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Change Process and Components

Updated Jan 30, 2024 ·

Change Management Participants​

Change Advisory Board (CAB)​

The Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a group of individuals within an organization who are responsible for overseeing the change management process. The CAB ensures that changes to the IT environment are made systematically, with appropriate evaluation and approval to minimize risks and disruptions.

  • Performs due diligence on any proposed change before its approved.
  • Ensures changes are tested, documented, and compliant with policies.
  • Assesses risks and provides mitigation strategies.
  • Every proposed change should have a change owner.

Change Owner​

The change owner is the individual or team that initiates the change request.

  • Advocate the change, and details why the change is necessary.
  • Provided the benefits and challenges that the change might present.

Stakeholders​

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the success and outcomes of a proposed change. They must be consulted and their feedback considered, as well as their concerns getting addressed before implementing any change.

  • Technical Stakeholders

    • Provide insights on system requirements and integrations.
    • Ensure that technical solutions meet organizational needs.
    • Developers who runs the servers and write the code.

  • Business Stakeholders

    • Include executives, managers, and business unit leaders.
    • Focus on how changes impact business objectives and performance.

  • End User Stakeholders

    • The actual users of the products or services.
    • Provides feedback on usability and functionality.

Change Management Process​

The Change Management Process typically involves several key phases designed to guide organizations through effective transitions. Here's a concise outline of the typical phases in the Change Management Process:

  1. Preparation
  2. Vision for change
  3. Implementation
  4. Verification
  5. Documentation

Preparation​

Involves the groundwork for managing change, focusing on understanding the current state and recognizing the need for transition.

  • Thorough assessment of existing processes and identifying inefficiencies.
  • Planning for resources, including time, personnel, and technology.
  • Identifying potential impacts and risks associated with the change.

Vision for Change​

In this phase, the goals and objective of the change are clearly defined, and a shared understanding among stakeholders is established.

  • Defining a clear and compelling description of the desired future state.
  • Explain the reason for the change, and offer a picture of what success will actually look like.
  • Communicating the vision and expected outcomes to all stakeholders.
  • Gaining buy-in and aligning the organization around the change.

Implementation​

Implementation is where the planned changes are put into action, involving the rollout of new processes, systems, or behaviors.

  • Executing the change plan according to the developed strategy.
  • May involve training, restructuring teams, or introducing new tools and technologies.
  • Ensuring that all involved parties are trained and supported during the transition.
  • Continuous communication with the stakeholders should be maintained during the implementation.

Verification​

Involves assessing the effectiveness of the implemented changes to ensure they meet the desired outcomes.

  • Comparing the new state to the envisioned objectives set out at the beginning of the change.
  • Gathering feedback from stakeholders to assess the impact of the change.
  • Done through surveys, performance metric analysis, or stakeholders interviews.

Documentation​

Documentation ensures that the change process is well-recorded, providing a reference for compliance and future improvements.

  • Creating a historical record of the change process, decisions, and outcomes.
  • Maintaining documentation for compliance, audits, and future reference.
  • Sharing results and lessons learned with relevant stakeholders.
  • Reflect on past initiatives, understand decisions made, and continously improve practices.

Change Management Components​

Request for Change (RFC)​

Initiating the change management process with an RFC, including:

  • Core activities in change management
  • Formalized management and decision-making
  • Documented results in accounting or log entries

The RFC should contain the following:

  • Description of change
  • Explanation of the change
  • Expected impact
  • Risk assessment
  • Rollback plan
  • Identity of those involved
  • Proposed schedule
  • List of affected configuration items

Approval​

Key steps in the approval process involve:

  • Evaluating RFC completeness
  • Assigning to the proper authorization process
  • Stakeholder reviews and resource allocation
  • Obtaining necessary approvals or rejections
  • Documenting the approval or rejection status

Rollback​

Addressing the potential need for rollback with activities such as:

  • Scheduling and testing the change
  • Verifying rollback procedures
  • Implementing the change and evaluating its effectiveness
  • Documenting changes in the production environment
  • Rollback authority defined in the rollback plan