Project and change management is a discipline that aims to plan, implement, monitor and control change projects and initiatives within an organisation. This discipline involves managing the resources, costs, timescales, quality and risks associated with a project or change initiative, as well as communication and collaboration with the stakeholders involved in the project.
Project and change management involves the following stages:
- Planning: the first step in project and change management is to plan the project or change initiative. This stage involves identifying the project objectives, defining the deliverables, estimating costs and timescales, determining the resources required and identifying the associated risks.
- Implementation: the second stage involves implementing the project or change initiative using the planning developed in the first stage.
- Monitoring and control: the third stage involves monitoring and controlling the progress of the project or change initiative, using key performance indicators such as costs, timescales and quality.
- Communication: the fourth stage involves communicating with the stakeholders involved in the project or change initiative to ensure that the objectives are clearly understood and that the expected results are achieved.
- Change management: the final stage of project and change management is to manage the changes brought about by the project or change initiative, ensuring that the organisation’s processes are adapted to suit the new outcomes.
Project and change management is essential for organisations seeking to innovate and adapt to a constantly changing environment. It can help businesses achieve their objectives more quickly and at lower cost, while minimising the risks associated with change projects and initiatives.