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3. Change Management Strategy

Guiding impacted stakeholders through 

their change journey

This effort is a continuation of our Transformation Tools found at: 

OPM.gov/Reshaping

Change Management Plan

Guiding Impacted stakeholders through their change journey

A Change Management Plan should complement the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Plan, accounting for the 

phases that impact stakeholders and require action. At a high level, the Change Management Plan can be used to 

prepare, manage and reinforce the change. Properly integrated, the RPA Project Plan and the Change Management 

Plan increase the probability that the return on investment is realized through usage and adoption of the new 

technology. Use the four following steps:

Evaluate — Gather impacted stakeholder readiness data

Review the RPA Project Plan; conduct a high-level readiness assessment; identify stakeholders; gather data on 

execution concerns, appetite and commitment to change; evaluate progress; and adjust.

Assess — Analyze impact readiness assessment data

Identify options and resources to execute plan, risks, scope, urgency, and political will; evaluate appropriateness of 

stakeholders (champions, allies, cross-silo supporters); and make go/no go decisions. The RPA Project timeline plan 

may have to be adjusted to account for the new change readiness information.

Design — Develop plan to manage the stakeholder impacts of the RPA project 

Collaborate with your Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) Leadership to identify options for workforce planning, 

reskilling/upskilling plans, training programs and opportunities, stakeholder resistance plans, coaching plans for 

supervisors to equip impacted employees, citizen outreach, and Union concerns (consistent with applicable law and 

lawful collective bargaining agreements, including impact and implementation issues). Establish key performance 

indicators. The design should answer: (1) how are we going to equip stakeholders, and (2) how will we measure the 

buy in of the change by stakeholders?

Implement — Execute the Change Plan

Create an awareness campaign of why we are changing prior to launch (Communicate the goal); identify desire to 

be a part of the change (What’s in it for me (WIIFM)); provide opportunities to gain knowledge and train; address 

roadblocks and resistance issues; and create a feedback loop where the sponsor is visibly engaged. Enable a 

learning environment.

Manage Change — Assess how stakeholders are doing. 

Celebrate progress; get feedback; share feedback with RPA sponsors and technical managers; offer multiple training 

modalities (one on one, classrooms, video, online); conduct a barrier analysis; adjust communication messages; 
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create a Myth-buster campaign; develop a road map to help stakeholders identify where you are in the process; 

and issue frequently asked questions (FAQs), if needed. Evaluate and celebrate all achievements- change is hard.

All our technological advances must address the “people side of change” to institutionalize the change. The speed 

and adoption of the change is hinged on how well the change journey was executed for the impacted stakeholders. 

The Prosci ADKAR® Model—the industry standard for change management practitioners worldwide—provides a 

results-oriented approach for responding to a simple truth: change happens one person at a time. The ADKAR 

(Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement) is one model identifies the key building blocks for 

successful change. 

The chart below is an adaptation of GSA’s Technology Business Management holistic approach to looking at 

impacted stakeholders/customers and systems to map out an integrated approach to getting to the future state. As 

the complexity, political sensitivity and the number of stakeholders/customers increase so does the importance of

having a multipronged integrated multi-disciplined change approach matters. 

Integrated Change Approach*

Organizational Change Management alignment with Technology Business Management, RPA, and/or Customer 

Experience Initiatives

Technology Business

Management or RPA 

Plays

Organizational Change 

Management (OCM) 

Tactics

Customer Experience 

(CX) process (A-11, 

Section 280)

Activities and Process Steps DMAIC (LSS)

Alignment

ADKAR® 

(Prosci Change 

Methodology 

Alignment)

1.0 Identify Key 

Players and 

stakeholders

1.0 Cultivate Awareness 1.0 Identify 

Stakeholders/

Customers

• Engage Change Agents

• Determine OCM Strategy

• Charter Change

Define Awareness

2.0 Determine 

Current State

2.0 Prepare for Change 2.0 Identify Pain 

Points/Customer 

Journey/Data 

Analysis/Interview 

Customers

• Conduct Visioning Sessions

• Assess Gaps and Needs

• Develop Change Agenda (As-is: To Be)

Measure Awareness

3.0 Identify Desired 

Outcomes

3.0 Translate Change 

Agenda

3.0 Co-design Future 

State with Customers

• Market the Value Proposition

• Design OCM Roadmap

• Communicate and Collect Feedback

Measure Desire

4.0 Start Aligning 

Data

4.0 Enable a Learning 

Environment

4.0 Develop Prototype • Leverage Knowledge Mgmt. Practices

• Employ Information Sharing Hub

• Use Wins for Crosscutting Integration

Analyze Knowledge

5.0 Look for Insights 5.0 Evaluate for 

Achievement

5.0 Test Prototype with 

Customers

• Refine Strategies and Resources/Tools

• Actively Seek Feedback

Analyze Knowledge

6.0 Rollout & Adopt 6.0 Promote Change 

Culture

6.0 Promote Use and 

Adoption

• Integrate, Report and Coordinate

• Capitalize on Change Data

• Educate, Train and Inform

Improve Ability

7.0 Keep Maturing 7.0 Monitor, 

Communicate, Improve

7.0 Gather Feedback 

Measure Outcomes and 

Refine

• Measure Change Success

• Continuously Improve Practices

Control Reinforcement

References:

Association for Change Management Professionals (ACMP), Federal Change Management Community of Practice

Federal Technology Investment Management page on max.gov https://community.max.gov/x/YAWIRg

Employee’s Survival Guide to Change: The complete guide to surviving and thriving during organizational change, 

by Jeffrey M. Hiatt

 

*

Adapted from GSA’s Technology Business Management (TBM) Integrated Change Approach