Change Management Maturity Model: The Complete Guide 2023

The concept of maturity models has its roots in software engineering, where the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) was developed in the late 1980s by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University. The CMM was designed to help organizations improve their software development processes and achieve greater practice maturity.

Since then, the concept of maturity models has been applied to various fields, including project management, risk management, and change management. The Change Management Maturity Model, in particular, has been developed over the past few decades by various organizations and consultants to help organizations assess and improve their change management processes.

One of the earliest versions of the Change Management Maturity Model was developed by Prosci, a consultancy firm specializing in change management, in the 1990s. Prosci’s model consisted of three levels: ad hoc, structured, and integrated. Since then, the model has expanded to include more levels and detailed criteria for assessing change management maturity.

Today, the Change Management Maturity Model is widely used by organizations worldwide to improve their change management practices and achieve tremendous success in managing organizational change.

The Change Management Maturity Model is a framework that helps organizations assess and improve their change management processes. It provides a structured approach to identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement in managing change within an organization.

The model consists of several levels or stages that represent the maturity of the organization’s change management practices. The levels typically range from rudimentary or ad hoc to fully integrated and optimized processes.

Organizations can use the Change Management Maturity Model to identify areas to improve their change management processes and develop a roadmap for achieving greater maturity in managing change.

Two Popular Change Management Maturity Models

There are two popular Change Management Maturity Models: the Prosci Change Management Maturity Model and the CMI Change Management Maturity Model.

Prosci Change Management Maturity Model

The Prosci Change, Management Maturity Model, is widely used for assessing an organization’s change management maturity. The model is based on five levels of maturity, with each level representing an increasingly advanced capability for managing change:

Level 1: Ad hoc

Level 2: Developing

Level 3: Maturing

Level 4: Institutionalizing

Level 5: Leveraging

CMI Change Management Maturity Model

The CMI Change Management Maturity Model is another popular framework for evaluating an organization’s ability to manage change. CMI stands for Change Management Institute, an international organization that promotes excellence and professionalism in change management. The CMI model is based on research and best practices from the change management industry. Their model consists of six levels:

Level 1: Reactive

Level 2: Emerging

Level 3: Developing

Level 4: Established

Level 5: Advanced

Level 6: Dynamic

Both models aim to help organizations assess and improve their change management practices by providing a structured approach to change management maturity. While they differ in the number of levels and the specific criteria for each level, both models emphasize the importance of having a defined change management process, engaging stakeholders, measuring the impact of change, and building a culture of continuous improvement.

Prosci Change Management Audit

The Prosci Change Management Audit is a structured process for assessing an organization’s change management practices and identifying areas for improvement. The audit is based on Prosci’s ADKAR model, a framework for managing personal change.

The Prosci Change Management Audit typically involves the following steps:

1. Planning: Defining the scope and objectives of the audit, identifying the stakeholders to be involved, and establishing a timeline for the audit.
2. Data collection: Gathering data on the organization’s change management practices, such as policies, procedures, tools, and templates. It may involve conducting interviews, surveys, or focus groups with stakeholders.
3. Analysis: Analyzing the data collected to identify strengths and weaknesses in the organization’s change management practices. It may involve using the ADKAR model to assess the effectiveness of the organization’s change management practices.
4. Reporting: Presenting the audit findings to stakeholders, including assessing the organization’s maturity level and recommendations for improving change management practices.
5. Action planning: Develop an action plan for improving change management practices based on the recommendations identified in the audit report. It may involve identifying specific initiatives or projects to be implemented to enhance change management practices.

The Prosci Change Management Audit provides a structured approach for assessing an organization’s change management practices and identifying opportunities for improvement. By using this model, organizations can develop a more practical approach to managing change and improve their ability to achieve their strategic goals.

What are the Five Levels of the Change Management Maturity Model?

Level 1: The Absence of the Ability to Change

At this level, organizations still need formal change management processes in place. Change efforts are ad-hoc and inconsistent, and there needs to be recognition of the need for a structured approach to change management.

