MFS Change Management Strategy

Local County Council (LCC)
MFS Change Management Strategy
Local County Council (LCC) Modernising Financial Services Change Management Strategy
Status: Draft
Prepared by: Andrew Perry MFS BPR Team Lead Version 0.1 August 2009
Last Updated: August 2009
Contents
DOCUMENT CONTROL
1.1 Control Details 1.2 Document Amendment Record 1.3 Document Sign-off 1.4 Background 1.5 Purpose 1.6 Overview
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3 3 3 4 4 5
INTRODUCTION
CHANGE MANAGEMENT CM STRATEGY

1.7 Objectives 1.8 Guiding Principles 1.9 Critical Success Factors
5 7
7 7 7
ASSUMPTIONS
1.10 Objectives
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10
BPR TEAM AND CHANGE INTEGRATION

1.11 Integration Assumptions
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11
CM STRATEGY STRUCTURE
1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Overview Stakeholder Analysis Change Readiness Assessment Change Impact Analysis Communications Strategy and Plan End User Training Strategy End User Training Needs Analysis Organisational Readiness and Go-Live Planning
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12 13 16 18 20 21 25 26
TIMESCALES & MILESTONES
1.20 Timetable 1.21 Key Dates and Milestones
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29 29
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OPEN AND CLOSED ISSUES

1.22 Open Issues 1.23 Closed Issues
30 32
32 32
Document Control
1.1 Control Details
Document Location: Production Software: Author: Owner:
/opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch17425/62227982.doc Microsoft Word 7 Andrew Perry, Corporate Resources, CMU, MFS BPR Team CFO, Corporate Resources
1.2
Document Amendment Record

Issue
V0.1
Amendment Detail
Initial draft for comment
Author
Andrew Perry
Date
04th August 2009
Approved
1.3
Document Sign-off
Project Manager: Signature: Printed Name: Position: Date: Project Executive: Signature: Printed Name: Position: Date: . . . . . Fred Jones . MFS Project Manager . .
Introduction
1.4 Background
LCC is modernising its support services through the Business Efficiency Programme (BEP), which was set up to deliver efficiency projects that enable sustainable, long term improvements in the delivery of key internal and external support services. LCC commissioned the Modernising Financial Services project as part of BEP, in order to implement the findings of the 2008 review of departmental & corporate finance. The driver for the BEP is both to reduce the cost of support services & to ensure that they are consistently and reliably provided to all departments across the Council. The Finance review recommended:

