Course Description

This course focuses on the practical aspects of effective change management as it relates to change and the individual, change and the organization, communications and stakeholder engagement and change management practice. This is an intense course that involves both pre-course and evening study during the course. The course is entirely complementary to formal portfolio, programme and project management approaches (such as MOP®, MSP®, and PRINCE2®) but knowledge of these approaches is not a pre-requisite for attendance.

The course provides a practical and informative pathway of understanding through the maze of principles, theories and the practice of change management. It gives a solid platform for clear best practice thinking and the application of a range of proven change management tools and techniques for achieving successful change.

Target Student

Anyone interested in understanding the basic principles of achieving successful organizational change, transition or transformation.
Team members involved in organizational change, transition or transformation projects.
Professionals pursuing the Change Management Practitioner certificate – for which the Change Management Foundation certificate is a pre-requisite.

Pre-requisites

Some previous experience of change management or programme/project management would be useful but is not essential. There is some recommended pre-course reading and preparation together with evening work during the course.

Performance Based Objectives

By attending this course, you will:

• Achieve an internationally recognised APMG-International qualification
• Learn from the experts, all of whom, are experienced change management practitioners
• Gain a clear, practical understanding of the implications and impacts of change on people and organizations
• Gain knowledge and understanding of how to support people through change.

Course Materials

All students will receive a hardcopy of the required Change Management v3 Study Guide, sent to their preferred postal address, and the rest of the course materials will be provided in digital format.

Course Content

This Foundation and Practitioner level course focuses on the basic and advanced elements from 4 main areas: Change and the individual, change and the organisation, Communications and stakeholder engagement and Change Management Practice.

Change and the Indiviual

• Stages of Kubler-Ross' "change curve"
• Planning for transition
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs
• Satisfaction and growth
• Types of individual (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)
• The roots of learning theory
• Learning Process and learning styles
• Training planning

Change and the Organisation

• How we think about organisations: Morgan's metaphors
• Model of the change process, including Kotter, Senge, Lewin
• Key roles in organisational change
• What we mean by "organisational change"
• Emergent change: complex adaptive and complex responsive systems
• Drivers of change
• Developing vision
• Understanding the project environment

Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

• Techniques for stakeholder identification, mapping and segmentation
• Managing relationships and mobilising stakeholders
• Effective communication including two-way communication and cognitive biases
• Communicating change including use of symbols and metaphors
• Lean and rich communication channels
• Developing a communication strategy
• Facilitation techniques

Change Management Practice

• Identifying change impacts
• Increasing motivation to change
• Preparing for resistance
• Levers (e.g carrot and stick)
• Reinforcing systems: Vicious and Virtuous circles
• Building team effectiveness

Course Approach

This is the 5 day Foundation and Practitioner course and is a mixture of input and practical sessions teaching to both the 'Foundation' and 'Practitioner' APMG Syllabus levels, delivered by an APMG approved trainer with practical experience of change management. The course prepares delegates for and incorporates both the Foundation and Practitioner exams and includes additional focus on the application of the method using Practitioner-level tasks and 'objective test' style exam questions.

Delegates should spend approximately 4-6 hours studying the pre-course material to be well prepared for the course.

Exam Format

The APMG Change Management Foundation and Practitioner exams are included in this course.

Foundation Exam:

Practitioner Exam: