Form a Change Management Team/Review Group

Change Management Teams

Not all change will lead to significant contractual change or reduce staffing levels.  However, it is good practice to manage any change well, and a change team could help to achieve a successful outcome.

What is the remit of the Change Management Team?

• To be involved in creating, leading and implementing the change.
• Team members will need the appropriate influence, expertise, breadth, credibility and leadership to make the change plan a success.
• Team members will be responsible for ensuring wellbeing and equality considerations are managed effectively through the change process.
• They should have both management and leadership skills. Their management skills will keep the change process on track and leadership skills will help drive the change.

Who should a Change Management Team consist of?

• The members of the team will need to understand:
• The dynamics of change and how change impacts on organisations and individuals (HR can provide bespoke training if required).
• The team's purpose and it's goals.
• The process for creating a plan, implementing change and evaluating its progress.

Training and Support for members of the Change Management Team

Consider whether team members will need any specific skills / have any training needs e.g.: equality and diversity, project management, facilitation skills, understanding culture, change management , managing stress, etc.

Whilst it is important to develop a plan for change, it is also important to acknowledge that the plan is likely to need adjusting as the change process develops. Human Resources can facilitate a short workshop for you and your team to undertake the preparation and planning should you prefer.

What is the remit of the Review Group ?

If the change may lead to a significant change in staff terms and conditions, or potential staff reductions, a Review Group will be needed with a wider remit than described for managing other types of change.

The Review Group’s overall remit is to take strategic responsibility for leading and managing the change process effectively. In addition to the remit of a Change Management team, a Review Group will:

• Take responsibility for communicating the reasons and implications of the change to both staff affected by the change and trade union representatives to initiate formal consultation;
• Take responsibility for ensuring meaningful consultation takes place with staff and trade union representatives including consideration of suggestions/views submitted;
• Ensure the consultation considers suitable alternative employment (SAE), redeployment opportunities and any other measures to avoid redundancy;
• Communicate the proposed timescale of the change process;
• Continue to be involved until an outcome has been communicated to all affected staff
• Evaluate and learn from the change process and share the learning with other management teams in the University.

Who should a Review Group consist of?

• Faculty PVC/Professional Services Head of Department or delegate
• 1 or 2 Heads of Department of the affected staff groups
• Human Resources representative
• Finance Department representative

Training and Support for members of the Review Group

In the case of change impacting on staff terms and conditions /staffing levels, bespoke training and support can also be provided to members of the Review Group on the necessary stages of the change/restructuring process or the employment legislation implications, if this is required.