The establishment of a single finance function, with the creation of Finance Business Partners and teams supporting service departments; The establishment of a Strategic finance reporting & monitoring team who will provide support to the corporate and business partner finance teams; and The transfer of transactional activities into a Financial Shared Service Centre (FSSC).
MFS aims to introduce standard best practice business processes as well as upgraded ICT systems, in particular an improved Oracle Applications Release 12 e-Business Suite. The desired end state is for an improved Finance Service to effectively and efficiently support the Council through the challenges of making continuing efficiency savings and meeting the changing needs of its customers. The overarching objective of the BPR Team in particular to be able to introduce standard best practice business processes that will not only support LCC in their efficiency targets; it will also support LCCs staff in managing their businesses more effectively. The Change Management strategy needs to provide mechanisms to continuously reinforce these drivers and maintain a sense of urgency and priority (see excerpt below):
Pressured to demonstrate results quickly, we skip steps in the change process such as establishing a sense of urgency. Or we commit fatal errors for instance, failing to create short-term wins. Some of us assume that change is about improving the "hard" numbers: stock price, profitability, sales. But successful transformation also generates "soft" benefits, such as trust and emotional commitment. Even if we devote sufficient time to a change initiative and strive for hard and soft results, we still must face the painful emotions that arise in our workforces whenever we ask people to think or do things differently. Whether it's anger, alarm, alienation, or confusion, we must ease those feelings by cultivating trust and empowering people .1
1.5
Purpose
This document summarises the Change Management approach to support the Modernising Financial Services transformation project. The purpose of this document is to:
Outline a high-level strategy for identifying key stakeholders affected by the project, assessing organisational change readiness, identifying the impact of the change, establishing the communication approach and finally developing a programme to transfer knowledge and skills to End Users so that the benefits of the MFS project and associated organisational, business process and ICT changes are fully realised. Describe the change management goals and objectives
Provide a description of the Change Management strategy and delivery requirements and constraints.
1 Leading Change Successfully, 2nd Edition, Harvard business Review OnPoint Collection, Feb 1, 2005
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
1.6 Overview
LCC is investing in people, processes and technology to meet its efficiency goals and achieve the MFS critical success factors set by key stakeholders. Effective training is essential to fully realise organisational, business process and ICT improvements and to ensure that people readiness is aligned with process and technical readiness. It is essential for project success, therefore, that the MFS Team proactively creates acceptance for change among LCC stakeholders. Industry analysts have identified resistance to change as the top barrier to successfully realising the benefits of business transformation projects see diagram below. Top 10 Barriers to Success
Source: Deloitte & Touche CIO Survey Change occurs through a process. It doesnt happen overnight. There is a big difference between the change itself and the transition needed to get to the change:
CHANGE is the emergence of a new situation; it is the difference between the way things are done today and the way they will be done in the future - technically, organisationally, procedurally and personally. TRANSITION is the psychological re-orientation that people go through as they come to terms with the changes that brought about the new situation; the emotional process through which the change is achieved - most importantly, the personal process through which people come to understand and accept the new ways of working. CHANGE MANAGEMENT is a series of actions and initiatives that enable people to work confidently and effectively while making the transition.
Research and experience of other large-scale transformation programmes suggests that there are four key factors that significantly influence individuals motivation to change their behaviours and accept the new ways of working to create the desired culture:
1.
Before people can begin to engage with a change, they need to understand that it is importantto them. Every communication and engagement activity needs to have a clear purpose that is relevant to individuals and teams. This means adapting generic materials to reflect the impact of change locally and what this means for people individually. 2. Ensuring people have the skills and/or the opportunity to develop new skills to be successful. Critical to this is ensuring examples and exercises are in a context that is meaningful
to individuals, where they have the opportunity to practice the new skills rather than understand at a more ethereal level. 3. Ensuring that there are mechanisms in place to reinforce these new ways of working and desired culture. The organisation needs to support individuals through this transition to help establish the accepted standard; in general, it takes at least 21 days of doing something new before it becomes a habit. Conversely, what are the implications of not following the required process? Unless there is a consequence, people may not be willing to let go of the old way of working. 4. People take their lead from individual managers and / or people in key roles and how they are responding to the change challenge. Creating role models who are visibly supportive of the change and early adopters of the new ways of working can have a disproportionate degree of influence. This means identifying and engaging with middle management and creating buy-in early.
For MFS, these factors will underpin the design of all change solutions.
As the transformation programme evolves, the Change Management strategy will increasingly require business leaders to drive the change. The anticipated scale of change means it is not only impractical to be driven by the MFS Team; it is also much more effective for long term sustainability and realisation of benefits. As the diagram below implies, MFS can only drive Business Leaders to drive the Business to create the change:
Purpose / Relevanc
what does this mean fo what do I need to do to successful? whats in it for me?
Reinforce / Conseq
CM STRATEGY
1.7 Objectives
The Change Management Strategy focuses on achieving the following objectives:
Keep people informed of project development at the right time and at the right level to create acceptance Ensure appropriate employees are engaged and involved in the project
Understand the change impacts of the new organisational structure, business processes or supporting ICT systems, in order to support the development of the communications and training strategies and plans Create an awareness and understanding of the changes resulting from the project, promoting the benefits of the new business processes Helping stakeholders to become familiar with, ready for and feel continuously supported when the new system and processes and go-live Encourage input and foster feedback from key stakeholder groups Generate enthusiasm for the new system and processes
1.8
Guiding Principles
To help achieve these objectives, MFS will adopt the following principles to execute the CM Strategy:
Integrate change management into the MFS project plan so that all teams incorporate stakeholder consultation and buy-in activities Communicate internally within the MFS Team, as well as externally to key stakeholders and other audiences Continuously improving the change management approach and tools based upon lessons learned and then redeploying them for the next phase Generate role oriented, process focused training linked to specific jobs Plan, prepare and deliver Just-in-Time / Just Enough Training Focus on developing CM competency around the wider LCC business Actively engage the End Users in the MFS design and delivery processes to promote buy-in and ownership
Work closely with the LCC Senior Management Team to reinforce their leadership role for the project and share information of interest to multiple parties Work closely with the MFS BPR Team to ensure consistency between the business process, system design and any Change Management products Manage the programme development and delivery within the defined budget and timeline. Keep people informed of project development at the right time and at the right level to create acceptance
1.9
Critical Success Factors

The effectiveness of the Change Management Strategy will depend on a number of critical success factors, including the commitment and support of LCC leadership, access to stakeholder groups when required and the proactive interaction with, and availability of, the MFS Team. The aggressive project timeline requires the following elements for successful Change Management:
Leadership commitment and management support to the Change Management effort:
o Management must support the project by cascading the key messages from MFS communications to their teams. o Management must support the Super Users, as and when they are identified, to deliver the End User Training Programme.
o Attendance at MFS workshops, communication sessions and training courses must be viewed as a top priority. o Management must take action to remedy cases where individuals are not attending training sessions as scheduled. Industry experience indicates that at least 85% of identified pre-go-live End Users must attend training and achieve the required competence level to ensure a smooth transition at go-live. i. Availability of Stakeholder Groups to provide inputs and feedback to the MFS Team:
Availability of the LCC Senior Management Team to support stakeholder engagement activity and provide executive support to the project team. o Availability of the MFS Project Board and Business Change Managers within LCC to support change readiness activities, development of communication and engagement materials and creation of training materials. o Availability of Super Users to deliver the training to ensure maximum knowledge transfer, acceptance, and ownership of the new and/or revised business processes and system. o Availability of End User to receive system demonstrations and End User training. o Availability of the Process Team members and Super Users to participate in audience analysis, curriculum development, quality review and programme delivery activities. This activity is time consuming and must not be underestimated. ii. A managed communications and learning pace to prevent information overload: o Impact of change must be identified down to End User level to ensure engagement and communication activities, and subsequent training content, is targeted and appropriate. o Each role must have a detailed curriculum that includes both process and Oracle transactional training where each new session builds upon the previous training sessions. iii. Project documentation support and accuracy to underpin high quality communication and training materials: o Well-written and maintained business processes, Oracle procedures and other related policy documentation is essential. This documentation is the primary content source for the communication effort and training materials. o The quality review process must involve:

