimally plan and understand organizational change.

·      A range of organization paradigms with which to understand, support and sustain organizational change processes.

·      How to properly prepare for an organizational change initiative - such as building an effective change team and offering insights which enhance the team's performance.

·      What is required to prepare people for organizational change.

·      How to establish a clear framework of roles, skills and activities through which leaders can support and sustain the change process.

Module 1: Change and the Individual

• In this section, we examine how individuals react to change, understanding these reactions and how to devise suitable strategies for creating participation in the change whilst minimising resistance to it
• A review of how individuals take on information, about new ways of working including Kolb’s learning styles; Conscious competence and the Learning dip; and the factors that create the pressure to learn.
• The emotions that people experience during change is explained through the use of the transition curve, referencing Kubler-Ross; Adam, Hayes and Hopson, Bridges model of Endings; Neutral Zone and New Beginnings – how to apply this knowledge.
• To encourage individuals to engage with change there is an explanation of the theories of motivation including intrinsic motivation, expectancy theory, reward and punishment and how personality preferences affect reactions or resistance to change.
• The change vision and motivation, the importance of positive messages and the recognition of change.

Module 2: Change and the Organisation

• This section looks at how organisational culture is shaped and communicated including behaviours, symbols and systems. It then examines how models of organisational change including Kotter and Lewin can be applied to different cultures.
• A review of how organisational change models can be used as a “skeleton structure” of change activities to include in project plans.
• Increases in the pace and scale of organisational change have had an impact on the effectiveness of traditional models, so there is a review of the theories of emergent change including chaos theory; complex adaptive systems and complex responsive processes.
• There is practical guidance about what makes a good change sponsor, a good change agent and the important role that line managers play in making change happen. This section also includes an explanation of the relationship between change initiatives and portfolio, programme and project management and practical guidance on how to write a vision for change and the relationship between change and benefits management.
• A practical approach outlining the research evidencing the strategic importance of change with a context setting session explaining where change/deployment/implementation comes into the project lifecycle and the assumed responsibilities for change between project managers and their customers.

Module 3: Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

• This section of the course provides a step-by-step guide to communicating with all stakeholders according to a set of communication principles that ensure messages are not only given, but that those affected are consulted and involved. Emphasis is on generating ownership of the change at every level throughout the organisation, ensuring change is seen as a collaborative, shared initiative.
• There is a review of techniques for identifying, segmenting, mapping stakeholders including the CPIG (customers, providers, influencers, governance) stakeholder segmentation model and the Stakeholder Radar and use of the AIDA model. There is an explanation of lean and rich communication methods including social media and how these methods form part of the communications strategy and plan.

Module 4: Change Management Practice

• This material is very practical and forms the practitioner part of the syllabus so is trained after the Foundation examination. It includes a review of the McKinsey 7S Model, the Beckhardt and Harris Change Formula as ways to assess and prepare for the impact of change.
• There are ideas for how to build a change agent network, the Tuckman stages of team development and the Glaser and Glaser team effectiveness model. There is a review of the required contents for a comprehensive change management plan and how to deal with resistance to change using a psychological contract and appreciative enquiry techniques.
• Change impact and change readiness with the emphasis on diagnostics and the project manager having detailed understanding of change to ask perceptive go/no go questions
• This section also looks at how to apply levers to make change happen, and how to assess the levels of adoption of change and how to deliver and realise the benefits of Change Management.
• Finally this module includes information on how to plan the training needed to support change.

Pre-course reading is provided so that attendees can review the material prior to the APMG Change Management course and hit the ground running on Day 1. We recommend 10-15 hours of pre-course work. A reference handbook will be provided in advance to allow preparatory reading to be done.

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• Change Makers and Shakers
• Anyone interested in understanding the basic principles of achieving successful organizational change, transition or transformation.
  • Team members involved in organizational change, transition or transformation projects.
  • Professionals pursuing the Change Management Practitioner certificate – for which the Change Management Foundation certificate is a pre-requisite.
  • Aspiring or current managers of organizational change, transition or transformation.
  • Those performing key roles in the design, development and delivery of organizational change programmes, including:

-       Change Project Managers

-       Transformation Managers

-       Senior Responsible Owners

-       Business Change Managers

-       Change Programme Managers

-       Operational Line Managers