Level 2: Isolated Change Management Efforts

Some change management processes exist at this level but must be more cohesive and consistent across the organization. There may be pockets of excellence in certain areas, but an overall strategy for managing change needs to be implemented.

Level 3: Many Change Management Efforts

At this level, there is a recognition of the importance of change management, and efforts are made to standardize and institutionalize change management practices across the organization. However, these efforts still need to be fully integrated.

Level 4: Standardized Change Management Initiatives

Change management is fully integrated into the organization’s culture and processes at this level. There is a standardized approach to change management, and all stakeholders are aligned and working towards a common goal.

Level 5: Competency for Change Management

At this level, change management is a core competency of the organization. Change management is fully integrated into all aspects of the organization’s operations. There is a continuous focus on improving and refining change management practices.

What are the Five Capability Areas?

In addition to the five levels of change management maturity, the Prosci Change Management Maturity Model also identifies five capability areas that organizations must develop to improve their change management maturity. These capability areas are:

1. Leadership: the extent to which leaders understand and support change management.
2. Application: the time when change management principles are applied in specific projects.
3. Competencies: the degree to which individuals have the skills and knowledge to manage change effectively.
4. Standardization: the area to which change management is standardized across the organization.
5. Socialization: the period in which change management is embedded in the organization’s culture.

How to Improve Change Management Maturity?

Improving change management maturity involves addressing each capability area identified in the Prosci Change Management Maturity Model. Some best practices for improving change management maturity include:

• Develop a change management strategy that aligns with organizational goals and priorities.
• Build change management competencies through training and development programs.
• Establish consistent change management processes, tools, and templates across the organization.
• Create a culture that supports change management by involving leaders, communicating the benefits of change management, and recognizing and rewarding change management successes.

What are the Benefits of Using the Change Management Maturity Models?

The benefits of using the Change Management Maturity Models include the following:

1. Provide a framework for assessing an organization’s change management capabilities.
2. Identify areas for improvement and prioritize resources.
3. Enable benchmarking against other organizations.
4. Provide a common language and understanding of change management across the organization.

What are the Drawbacks of the Current Change Management Maturity Models?

The drawbacks of the current Change Management Maturity Models include the following:

1. A focus on process and methodology over people and culture.
2. The potential for the model to be too prescriptive and inflexible.
3. A potential need for alignment with the organization’s overall strategy and objectives.
4. A potential lack of consideration for external factors such as market conditions and competitive pressures.

The Change Management Maturity Model is a valuable tool for assessing an organization’s ability to manage change effectively. The Prosci Change Management Maturity Model and the CMI Change Management Maturity Model are popular frameworks for assessing change management maturity.

The Prosci Change, Management Maturity Model, is based on five maturity levels and measures five capability areas: leadership, application, competencies, standardization, and socialization. To improve change management maturity, organizations should focus on developing a formal change management process, establishing a change management team or function, providing training and development opportunities, standardizing change management processes and tools, and integrating change management into the organization’s culture.

The Agile Maturity Model is a similar framework used to assess an organization’s ability to adopt and implement Agile practices. It is important to note that Agile is just one aspect of change management and should be integrated into a broader change management strategy.

While the Change Management Maturity Models provide a valuable framework for assessing change management maturity, it is essential to consider the drawbacks and limitations of these models. Additionally, it is crucial to involve a diverse group of stakeholders in the change management maturity audit and regularly measure and track change management maturity to identify areas for improvement and measure progress over time.

FAQ

Q: What is the Difference Between Change Management and Enterprise Change Management?

A: Change management and enterprise change management (ECM) are related but distinct concepts.

Change management is the process of planning, implementing, and managing changes in an organization’s operations, systems, or structure. It is a critical part of any project or initiative involving organizational changes. Change management typically consists in assessing the impact of changes, identifying stakeholders who will be affected, developing communication plans, and implementing strategies to ensure that changes are successful and sustainable.