iv.
MFS Champions / Super Users to ensure user acceptance MFS BPR Team subject matter experts to ensure technical accuracy Infrastructure for a controlled, reliable training environment:
o The technology and systems to support delivery must provide for a controlled, reliable training environment, with rapid response time. o There must be appropriate levels of technical and application support for the training database. v. Cross-team communication to integrate the team and optimise shared knowledge:
The BPR Team has in-depth knowledge of the business processes and the Oracle R12 EBS Plus configuration. Change Managers will rely on their subject matter expertise to aid in the development of a Change Impact Analysis and the subsequent training materials. o Ongoing timely communication of business process and configuration changes throughout the life of the project is required to ensure communication and training accuracy. vi. Stable project scope to create accurate communications and training2:
A clearly defined project scope and plan and a well-managed scope control process are required to ensure design and development of an appropriate training curriculum. A
2 Project scope may still be amended by use of authorised change control techniques.
clearly defined process must exist for communicating changes to the training materials as a result of testing or training issues. vii. outputs: Adequate time for materials development to design, develop and deliver high quality
Appropriate time and resources from the BPR Team must be allocated for MFS change management related activities, including quality reviews, user acceptance testing, posttesting upgrades and revisions to training materials. This will require at least eight hours per BPR Team member during communication and training materials development plus a further four hours per BPR Team member following UAT.
ASSUMPTIONS
1.10 Objectives
The MFS Change Management Strategy is based on the following assumptions, each of which affects the scope of work, timeline, and resources:
1. The Oracle eBusiness Suite version to be implemented is R12, with configuration enhancements as identified during the To-Be phase. For the purpose of this document, the scope excludes Assets, Project Accounting and P2P OCR. 2. Members of the MFS Project Board are the final decision makers on behalf of LCC when making decisions regarding change management activities. 3. Business Managers are the ultimate owners of the To-Be design. 4. The MFS Project Team, LCC leadership and LCC staff all support the Train-the-Trainer approach for delivery of the End User Training Programme. 5. The MFS Project Team will have access to an up-to-date and stable Oracle R12 EBS system, which is essential to the development of communication and training materials. 6. Appropriate technical support will be available. This includes: o Full time basis support for the Oracle training environment. o Full time support for the training venues i.e. PCs, network infrastructure 7. Basic knowledge of business area - it is assumed that all participants are working in the area covered by the training and do not need further business awareness or training, e.g. basic financial concepts. If someone is new to the area and lacks the basic skills it is the LCC line managers responsibility to ensure that they are proficient in their current capacity prior to attending Oracle or other ICT training. 8. The MFS ICT Team will ensure that the training delivery system and the training facilities are available and properly equipped to support on-time delivery of the End User Training Programme. 9. The MFS Project Manager will be advised of any configuration changes and that these are migrated to the training environment. 10. The overall MS Project Plan will be managed along with the Change Management plan to ensure that adequate time and resources are available for communication and training material edits and quality reviews subsequent to integration testing and prior to programme delivery. 11. MFS is not responsible for the development or delivery of Windows / PC Literacy training. The End User Training Strategy assumes that Department Heads will identify requirements for this level of training during the End User Training Analysis verification process and identify appropriate training courses. 12. End Users will be released by the business to attend workshops, CRPs and other system / process demonstrations and training sessions. 13. The MFS Project Manager will provide managers with information and support material on any role changes resulting from the transformation project. They will be responsible for cascading this information to their staff.
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BPR TEAM AND CHANGE INTEGRATION

1.11 Integration Assumptions
The BPR Team are the subject matter experts on the To-Be processes; they provide the subject matter content for Change Management to enable communications and training to be targeted and focused. Their specific roles and responsibilities include:
Provide detailed information on the impact of directorate-specific process and system changes in their specialist area Deliver detailed process training to Super Users post basic Oracle navigation (delivered by the Change Management work stream) and prior to Train the Trainer Support Super Users in their training preparation Work with the Change Management work stream to establish the key process and system change communication messages and the training curriculum Develop complete business activity scripts, the primary input for the instructional materials: The training developers will first focus on courses that contain approved scripts. Therefore, any changes to script approval dates and to scripts after approval will have a direct impact on the development of materials. Answer questions about business and system processes and procedures: After reviewing the scripts, the training developer will schedule brief interviews with the Process Team member responsible for writing the script, as required. The purpose of the interviews will be to provide the developer with information necessary to test transactions/procedures (i.e. specific data, required screens, fields, etc.). Quality review communication and training materials The first draft of any communication and training materials are forwarded to the designated project team member for review. Assist the Change Management work stream in identifying relevant practice exercises and examples for End User training Provide level 3 post-implementation support to end users (1st Super Users, 2nd Helpdesk) Assist the Change Management work stream in quality reviewing the training system
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CM STRATEGY STRUCTURE
1.12 Overview
The Change Management methodology for MFS can be described in two stages: Stage 1: Inputs and Stage 2: Outputs.
Stage 1: Inputs, involves a series of activities designed to identify who will be affected by the change, how they will be affected and what actions need to be taken to prepare them for moving to the new organisational structure, To-Be business processes and supporting ICT. Stage 2: Outputs, involves articulation of the detailed plans and approaches to address what has been identified during Stage 1.
This section describes these activities, represented in the model below, in more detail and cross-references to the full detail within associated documents:
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1.13 Stakeholder Analysis

Purpose: To identify the scope of people affected by MFS, their main concerns, the desired level of involvement required from them, the key messages to be sent, the preferred media and frequency and the feedback process. For clarity, key stakeholders are defined as individuals, or groups of people that are highly impacted by the project, or who are critical to the success of the project.
Stakeh
It is essential to identify and manage these groups at the earliest opportunity to:
Maximise the likelihood of the project being a success in the short and long term Support them in demonstrating the appropriate levels of commitment to the project due to their high level of influence over the project
Chang As
Proactive stakeholder management results in:

Potential barriers to success being minimised; and Visible, sustained commitment to the project being maximised
Cha A
In late 2008 the MFS Project Manager conducted a stakeholder analysis for MFS. The first stage of this process was to understand the internal organisational structure to document how LCC currently operates.
Com Stra
End U S
Trai A
Organisat Go-L
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Using criteria to identify the degree of project impact and the degree of criticality to the project, the key stakeholder groups were categorised as Awareness, Support, Buy-In or Commitment (see below):
Stakeholder Group MFS Project Team MFS Project Board Business Change Managers LCC Finance Team Finance Business Partners Budget Holders Business Support Finance Assistant Directors Internal Communications Team LCC HR & ICT Business Partners Corporate Management Team Departmental Management Boards LCC HR, ICT, Public Access Corporate Securing the Future team Non-Oracle users who use GL codes Unions Suppliers Councillors Council Residents
Category Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Commitment Support Support Support Support Buy-in Buy-in Awareness Awareness Awareness Awareness
&
For each key stakeholder group an engagement plan will be created to move them from basic awareness, through to the level of support, buy-in and / or commitment they will need to reach to ensure ownership of, and sustainability of, the change.
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Stakeholder Engagement Process
Key Deliverables from Stakeholder Analysis

Deliverable Stakeholder Analysis output Format and Purpose Excel spreadsheet identifying MFS stakeholders, the desired level of engagement, key concerns, key communication messages, main change impact and engagement mechanism Excel spreadsheet identifying MFS stakeholders, a monthly assessment of their engagement level and actions to move through to desired engagement level Workshop materials in PowerPoint with supporting material in Word. Engagement solutions are designed for use with specific stakeholder groups who are not demonstrating the desired engagement level. With Management Teams, for example, this could result in the delivery of a Leadership Alignment Workshop Word document and Excel spreadsheets to identify the detailed communication activities to create awareness, buy-in and acceptance of the change based on stakeholder needs, change readiness and the impact of the change. The high level Communication Plan identifies key communication triggers aligned to the Project Plan. A four-weekly operational communication plan provides the Change Management work stream with a tool to drive communication actions
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Stakeholder Engagement Solutions (if required)
Communication Strategy and Plan
Considerations for Change Management Plan (a)
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i. ii. iii. iv.
Ensure stakeholders are clear about why MFS is important to them and their organisation. Ensure leaders have the right skills and support to do their role effectively. What incentives or disincentives are there for leaders to support the project? Ensure LCC leadership teams fully understand their role in making the project successful.
Purpose / Relevance
what does this mean for me? what do I need to do to be successful? whats in it for me?
1.14 Change Readiness Assessment
Purpose: To assist the development of change deliverables by providing data about the extent of change required, perceptions of impacted users and change challenges likely to require attention and action.
A formal change readiness assessment is typically undertaken by organisations prior to embarking on the design and development of a change project such as MFS. These assessments, which measure how people feel about change and the organisations ability to manage the change, provide valuable information about the extent of change required, the key hotspots to consider when developing the communications and involvement approach and likely challenges for the project to consider from a people perspective.
Reinforce / Consequence
what happens if I do this well? how will I be rewarded for Change Readiness Assessments are usually undertaken by sending a questionnaire to individuals affected bydoing asking forright thing? of key change the change the their views on a number dimensions. Typically these include the following including: what will happen if I dont? Dimension Purpose and Outputs
Prior Change This considers the history of past change initiatives implemented across the organisation. The relevance of studying Prior Change is that past experience teaches people what to expect. This information can be used to leverage the positive aspects of the organisations prior implementation experiences and to understand and address any negative impact or inappropriate expectations from past experiences. This considers information about how well the project is understood and supported. This information can be used for the communication strategy and address gaps in the perception of the project by appropriate communication channels. This considers peoples perceptions of their leaders skills, approach,
