FCA and PRA licenses (authorisations) and ongoing compliance support, training, recruitment. Contact us 7 days a week, 8am-11pm. Free consultations. Phone / Whatsapp: +4478 3368 4449  Email: hirett.co.uk@gmail.com

← Return to the Table of Content for all MCOB pages

Change Management Policy

1. Policy Statement

The company’s change management policy and procedures set out our statement of intent, objectives and procedures and contains guidance to managers and staff who are involved in the development and implementation of changes in working arrangements, procedures and practices of the organisation. The document also applies to managing changes involving redundancy and the redeployment of staff due to resources, including the ending of fixed term employment contracts.

We are committed to ensuring that changes in the workplace whether with systems, processes or staff, are managed effectively and efficiently and that all risks are taken into consideration prior to implementing any changes. We understand that changes can be disruptive to those involved and that a clear set of objectives and steps are necessary for ensuring effective communication throughout the process. the company seeks to establish fair, robust, and transparent principles and processes so that staff are supported throughout any changes and the interests of our customers are always considered.

2. Purpose

Change management and the requirement for change in the workplace can arise for a variety of reasons and the impact of change can also differ greatly. In recognition of this, the company will take steps to engage and support managers and staff appropriately during any significant workplace change.

It is the company’s aim to maintain and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness with which its core purposes and activities are carried out while seeking to safeguard confidential information, legal, contractual and regulatory requirements and laws and both the existing and future employment of staff.

The purpose of this Change Management policy and its related procedures is to establish the fair, robust, and transparent principles and processes to be followed so that the company’s interests are protected, and all staff are treated fairly.

Change management as it relates to this and any complimentary document is the amendment, revision, deletion or removal or any record, procedure, task, role or employee which can or does affect the business in part or as a whole. Such change is to be recorded, disseminated and explained in such a way as to ensure the fair, legal and regulatory due diligence is afforded.

3. Scope

The policy applies to all the company staff (meaning permanent, fixed term, and temporary staff, any third-party representatives or sub-contractors, agency workers, volunteers, interns and agents engaged with the company in the UK or overseas) within the organisation and has been created to ensure that staff deal with the area that this policy relates to in accordance with legal, regulatory, contractual and business expectations and requirements.

4. What is Change Management?

Change Management can be defined in two separate ways, both of which are addressed in this policy and procedure document.

a) Information/IT Change Management – changes made to business documents, systems and/or processes.
b) Employee/Role Change Management – changes made to job roles or staff, including contractual hours and redundancy.

It is natural that when change is introduced into an organisation, one or more of the below will be impacted: –

  • Processes
  • Systems
  • Organisation structure
  • Job roles
  • Customers
  • Outcomes

Change must therefore be affected with consideration and planning, hence the requirement for change management protocols. Organisational change is driven by the business needs of the company and can be triggered by either the external environment or by an internal review of service and/or system requirements.

5. Objectives

Change is an essential part of any business, however the effects of change to processes and roles can be both disrupting and stressful for those involved. Changes in business can occur for many reasons, but usually involve improvements to the business overall but making staff and/or procedural changes throughout the life of the business.

It is important that change is managed fairly and in a transparent way and that when changes are made to existing processes or business activities, due care and attention is paid to ensure that risks have been assessed, identified and mitigated against prior to any such change being actioned.

The Change Management policy and procedures have been put into place to ensure that: –

  • the business conducts itself and any change in a fair, transparent and secure manner enabling accountability to be clear at each step
  • managers and staff are kept informed about considered, pending and current changes taking place within the organisation
  • changes are conducted in accordance with any operational, legal, contractual and regulatory laws and guidance
  • records of all changes are kept as per the associated retention period specified and audits on any previous changes can be completed
  • changes and process and/or systems are assessed and reviewed prior to amendment and a risk assessment is carried out on possible change implications
  • risks associated with change will be mitigated against where possible
  • employment law will be followed regarding changes to staff roles, hours and redundancy

The company will manage change efficiently and systematically, in a manner consistent with ethical and legal requirements and expectations.

6. Change Management Procedures

6.1 Document, Process and IT Change Management

The company proposes to conduct and accomplish changes in the most effective and efficient manner whilst minimising the impact to business, staff, costs, customers/clients and risks.

