Implementing Change Management Into Agile Projects

Change is a normal part of life. It is going to happen. It is simply a matter of when, and what changes are made! As a business, having an effective change management process in place is a must to ensure project success. However, the way that you manage change will depend on the type of project management methodology you use at the moment. Agile PM is undoubtedly one of the most popular and effective, but how does change management fit into this? Below, we will look at how you can implement change management into an Agile project so that you can get a better understanding.

With Agile projects, the approach is one of ongoing change management. With the waterfall approach, changes would be implemented on the completion of the project, which would mean waiting until everything is done to act upon the changes that are needed. With Agile project management, it is a lot more fluid. Changes are made continually. 

Understanding the different approach to implementing change management

With the traditional waterfall approach, you will start by undertaking your initial legacy assessment, and then you need to understand the scope of change that will be brought about by the project, your people risks, and you will plan suitable change management. After this, you will engage in the training that is required and communicate activities throughout the life of the project. When using Agile project management, several iterations make up the project, taking you toward completion. As a consequence, the change management approach also needs to be more dynamic. This means that the change management leader or consultant is going to become an integral part of the project management team, as opposed to simply being a resource that the team turns to when communication or training is required.

How do you go about implementing Agile change management?

Agile development enables a project to cope with changes in business requirements and needs by taking smaller chunks of work and working through this throughout the entire development lifecycle. Increased internal communication is a staple of Agile project teams, with continual and rapid user involvement and feedback. This is important because it makes a real difference in terms of how changes are made. When change management is incorporated into this environment, it is not about changing what you do. Rather, it is about amending the frequency of your change management activities. For example, rather than doing a one-off large change survey later on in the project, you could use pulse surveys throughout. This is just one example of how you can go about implementing change management effectively in an Agile project.

Breaking down your Agile changes into three levels

Experts advise to think of three different levels when it comes to Agile projects, which are as follows:

1. Project
2. Release
3. Sprint

Let’s start with the Project Level. At this stage, you will still need to carry out some work upfront to determine the readiness for change and any people risks linked with the project. The specific functionality may not be known at this stage, yet the intent is going to be known at the start of the project, whether this is to introduce new technology or improve one of your current services. 

Agile change management phase 1 – Project

So, what can you do at the Project stage when implementing change management in your Agile project? It begins by conducting your risk assessment and initiative legacy assessment at the project level. This will enable you to determine how ready user groups are for change, as well as any people risks that need to be mitigated. Aside from this, you need to make sure there is visible and strong leadership sponsorship for the project. Aside from this, make sure people risks are discussed throughout feedback sessions and standups. Considering what communications will be required is also critical at this stage.

Agile change management phase 2 – Release

The next stage is the Release Stage, which is whereby users are going to start seeing changes being made. Communication, user documentation, and user training will be required for every release. It is imperative to garner feedbacker from the broader community and user, which can then be used to drive your project forward by making the required improvements. This process helps to boost the effectiveness of every project. The feedback could be about anything relating to the project, whether it is general communications, leadership, engagement, a process change, or specific functionality. 

Agile change management phase 3 – Sprints

The final part of the Agile change management process you should look at is the Sprint. Throughout every Sprint, it is imperative that you’re working closely with your project team to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard throughout everything from the design to the testing. 

Increased involvement is a must when it comes to implementing changes in Agile projects

When you consider everything that has been mentioned, you can see how increased involvement is required when it comes to managing change in an Agile environment. As changes are going to be happening on a more regular basis, effective management is essential. If you do not feel like this is something you would be able to manage in-house effectively, you can hire a change management consultant who will be able to advise you on this and ensure you have the right tools and personnel in place.

Final words on implementing change management into Agile projects

We hope we have provided everything that you need to know about change management in an Agile project. Hopefully, this has helped you to get a better understanding of how you can go about implementing changes if you use this project methodology. While this can mean more changes, more regularly, this can result in greater efficiencies, as you will be implementing the changes at the earliest possible opportunity. If you struggle to get change management right at your company, you may want to consider taking a change management training course or hiring a change management consultant to assist you with your efforts.

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