Project Perception
Leadership
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Dimension
Purpose and Outputs commitment, and support. This enables the team to understand the confidence that employees have in their leadership. The commitment of managers at all levels of the organisation to MFS is critical for successful implementation. This data can help support strategies and interventions that increase confidence in leadership and strengthen employees understanding of their leaderships commitment to the project. This considers the adequacy and availability of resources to support major change. This data is useful to define real or perceived resource limitations. A commitment to the successful implementation of change is often demonstrated through management and allocation of resources. This considers employee satisfaction with their job security, with the nature of the work they do and with the contribution they are making to the business. During change it is important to have anchors of stability and to not inadvertently take away what is working without careful replacement. This considers openness, receptivity and support for change. The questions address employees attitudes, behaviours, and their perceptions about how change happens across their part of the organisation. The relevance of these questions is that they indicate which areas of the organisation are positively predisposed to change and highlights where there may be resistance This considers the extent that employees feel encouraged and rewarded for certain behaviours. This category is related to reinforcement management. Behaviours isolated to understand reinforcement patterns could be: creativity, continuous improvement, risk taking and long term thinking This considers how communication is managed and how communication needs are met. Understanding the status quo can help define the communication strategy for the project to help employees understand the impact of the change
Resources
Work Environment
Change Orientation
Rewards Recognition
&
Communication
For MFS, the Change Management works stream plan to review existing data collected through the LCC People Survey, conducted during May 2007, which will provide an insight into employees views on management, leadership and communication effectiveness. In addition, feedback surveys following every communication and/or engagement activity will include aspects of change readiness to provide more specific feedback. For LCC, the approach to assessing change readiness will be agreed with Operational Efficiency Programme, as MFS needs to be aligned to this overarching activity. Change Readiness Assessment Products
Products Change Readiness Assessment Communications Strategy & Plan Purpose Typically a PowerPoint presentation reporting back on the key themes and insights identified through surveys See deliverables in Section xx
Considerations for Change Management Plan (b)
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what does this mean for me? 1.15 Change Impact Analysis I need to do to be Purpose: To consider what doorganisational, the impact of the process and technical changes planned by MFS on the successful? organisation. The Change Impact Analysis details the headline changes for each audience group and identifies the extent of change each will experience.whats in it for me?
Ensure we understand the concerns and issues of each stakeholder group to enable the team to proactively manage and address any resistance and / or barriers to change. vi. Identify any underlying reasons why the project could be challenging. vii. What potentially is in conflict with the messages from MFS ? What else are we expecting people to do or support? viii. Identify individuals who have a high degree of influence locally to engage early in the project.
v.
Purpose / Relevance
The Change Impact Analysis will help LCC and the MFS Project Team to understand the specific changes to process, organization, and technology as a result of implementing the MFS processes and Oracle R12 EBS Plus solution. This will enable the Change Management work stream to develop techniques and approaches to help guide the stakeholder groups through the change, and manage the consequences of the MFS transformation project on the people affected. In particular it will be used to:
Document and present the impact of Oracle R12 EBS plus and other ICT changes on each user group Highlight areas of greatest impact Focus the change effort on the areas of greatest impact and prioritise future support planned accordingly Populate tactical communication and training plans Communicate what the change will mean for individuals, and what individuals will need to do differently in the future Ensure Stakeholders have a shared understanding of the changes that are being planned in their departments and take ownership for them
what happens if I do this well? how will I be rewarded for doing the right thing? what will happen if I dont?
How will the Impact Analysis process support the MFS Project Team?
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Providing a snapshot of the impact of each teams focus on the different audiences. Helping each team consider how their changes will impact the organisation and align expectations of what the project will deliver. Identifying any indirect impact of MFS on the teams and individuals that are not fully in scope. Contributing to Stakeholder engagement, management and involvement by enabling each team member to articulate whats different. The Impact Analysis for MFS is conducted in two stages:
Stage 1: to identify the headline changes from moving to Oracle R12 EBS Plus from existing systems. Stage 2: to consider the detailed impact at a process level. This will be undertaken with the Process Team. The approach for communicating each anticipated change will be incorporated into the Communication Plan and / or the End user Training Programme.
Change Impact Analysis Deliverables

