Map impact of the project on key audiences
Use this template for mapping the impacts of a project or initiative on key audiences to guide you in the change planning process.
A change impact assessment is most commonly started at project initiation. It provides key stakeholders and decision-makers with a view of the degree of the impacts. By using this template, you’ll gain a better understanding of the potential effects of implementing changes. This could be how it affects your team's workload, organizational processes, or overall customer experience. Through this assessment, you’ll be able to evaluate factors such as scope, resources, and bandwidth to inform decision-making and minimize risks.
Who'll be impacted by the change(s)
How they will be impacted
What activities you need to consider and plan for
Which changes have minimal risk
What kind of messaging will help bring changes to life for impacted roles
To get the most out of the change impact assessment template, follow the steps outlined below.
The first step is to list out all of the stakeholder teams or roles that would be affected by the change. If you have an organizational chart for your company, it would be beneficial to refer to it during this step to identify impacted audiences. Once you have everyone identified, group them by department, area, or function if it helps organize your list.
Next, review the existing change dimensions on the template. Our template includes common change dimensions that companies often use to evaluate impact, such as:
Customer experience
Location
Process, policies, and procedures
Skills and knowledge
However, every company is different, and you might have additional change dimensions that aren't listed but would be helpful to add to the template.
In this step, identify which change dimension impacts each group as well as the relative complexity. Add a colored sticky note based on the change complexity and a short description of the impact on each group. Our template has three colored sticky notes to represent a complexity rating scale:
Green sticky note (low complexity): Minimal impact on the current ways of working as the changes are routine, easily absorbed, contained in a single function or area, and mitigated through area leadership and their teams.
Orange sticky note (medium complexity): Impacts are contained within a department, a working shift is required for internal functions, change facilitation is needed for readiness planning and cross-functional alignment, and there will likely be an impact and dependency on other programs.
Purple sticky note (high complexity): Typically affects a new customer segment or acts as a potential market disruptor. This impacts most, if not all, teams and requires stakeholder alignment across internal and external members. It also requires shareholder or board visibility as significant ways of working will change.
In the final step, review and confirm the accuracy of the impact and complexity ratings with relevant stakeholders. If you initially ran this assessment without everyone involved, it’s important to get their input before moving forward. They'll be able to provide more in-depth detail on the impact of the change as well as more accurate language that resonates with their area.
Before the assessment session, prepare a Change Narrative, an elevator pitch for non-technical audiences to create a shared understanding of why the change is occurring.
As you identify impacts for each group, continue referring to the Change Narrative to understand the rationale and implications to the business.
Use consistent and clear language when describing the impacts. Consider developing a category naming system for the different types of impacts (e.g., organizational, operational, financial, cultural).
Write all ideas and questions down. Highlight any uncertainty that requires more clarification on a specific impact.
Set a date to come back and evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of your predictions. It’s also an opportunity to improve the change impact assessment process.
An example of a change impact could be the implementation of a new software system in an organization. This change can impact various aspects such as employee roles and responsibilities, workflows, communication channels, and training requirements.
A change impact assessment is a systematic process that helps organizations understand the potential effects of a proposed change. It involves evaluating the impact of the change on different aspects of the organization, identifying potential risks and challenges, and developing strategies to mitigate them. A change impact assessment typically includes:
Stakeholder analysis
Identifying and analyzing the individuals or groups who'll be affected by the change.
Impact identification
Identifying the specific areas or aspects of the organization that the change will impact.
Impact assessment
Assessing the magnitude and significance of the impact on each identified aspect.
Risk analysis
Identifying potential risks and challenges associated with the change and evaluating their potential impact.
Mitigation strategies
Developing strategies to minimize or mitigate the negative impacts and maximize the positive impacts of the change.
Communication plan
Developing a plan to effectively communicate the change and its impact to stakeholders.
Training and support plan
Identifying the training and support needs of employees to adapt to the change successfully.
Timeline and resource planning
Planning the timeline and allocating necessary resources for implementing the change.
Monitoring and evaluation
Establishing mechanisms to monitor the progress of the change and evaluate its effectiveness.
Documentation
Documenting the findings, decisions, and actions taken during the change impact assessment process.
The specific aspects of change impact can vary depending on the nature of the change and the organization. However, here are 10 common aspects that are often considered during a change impact assessment:
Organizational structure: How will the change affect the overall structure and hierarchy of the organization?
Roles and responsibilities: How will the change impact the roles and responsibilities of employees and teams?
Processes and workflows: How will the change affect the existing processes and workflows within the organization?
Communication channels: How will the change impact the communication channels and methods used within the organization?
Technology and systems: How will the change impact the existing technology infrastructure and systems?
Skills and capabilities: How will the change impact the skills and capabilities required by employees to perform their roles effectively?
Culture and values: How will the change impact the organizational culture and values?
Stakeholders and customers: How will the change impact the relationships with stakeholders and customers?
Performance and metrics: How will the change impact the performance metrics and measurement systems within the organization?
Financial implications: How will the change impact the financial aspects of the organization, such as costs, revenue, and budget allocation?
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