Change Management

Change Management Basics and

Frequently Asked Questions

Ideas and Concepts | Accreditation and Exams | Re-registration | FAQ

Ideas and Concepts

Change Management encompasses the tool, techniques and processes to manage organisational change. The ideas and concepts covered by the Foundation qualification are:

  • Individuals
  • Teams
  • Organisations
  • Leadership
  • Integrated Change Management
In addition to the ideas and concepts above, the Practitioner level will cover the following topics:
  • Coaching
  • How to give feedback
  • The Team Leaders role
  • Leadership through Tuckman's four phases of team change
  • Action Learning Sets
  • Tools for complex change

From these ideas and concepts, delegates will learn about the dynamics of change at the individual, team and organisationl level and ways to facilitate change. Delegates will also be able to plan for change-based issues and recognise unplanned issues at an early stage. Organisational changes will be planned appropriately with improved delivery, and any projects or programmes with an aspect of change will benefit from a more thoughtful approach.

 

Accreditation and Exams

There are three levels of accreditation for Change Management which result in internationally recognised qualification:

The Foundation Certificate shows familiarality with the ideas and concepts of Change Management and is for anyone wishing to learn about change management and why good ideas and change fail. It is suitable for project managers, anyone working within a project team and anyone working with change in an organisation.

The Practitioner Certificate allows delegates to gain a deeper knowledge of the principles of change management and how to implement and manage change within their organisation. It is suitable for project, programme or change managers and anyone working with change in an organisation.

Change Management Foundation Exam Format

  • 1 hour allowed
  • Multiple choice examination
  • There are 4 sections with 60 marks available in total.
  • Closed book exam
  • The pass mark is 30 out of 60 available (50%)

Change Management Practitioner Exam Format

  • 3 hours allowed
  • Objective testing examination
  • 4 questions per paper with 20 marks available per question - 80 marks available in total
  • Open book exam (manual and candidate handbook only)
  • The pass mark is 40 out of 80 available (50%)
  • Pre-requisite: A pass in the Foundation level examination

 

Re-registration

All Change Management Registered Practitioners have the opportunity to re-register their accreditation within 3-5 years of the original certification date. Re-registering your accreditation demonstrates a commitment to continuous professional development and will keep you updated on any revisions of the methodology.

Please note that your qualification will not expire after 5 years, however you will no longer be a "Registered" Practitioner. To reclaim your Registered Practitioner status you can complete the re-registration exam at any time.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Downloads

Official APMG Change Management Leaflet (PDF)

 

What is Change Management?

There are many definitions of change management. We consider it to be:

  • The process, tools and techniques to manage the people side of changing systems, structures and behaviours.
  • Achieving the required outcomes.
  • Realising the change effectively within individuals, teams and organisations.
  • A growing body of knowledge about the problems inherent in managing change and how to avoid or manage the issues.

 

Why is Change Management important?

Virtually all projects need people to do something different before they can realise their benefits. This may be to use different technology, follow different processes, cooperate with new people, or behave differently.

Experienced project managers know that this can be one of the difficult aspects of a project, and, yet, many project management methodologies are silent on this or take a fairly superficial approach. PRINCE2® admits that it does not cover this area at all.

Some recent studies have confirmed the importance of Change Management:

  • A 2002 McKinsey study showed that the Return on Investment for a project was over four times higher when Change Management was included in the initiative. This study covered about 40 organisations.
  • A 2004 survey by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, revealed an undeniable correlation between project performance and change management. This study covered about 200 organisations.
  • Discussing a 2007 survey of over 400 organisations across the world - “Projects with excellent change management programs met or exceeded objectives 88% of the time, while projects with poor change management met or exceeded objectives only 17% of the time." - Tim Creasey, Prosci's Centre for Change Management
These three surveys come to a remarkably similar conclusion. The return on investment for a project that uses Change Management is about four times higher than one that doesn't.

 

How is the training presented?

  • A blend of theory and practice with examples.
  • Both prepared material and discussion and dialogue.
  • Focus on practical application in the workplace.

 

Where can I get more information?

The official page on the APMG website contains further information on Change Management and other Best Practice products.

 

Adaptive Frameworks offers the Change Management course through our training partner, Project Laneways.