Dimension Change Impact Analysis Purpose and Outputs MS Excel spreadsheet identifying the processes impacted by MFS, what is changing, how the change will be communicated to End Users (communication and/or training) and commentary about what this means to stakeholder See deliverables in Section xxxx
Communications Strategy & Plan
Considerations for Change Management Plan (c)
The impact analysis needs to help identify the scope of process, system and behaviour changes required to deliver the project successfully. Identify the key changes, which have a disproportionate amount of value to focus all communications and engagement messages. x. What skills can start to be developed prior to formal training? What changes would deliver benefit to the organization and create quick wins? xi. To what extent are leaders and managers prepared to create positive reinforcements and negative consequences for the key process and behaviour changes required for success? xii. What do we need leaders and managers to start saying and doing to create the right environment for change?
ix.
Purpose / Relevance
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1.16 Communications Strategy and Plan

Purpose: To identify how MFS will create effective, two-way communication mechanisms with identified audience groups, what messages and information need to be communicated and when this needs to happen across the lifecycle of the project.
Stakeh
Change Management Benchmarking Studies state that communication (is) one of the factors that has the greatest impact on change management success.
Source: ProSci Benchmarking Report 1998
Chan As
The Communications Strategy and Plan is designed and developed to address the requirements identified through the Stakeholder Analysis, the Change Readiness Assessment and the Change Impact Analysis. Communication is the prime mechanism to achieve awareness amongst stakeholders. The Communication Plan is developed using the following approach:
Cha A
Com Stra
End U S
Trai A
Organisat Go-L
The Communication Plan is developed at two levels; high level to incorporate the key communication triggers aligned to project milestones and a rolling four-week operational plan to initiate communication actions with the project team and the communications team within LCC. The high level plan identifies the specific communication requirements at each stage of the system development to create an awareness of whats happening. The operational plan enables each communication to be created, reviewed and distributed in a timely manner with sufficient time to plan and execute buy-in and ownership activities with stakeholders.
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Dimension High Level Communication Plan Rolling four-week operational Communication Plan Communication Evaluations
Purpose and Outputs Excel spreadsheet identifying the key communication triggers aligned to the project plan. This high level plan identifies key meeting dates across the lifecycle of the project. Excel spreadsheet identifying the communication objectives, target audiences, key messages, communication media, frequency, sponsor and feedback mechanism. MS Word document summarising the assessment of MFS communications and key themes identified from the stakeholder survey. Additional insights and feedback is also provided through informal communication evaluation/feedback mechanisms.
Considerations for Change Management Plan (d)
Ensure there is an effective change network within LCC to localise generic messages and help people see the relevance of MFS to them xiv. Provide briefing materials to support local team meetings xv. Identify mechanisms that will create a pull for information about MFS xvi. Ensure LCC leadership are visibly supporting the project
xiii.
Purpose / Relevance
1.17 End User Training Strategy
Purpose: To identify how End Users will be familiarised with the new Oracle R12 EBS Plus and other ICT systems, the mechanism for developing knowledge of the processes and the approach to developing the system skills that End Users require to undertake their role.
The purpose of the End User Training Strategy is primarily to ensure that the right End Users receive the right training, at the right time. The diagram below identifies the steps to develop the End User training Programme.
The ability to achieve ownership and buy-in from stakeholders who are End Users of the system is heavily dependent on the degree of acceptance of the new system.
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what happens if I do this well?
Ultimately the MFS Training Strategy is dependent on End Users internalising the concept of integrated financial processes. In developing the strategy and approach to process and system training, therefore, the objective is to lay the foundation for a change in mindset prior to hands on key stroke training by the time an End User attends training they should know what Oracle R12 EBS Plus is, why LCC is changing, the impact that the change will have on them and a clear understanding of any changes to their role. This is achieved by progressively increasing End Users awareness and understanding of the change, identifying how it will impact on them and increasing acceptance through exposure to both the new screens they will use and focusing on the benefits they will experience as a result of using the new system. A separate MFS End User Training Strategy document is being prepared and will be available for review by 15 September.
End User Training Deliverables

Dimension End User Training and Documentation Strategy Curriculum Purpose and Outputs A document that outlines project scope, deliverables, development approach, staffing, and schedule High level information of courses which will be delivered which includes the course title, the intended audience, a brief description of the purpose of the course and a first pass at the course duration. Course outlines, which document course objectives, business processes supported, the intended audience, transactions and delivery strategy. These documents build upon the foundation of the curriculum. Working models of training content and documentation materials that demonstrate the look and feel of final deliverables.
Course Outlines
Pilot
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Dimension Train-the-Trainer Programme Oracle R12 Plus Basic Navigation Training Instructor Guides
Purpose and Outputs Instructor skills and content training for prospective Instructors that covers classroom support and delivery. Hands on classroom based training providing fundamental information about Oracle, the product and appropriate navigation skills. The instructor guide is an aid developed to assist instructors with training. An instructor guide will be developed for all Instructor-led courses. Instructor guides will consist of an agenda, course objectives, lesson plan and Instructor slides appearing in the training manual. There will also be a checklist explaining the recommended duration of each module and activity, commonly asked questions, activity instructions, logistical instructions and training tips. Concepts slides providing an overview of business processes, goals, and objectives of the implementation. The format of the participant guides will follow the standard documentation produced by the iTrain training tool. These materials can be available as a paper-based document, however, the intention is to use online delivery. A learner guide may include: Workflows and transactions Job- or role-specific terms and concepts Demonstrations Walkthroughs
Process Education and Training Training Manual
Training Manuals will be designed to: Exercise Workbook Concentrate on tasks that users will need to perform Focus on the most frequently used functions of the Oracle system Move from the easy to the more difficult tasks
This is the primary tool for Instructor-led training. It contains what must be learned and includes information and instructional activities. Hands-on practice for specific transactions using documented business situations Include business-relevant exercises that guide the users through each task Accommodate a natural, logical progression from one exercise to the next Gradually release the trainees to perform tasks without instructor guidance
General components will include: Expert-led Checklist Information that identifies information about the training system Training IDs and passwords for each trainee Master and transaction data for practice exercises and the case studies In situations where there are a minimum number of users (<5) it does not make financial sense to develop the full range of material for the course. In this situation a checklist will be developed to ensure that the instructor covers all critical issues and business activity scripts will be used for the transaction level of detail In certain cases, people affected by the system will not need any formal training or will need reinforcement of key concepts covered in the training. In this case a learning aid will be developed for use at work. The format of these will vary to suit the requirements of each particular environment e.g. Someone who only has to enter reporting data (one transaction) into the system would not have to attend an entire class on-site, but could use a quick reference guide to perform to perform this single transaction. Creation of data in the Oracle R12 Plus training environment to support hands-on practice. This will be created by the Change Management work
Quick Reference Guides
Training Database
23
Dimension Course Pilots Evaluation, Assessment & Certification
Purpose and Outputs stream and the Super Users with support from the BPR Team. Delivery of initial courses, evaluation of results, and modification to materials based on learner and observer feedback. Documentation on how the course materials, instructors, and participants will be evaluated, according to Kirkpatricks four levels of evaluation: Immediately following the course: 1. Participants perception of the training relevance to their job (class smile sheets) 2. Measurement of the participants knowledge and skills acquisition Ongoing up to three months after go-live: 3. Measurement of the behaviour changes associated with the knowledge and skills acquisition 4. Measurement of the business impact of the training associated with the change in behaviour. Turnover of documentation, training materials, and development and delivery mechanisms to process owners to assure continuous transfer of knowledge
Ongoing Training and Documentation Maintenance Plan
Considerations for Change Management Plan (e)
xvii. training xviii.
Ensure managers understand why they need to plan for releasing their staff to attend MFS
Provide managers and team leaders with an early opportunity to view the system and processes to enable them to answer questions locally before the training programme begins xix. Ensure Super Users are given the time and space to learn their role as a local system and process expert. xx. To what extent will LCC leadership support the need for training before individuals receive access to the new system? To what extent will a decision about go-live depend on a critical number of end users being effectively trained? xxi. Ensure leaders and managers are seen to be actively involved in receiving training themselves and market this locally
Purpose / Relevance
24
1.18 End User Training Needs Analysis