All IT/Process changes within the organisation will be documented in the Change Management Log and all changes involving systems, documents and/or existing procedures will follow the below procedural steps: –

  1. Formally Request a Change – All requests for change will be documented within the Change Management Log and will be overseen by [Designated Person]. A new change record will be created and a new request for change will be completed by the [Designated Person] with input from the person/s requesting/suggesting the change.
  2. Categorise and Prioritise the Change – The [Designated Person] will assess the urgency and impact of the change on the infrastructure, end user productivity and budget.
  3. Analyse and Justify the Change – The [Designated Person] will work alongside the person/s requesting the change to develop justification for the change and to identify how the change may impact the staff, business operations and company budget. A risk and impact analysis are also completed at this stage to ensure that technical, informational, and ethical impacts and risks have been considered and assessed.
  4. Approve and Schedule the Change – An efficient process for implementing the Request for Change (RFC) is created and assessed by Senior Management, Directors, Compliance Officer and IT Managers to ensures that all risks and impacts have been identified and all involved staff have been made aware of the proposed changes and route to implement said change.
  5. Complete the Implementation of the Change – Following the approved process for implementing the change, those assigned the change task will complete the change and ensure that the Change Management Log and any other affected documents or systems are updated accordingly.
  6. Post-Implementation Review – A post-implementation review is conducted to ensure whether the change has achieved the desired goals. Post-implementation actions include deciding to accept, modify or back-out the change and finalising the change documentation within the Change Management Log.

In following the above steps and processes for carrying out a change within the company, we ensure that the below measures are also undertaken: –

  • Consultation with key stakeholders prior to any change taking place
  • All changes and requests are documented and authorised
  • Change is assessed to ensure if meets the agreed business needs and/or objectives
  • Standards changes are logged within 7 working days of the planned change start date
  • All change management plans have a clearly defined and documented scope
  • Plans and supporting documentation are provided and disseminated to all employee at least 2 weeks before any significant change and 1 week before any minor change
  • All changes are assessed for risk, impact and business benefit, regardless of size or scope
  • Where employee training is required in relation to the proposed change, this is developed and implemented prior to the change taking effect
  • We fully consider and create a plan for how the change can be reversed or remedied if unsuccessful

6.2 Types of Change

There are three types of changes that are based on approvals needed through the change management process: –

a. Standard Change – A relatively low-risk change with well-understood outcomes that is regularly made during business. A Standard change follows pre-determined processes, is pre-approved by change management processes and may be made at the discretion of an individual employee, provided it has been defined as Standard per the Change Management assessment process.

b. Significant Change – A Significant change is one that has medium to high risk for critical services, involves less understood risks, has less predictable outcomes, and/or is a change that is not regularly made during business. Because of the ability to affect services, any proposed Significant change must be reviewed by Senior Management and/or the proposed Change Management Officer.

c. Emergency Change – this is like a Significant change but must be executed with utmost urgency. There may be fewer people involved in the change management process review, and the change assessment may involve fewer steps, but any Emergency change must be authorized by company Directors, the Compliance Officer and the IT Manager.

6.3 Request for Change (RFC)

The Request for Change (RFC) is a standard document or form that is created by the person/s requesting the change. It contains and captures all the relevant information about the proposed change, ranging from basic facts about the change to more complex and technical specifications necessary for completing the change.

Initiators of the proposed change should seek to identify as much of the following information as possible: –

  • Unique Identifier or Account Number
  • Date of submission
  • Change Owner
  • Initiator of the RFC
  • Proposed Change Summary
  • Priority level
  • Description of the Change
  • Reason for the Change to be implemented
  • Costs
  • Benefits
  • Consequences (if the change is or is not implemented)
  • Services/systems/employees/departments affected by the change
  • Risks
  • Mitigating factors
  • Timeframe
  • Budget
  • Additional information
  • Supporting documents

6.4 Business Risk & Impact Analysis

Any change to a document, process or system will carry a risk and can leave gaps in tasks which may be overlooked. It is essential that all changes are assessed prior to implementation for both impact and risk that could be caused to the business.

The [Designated Person] will consult and work closely with each business unit to advise on the proposed change and to conduct a business risk and impact analysis. The business risk and impact analysis are completed when a new change record is created. The business risk and impact process evaluate the impact of the change as it relates to the ability of the company to conduct business.

