Managing change is like managing any other project; it requires a structured approach to the project and the identification of phases of work, key milestones and deliverables against which the success of the project can be measured. So part of any change management programme must be a project management component, to ensure that those managing change can also manage effective projects.

A structured project management approach provides a framework for implementing the operational and technological changes required to implement an organisation's strategies and achieve competitive advantage. An important part of any change programme is managing the impact of the change on people.

The goal of change management is to implement these business changes quickly to:

• minimise the impact on productivity 
• avoid unnecessary turnover or loss of valued employees 
• eliminate any adverse impact on your customers 
• achieve the desired business outcomes as soon as possible

Topics which could be included in a change management programme include: 

1. Project management 
   • Building a project team 
   • Developing the project infrastructure 
   • Planning and managing tasks 
   • Project reporting 
   • Managing to deadlines
   • Communication 
   • Learning to listen 
2. Understanding the start point 
   • Documenting the reason for change 
   • Assessing the ability to change 
   • Inventory existing projects 
3. Determining the necessary change
   • Creating a vision of the future 
   • Working out how to get there 
4. Empowering the change process
   • Understanding the guiding principles for change 
   • Developing a change plan 
   • Agreeing a communications plan and making it work 
   • Empowering the people 
   • Managing the transition 
5. Completing the change 
   • Performing an audit 
   • Communicating results