Purpose: To identify the MFS End Users through an audience analysis, the specific course contents and durations, training plan and schedule, Super User (trainer) allocation and training effectiveness evaluation approachwho is doing what training and when?
Having established an End User Training Strategy, the End User Training Needs Analysis component enables the project team to identify specific End Users from both from the legacy system and based on increased functionality delivered by the new system and processes, define the content for each training course and ultimately plan and schedule the End User Training Programme. The End User Training Needs Analysis process is iterative, incorporating the knowledge and expertise of the MFS BPR Team with local knowledge of the target End User community. It is essential that the draft End User Training Analysis is approved by Department Heads, as they will be required to release staff for training as per the Training Schedule. Seeking their sign off is an effective mechanism for achieving buy-in to the time commitment and inevitable disruption End User training will cause for the Department. End User Training Deliverables
Dimension Detailed End User Training Schedule and Plan End User Training Enrolment and Tracking System Purpose and Outputs Excel spreadsheet identifying End Users, identified training courses, training course dates and times, trainer name, location and training room. Training records maintained on an Excel spreadsheet to send course joining instructions, track attendance and record competency levels. The capability of the iTrain system will be considered for any automated workflows.
Considerations for Change Management Plan (f)
25
what does this mean for me? what do I need to do to be 1.19 Organisational Readiness and Go-Live Planning Purpose: successful? To measure the completion of critical go-live tasks, flag potential risks for action and assess the overall readiness to me? whats in it for successfully make the change. To plan the activities leading
up to go-live to create a sense of importance and anticipation about this key event. To provide visibility to the business that key business processes have either not been adversely impacted by the project or they have been brought back to pre go-live levels of performance after the MFS go-live.
Ensure the impact analysis clearly identifies what is changing and how this will impact each role. This needs to be clearly articulated in the training overview so people understand why it is important that they are there xxiii. Ensure the training exercises are appropriate for the role they undertake so that individuals can apply this in their own work situation and context xxiv. What mechanisms will be put in place to ensure people feel rewarded for working in the desired way? This should be reinforced during training xxv. Recognise managers who are visibly supporting the training needs analysis process through directorate and team communications
xxii.
Purpose / Relevance
Stakeh Reinforce / Consequence

Project implementations come with a certain amount of risk and uncertainty. The Organisational readiness and Go-Live Planning processes help mitigate this risk by allowing management to make data-based decisions.
Chang what happens if I do this well? The diagram below illustrates the two phases of Organisational Readiness and Go-Live post go-live. The pre go-live phaserewardedthe how will I be is focused on helping for As Planning pre go-live and business to identify and track the key business performance metrics to baseline their doing the right thing? Cha definition of stable operations. This is complimented by a business assessment of the completion of critical go-live tasks. The post go-live phase tracks the same key I dont? A business performance what will happen ifany specific metrics in the new system and identifies
performance variances when compared to pre-go live performance, which can be quickly investigated and resolved. The diagram below illustrates these two phases.
Com Stra
End U S
26
Organisational Readiness Organisational Readiness focuses on the critical go-live activities that need to be completed before the business can declare they are ready to go-live. For example, the new system may be successfully configured and tested, however, unless a critical mass of End Users demonstrate competency in using the new system, the business is not ready to go-live. Organisational Readiness categorises business readiness in 4 key areas:
People Readiness: how prepared people are for go-live Measuring the critical items to enable the project leadership team to assess learning and understanding of the change by business members, users, customers, contractors, vendors and other impacted parties e.g. have 80% of End Users been trained by two weeks before go-live Technology Readiness: to what extent is the technology in place to support go-live? Measuring the preparation of hardware, software and security preparation for End Users to access the new system e.g. End User activity analysis has been validated by the business? Application and Testing Readiness: the completeness of critical configuration and testing activities Measuring the completeness of key system configuration activities and the results achieved from system testing e.g. have all business scenarios for testing been signed off by the business by a specific date driven by the plan? Cutover and Data Management: the completeness of critical cutover activities and data verification Measuring the specific cutover and data management activities including business understanding of the process, engagement and availability of resources to verify data and sign off
PRE GO-
CE
Bus
27
Help p
prior to go-live e.g. have the business reviewed and agreed the cutover plan and understand how business shutdown and resumption activities fit.
These specific measurements are taken on defined dates prior to go-live using a set of questions that require a yes or no answer through an on-line tool provided by the Change Management work stream. Any questions with a no answer identify some degree of risk to the readiness of the business and project team to go-live on the target date. This risk analysis triggers remedial action to either get the project back on track or defer the go-live date. Go-Live Planning Key to the success of Go-Live Planning is engaging the business to both define the specific measures impacted by the project, for example invoice payment accuracy, number of interface items rejected, and identify source of this data. Often this data is not proactively managed in the legacy system and therefore some manual tracking may be required. Once this has been achieved it is essential to the track performance for a sufficient period, at the least 3 months pre go-live, to create a meaningful baseline and range of acceptable performance. Underpinning the objective measurement of performance metrics, the marketing of golive is key for engagement and creating a sense of importance for this key event.
Organisational Readiness and Go-Live Planning Deliverables