On the other hand, enterprise change management is a more comprehensive approach to change management that involves aligning change management practices across an entire organization. It consists in developing a framework or methodology for managing change that can be applied consistently across all departments and projects. ECM typically includes:

• Establishing a change management governance structure.
• Developing a standard set of change management processes and tools.
• Building a change management culture throughout the organization.

In essence, change management focuses on managing individual changes within an organization. In contrast, enterprise change management creates a consistent, coordinated approach to managing organizational change. Both are important for achieving successful and sustainable change. Still, enterprise change management takes a more strategic and holistic view of change management practices.

Q: Who Should Be Involved in the Change Management Maturity Audit?

A: When conducting a change management maturity audit, it is essential to involve a cross-functional team of stakeholders who understand the organization’s change management processes and practices. It may include:

1. Change management professionals: Individuals with experience in change management and who understand the principles and best practices of change management.
2. Process owners: Individuals responsible for the processes being changed, as they have a deep understanding of how these processes work and how they can be improved.
3. Project managers: Individuals who are responsible for executing projects and initiatives that involve changes to the organization.
4. Senior leaders: Individuals who can provide insights into the organization’s strategic goals and how change management practices can support those goals.
5. Front-line employees: Individuals who are directly affected by changes and can provide insights into how changes have been managed in the past.

It is crucial to involve a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure that the audit captures a range of perspectives and experiences. It helps identify areas where change management practices may be weak or ineffective and provides insights into how they can be improved.

Q: How Can We Measure and Track Change Management Maturity?

A: Measuring and tracking change management maturity can be done through a variety of methods, including:

1. Change management maturity assessments: Conduct regular checks using a change management maturity model, such as Prosci’s or the Change Management Institute’s models, to evaluate the organization’s current maturity level and identify areas for improvement.
2. Key performance indicators (KPIs): Defining and tracking KPIs related to change management, such as the percentage of projects that are delivered on time and budget, the rate of stakeholders who are engaged in the change process, and the number of successful change initiatives.
3. Surveys and feedback: Gather feedback from stakeholders, such as employees and project managers, to understand their perceptions of the organization’s change management practices and identify areas for improvement.
4. Post-implementation reviews: Conduct post-implementation reviews to assess the effectiveness of change management practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
5. Continuous improvement: Building a culture of constant improvement by regularly reviewing and refining change management practices based on feedback and insights from previous change initiatives.

It is vital to establish a regular cadence for measuring and tracking change management maturity and to use various methods to ensure a comprehensive and holistic view of the organization’s change management practices. By doing so, organizations can improve their ability to manage change effectively and achieve their strategic goals.

Q: What is an Agile Maturity Model?

A: An Agile Maturity Model is a framework for assessing an organization’s level of maturity in adopting Agile principles and practices. It provides a structured approach to implementing Agile methodologies. It enables organizations to measure their progress in adopting Agile practices over time.

An Agile Maturity Model typically consists of stages or levels an organization can progress through as it matures in its Agile practices. These stages may be defined based on the organization’s ability to apply Agile principles and practices to its projects and operations and may include criteria such as:

1. Adoption of Agile practices: This may include Scrum, Kanban, or Lean procedures and may involve using Agile tools such as burndown charts or sprint backlogs.
2. Agile project management: This may involve using Agile methodologies to manage projects, such as prioritizing backlogs, conducting daily stand-ups, or holding sprint reviews.
3. Agile culture may involve developing a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation and encouraging experimentation and risk-taking.
4. Agile leadership may involve developing leaders who can foster an Agile mindset, align the organization’s strategic goals with Agile practices, and create an environment that supports Agile teams.

The Agile Maturity Model provides a roadmap for organizations to implement Agile practices and measure their progress over time. By using this model, organizations can identify areas for improvement, track their progress, and continuously refine their Agile practices to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in their operations.