The assessment should: –

  • Evaluate business risk/impact of both doing and not doing the change
  • Analyse the timing of the change to resolve any conflicts and minimise impact
  • Ensure all affected parties and departments are aware of the change and understand its impact
  • Determine if the implementation of the change conflicts with the business cycle
  • Ensure current business requirements and objectives are still able to be met during and after the change.

6.5 Implementing the Change

Once the RFC has been assessed and approved, the process can then move into the implementation stage. The process for implementing that change as devised by the Change Manager and person/s requesting the change is to be used at this stage and followed exactly.

Once the change has been implemented, the Change Management Log is to be completed and any previous version of the document or process (if applicable) is to be revised and a new version added to the Document Control System.

It is important to note on the Change Management Log: –

  • What was changed
  • Who made the change
  • When the change was made
  • Why the change was made
  • Implementation date
  • Authorised by

6.6 Staff and Role Change Management

The company understands that change to roles, tasks and staffing can be both disruptive and stressful for those involved and as such this Change Management document gives guidance for managing changes that relate to staff and their roles.

This document should be read in conjunction with the Employee Handbook and Redundancy Procedures for the full obligations and processes with staff and/or role change management.

6.7 Task or Process Reallocation

It is essential from time to time for tasks to be reallocated to other staff or departments for financial, operational or educational purposes and whilst such reallocations are not deemed by the company as being a part of the Change Management plan, it is still important that we carry out such changes with fair and transparent consideration.

Where task reallocations occur, all staff involved will be advised accordingly and offered a chance to ask questions regarding the change. Support and training will be provided where applicable and mentorship given for a designated period, as applicable to the task involved.

6.8 Restructuring

Company restructuring can occur for a variety of reasons and can also be a method for avoiding redundancy in some cases. Where restructuring is an option, a Consultation Team should be set up with a view to managing the restructuring and any subsequent changes and staff questions.

An Impact Assessment for Change and a Staff Well Being Risk Assessment should be undertaken by the Consultation Team where restructuring is being considered, with additional help from the HR department and if applicable the legal team. The aim of such assessments is to identify if any action is required before and during the restructure. The outcomes of these will be reviewed as appropriate during the process to identify any further actions required.

The Consultation Team will consider any roles in the existing structure of the organisation which can be reasonably matched to roles or staff in the proposed new structure. This will identify staff whose roles will and will not be affected. Wherever possible, affected staff will be able to express an interest in positions in the new structure and as such will be offered support and training to make them fit for purpose in the new role.

6.9 Post-Restructuring Review

When restructuring has concluded, there should be follow ups at 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks with all staff affected by the change in one-to-one groups with the Consultation Team or a member of the HR department. These reviews are to assess the effectiveness of the restructuring and to ensure that staff affected are happy and supported in their new roles.

Such reviews will focus on improvement and measures to manage the change, rather than changing decisions made during restructuring.

6.10 Redundancy

It is always the aim of the company to avoid redundancy where possible and to implement a restructuring program instead. However, where redundancies are deemed essential, all appropriate steps will be taken to minimise the emotional and financial impact to staff.

The standard Change Management steps are to be followed regarding handling the change associated with redundancies, however the Employee Handbook and company Redundancy Policy and Procedures are to be followed in this instance.

7. Responsibilities

The company has a corporate and ethical responsibility to ensure that change within the workplace is managed in a fair and transparent manner. Where the change applies to documents or procedures, the Change Management Log is to be used to record the reason for change, change date and authorising manager as well as providing clear evidence that any changes have been assessed for risk and mitigating actions put into place.

[Designated Person] is responsible for drafting changes, keeping the Change Management Log up-to-date and for and providing guidance and support to managers and staff. This is for promoting best practice and compliance and for ensuring that change is managed in accordance with the related procedures.

Line Managers of each department have overall responsibility for the change management within their own area of work and with that of their staff, however this is to be run in accordance with [Designated Person], who is to be kept informed of changes at all times.

The company will ensure that all staff are provided with the time, resources and support to learn, understand and implement change management procedures and that any changes are conducted in accordance with operational, contractual and legal guidance in mind.