Dimension Approved Go-Live metrics Purpose and Outputs To identify and define the metrics to be used by the business to create a baseline of stable performance. This includes the name of the metric, source, format, who is responsible for providing data, frequency and format The tracker will be used for daily tracking of any pre go-live metric cleansing (as necessary) and to report daily post go-live metrics during cutover Population of metrics into the metrics tracker (% complete) will be reported to and tracked by the Project Board Defines the questions and expected responses to each critical pre go-live activity by each organizational readiness measurement date The site readiness criteria questions are uploaded to a web based tool that is used to undertake the organisational readiness assessments, convert the responses into a risk analysis and provide objective reports for review.
Metrics Tracking Tool
Approved Organisational Readiness Criteria Site Readiness Web Tool
28
TIMESCALES & MILESTONES

1.20 Timetable
The diagram below represents the high-level Change Management activities and timetable for MFS:
N Stakeholder analysis Change readiness assessment Change impact assessment Communications Project Board End user training strategy Develop materials Establish training environment Training needs analysis Develop high level training curriculum Create end user training master On board Super Users Organisational readiness Go Live planning D J F M A M J J A S O
1.21 Key Dates and Milestones

Change Input Stakeholder Analysis Change Readiness Assessment (CRA) Change Impact Analysis (CIA) Communications Strategy & Plan End User Training Strategy Key Dates and Milestones Stakeholders aligned formal assessment Exit criteria: signed off Stakeholder Analysis Completion of analysis Exit criteria: signed off CRA All changes identified Exit criteria: signed off CIA Evaluate communications effectiveness Exit criteria: post go-live stability statement Training master client available Training Programme delivery starts Final version of MFS materials Pre go-live End Users trained Exit criteria: signed off training materials End User Analysis completed Training plan and schedule in place Exit criteria: MFS training fully embedded into Business as Usual training Metrics approved by the business Organisational readiness tool populated Organisational readiness measurements Exit criteria: post go-live stability statement
End User Training Needs Analysis
Organisational Readiness and Go-Live Planning
29
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Role Project Manager Role Description Lead the delivery of stakeholder engagement and communication presentations as defined in plan Identify and escalate stakeholder engagement risks and issues Address stakeholder engagement issues with Change Manager Approve change management deliverables Identify and escalate stakeholder engagement risks and issues Address stakeholder engagement issues with Change Manager Communicate with project team regarding project status Demonstrate project leadership through active and visible participation Proactively identify and resolve key issues and communicate decisions and reasoning in a timely manner Create environment that encourages open, two-way communication Central point of contact to identify stakeholder groups, manage the stakeholder engagement process and identify communication needs Ensure communications are targeted correctly to achieve effective alignment Escalate stakeholder engagement issues through Project Board Quality assure all communication and End User Training deliverables Develop Stakeholder Analysis Facilitate implementation of Communications Plan through teams to work groups Ensure Project Manager and Project Board have the information they need to support effective communication Develop and deliver key messages throughout the implementation stage Manage and maintain the weekly communication plan Assist in the development of milestone communications Ensure that key communications are in accordance with LCC communications strategy and standards Develop communication templates Draft communication materials including presentations, newsletters and project team updates Identify whats changing in each process area Validate the communication and training content Provide training data and training scenarios, in conjunction with the Training Team Deliver detailed process-training to the Super Users Support the Super Users in delivering end user training Provide Training Lead with updates to process as a result of testing Be an advocate of MFS programme Evaluate lessons learned from previous training programmes Responsible for knowledge transfer to LCC and the Client and to develop methods and content for ongoing support of job performance. Work with Business Process and User Acceptance work streams to develop training materials. The main focus includes transferring knowledge regarding the new business processes being implemented and the Oracle functionality that supports these processes to the end users Input to the Training Needs Analysis, Participants Workbooks, Participants Exercises, and Quick Reference Guides as directed by the Training Work stream. Participate in the piloting of training sessions in UAT. Develop and deliver the training curriculum, schedule and training plan. Evaluate training effectiveness Deliver Train the Trainer course to Super Users Provide end user analysis proforma Facilitate completion of training needs analysis
Project Board
Change Manager
Process Team
Training Manager
Training Team Leader
30
Role
Technical Development Lead
Super Users
Role Description Develop course structure and training plan Create training materials uding UPK tool, including Manuals, Lesson Plans and Quick Reference Guides Create training course and skills acquisition evaluation process and documentation Provide the Technical Lead with End User MFS to identify security profile Provide the basis for role profiles and end user security access Provide trainee user IDs and passwords Input to, and potentially present, technical discussions with stakeholder groups Provide training environment for development and delivery of End User Training Programme Provide support during training delivery Collate local feedback on project Attend training Oracle basic navigation, detailed process training and Train the Trainer course Deliver End User Training Programme and system demonstrations
31
Open and Closed Issues

1.22 Open Issues
ID Issue Resolution Responsibili ty Target Date Impact Date
1.23 Closed Issues

ID Issue Resolution Responsibili ty Target Date Impact Date
32

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