Degrees of change - Building change capability at the Open University The Open University webinar Wednesday 3rd February 2016 Presented by Jess Annison Hosted by Martin Taylor, APM Enabling Change Specific Interest Group Chair

1. Degrees of change:
Building change capability at
the Open University
Jess Annison
February 2016

2. Introduction to us
2
Jan Jayes
Jess Annison
Louisa McLeod
Paul Robertson

3. Agenda for this webinar
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1. Introduction to the Open University
(including why we need to build our change capability)
2. Our top five lessons for building change capability….
(what we’re doing, and what we’re learning from it)
3. Q & A / discussion

4. But before we start…
Question: How would you describe the current maturity of your own organisation’s
“change capability”?
Change Management Institute’s Organisation Change Maturity Model (OCMM), www.change-management-institute.com
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…. a quick poll to find out more about our audience
Chaotic, ad-hoc, individual heroics, just starting out1. Initial
2. Repeatable
3. Defined
4. Managed
5. Optimised
Capability is defined to a level that it has become standard across the business
Capability has been optimised and is providing competitive advantage to the
organisation
Capability has matured such that it is quantitatively managed and reported against
agreed metrics
Capability has developed such that it is possible to repeat effectively

5. Photographs: Open University/PA; Peter Trulock/Getty Images; Peter Trulock/Getty Images; Open University
5
Think you know the
Open University?

6. Photographs: Open University
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Life-changing
learning
FutureLearn
OpenLearn

7. 7
“What other nation in the
world could have given us
William Shakespeare, pork
pies, Christopher Wren,
Windsor Great Park,
The Open University,
Gardeners’ Question Time
and the chocolate
digestive biscuit?”
Bill Bryson, author and
honorary graduate of the OU
Photograph: Guardian, 14 March 2015, http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2015/3/12/1426165840657/Bill-Bryson-009.jpg

8. We need to build our change capability
Like the rest of the HE sector, we’ve been going through a period of significant change
(and will be for the foreseeable future….)
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The changing Higher Education (HE) landscape
Reductions in Government funding
Introduction and rise in tuition fees
Students are demanding greater value
Emergence of MOOCs
‘Teaching Excellence Framework’ being scoped
37% decline in UK part-time students over last five years (sector-wide)
For the Open University in particular:
Photographs: Open University

9. We need to build our change capability
The OU has a proud tradition of innovation and pushing boundaries in distance and
technology-enabled learning.
But we can’t be complacent:
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Internal factors
We’re a large, complex organisation; there’s a huge amount of change going on:
And we don’t always manage change as well as we should.
o Strategic change
o Organisational change
o Incremental improvements
o Disruptive change
Photographs: Open University

10. The Portfolio Office’s plan…
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How?
Effective
processes
Forward and
outward looking
culture
Capable and
collaborative
people
… to improve the OU’s
ability to make the
right change, and
make the change right
Enabling systems

11. 11

12. 12
One size
doesn’t fit
all…

13. Tailored and proportionate project management
Methodology, supported by an enterprise project management system
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Greater consistency
Greater transparency
Reduced duplication
Greater quality
Why use the methodology and
system?

14. 14
Use the
resources
out there

15. Looking outwards to build our people’s capability
Project professionals, and those delivering projects as a secondary skill
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• Project management competency
framework
• Reflection tools
• Standard change job descriptions
• Interview support tools
• Project management learning and
development ‘pathway’:
• External accredited training
(APM qualifications)
• In-house training
• Experiential learning
• Mentoring and coaching
• Improve our change capability
• Support individuals and line
managers: objective setting,
appraisals, development
planning
• Support recruitment, and
retention of great staff
• Greater consistency and quality
• Greater transferability within the
OU
in order to...

16. 16
Help people
to pool their
knowledge,
ideas and
energy

17. Shared knowledge, experiences, energy and opportunities
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Resources, guidance,
exemplars
Opportunities
within the OU
News and
updates
Online
discussion
Annual conference
Regular workshops
It’s all about the community….

18. 18
Sponsors’
buy-in is key
to making it
‘stick’

19. In pursuit of… value-adding assurance reports
Assurance reporting to Sponsors and Executives
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Prog1 Prog2 Prog3 Prog4 Prog5 Prog6
CHANGE ASSURANCE REPORT
January 2016 (DRAFT)
AMOUNT
COMMENTARY
Programme
Project
Programme
Project
Project
Project
Project
Programme
RISK
Key themes drawn from the information provided in this report (informed by dialogue with project teams and other stakeholders), to help
VCE prioritise its discussion and response actions.
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5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
Likelihood
Impact
B
A
D
F G
C
EH
J
I
An overview of the most significant risks and issues affecting the delivery of the OU’s major change portfolio,
identified through analysis of project information and assurance discussions with project teams and scored
against the OU’s Risk Management framework.
B
A
E
D
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H Risk 8. This is dummy text.
G Risk 7. This is dummy text.
F Risk 6. This is dummy text.
I Risk 9. This is dummy text.
J Risk 10. This is dummy text.
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Risk 5. This is dummy text.
C
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TIMELINE
Aug - 15
Aug - 16
Now – (Jan -16)
Aug - 17
Aug - 18
An overview of the most significant change projects/programmes at the OU. Identified through
analysis of project information. Diagram depicts timescales, key milestones, RAG and
indicative size/impact of change
Aug 16: Deliverable
April 16: Deliverable
Jul 16: Deliverable
Jan 16:Deliverable
Jul 16: Deliverable
Jul 18: Deliverable
Feb 16: Deliverable
Apr 17: Deliverable
May 16: Deliverable
May 16: Deliverable
Jun 17: Deliverable
Oct 17: Deliverable
Jun 16: DeliverableApr 16: Deliverable
Oct 16: Deliverable
Feb 17: Deliverable
Apr 16: Deliverable Oct 16: Deliverableideas to shape two
modules/courses in 16J
Jul 17: Deliverable
Feb 17: Deliverable
Oct 16: Deliverable
Deliverable

20. 20
Top-down
meets
bottom-up

21. 21
Inspiring more ‘bottom-up’ and ‘outside-in’ improvement
Changing how we change
Is your change process a cathedral or a bazaar?
http://www.unterstein.net/su/docs/CathBaz.pdf

22. Are we nearly there yet?
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Photograph: http://www.freefoto.com/preview/41-23-7/American-highway-road
Are we nearly there yet?

23. Q&A
Do these lessons resonate
with you / your organisation’s
experience?
If so, how are you responding
to them?
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If not, what are the challenges
in your organisation?

24. Thank you for taking part.
Please get in touch:
jessica.annison@open.ac.uk
portfolio-office@open.ac.uk
@jessannison
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