1. MGT8033: Design, implementation and evaluation of interventions

2. Learning objectives To define the term `intervention’
To identify and discuss the different types of interventions
To identify considerations related to the design of interventions
To describe and understand implementation: steps and activities
To familiarize and understand the role and importance of evaluation of interventions (change programs)
To identify issues associated with institutionalizing intended changes

3. Defining ‘intervention’
An intervention is a series of (planned) actions intended to increase the effectiveness of an organization. In crude terms perhaps, the intervention is the treatment (or plan to seize the opportunity) Also …. the change program Choice of intervention is informed by the diagnosis which precedes it Interventions purposely disrupt the status quo.

4. Characteristics of an effective intervention
Three criteria
1. fits the organisation’s needs
relevant (to the org. & its members)
valid info about the org’s functioning
enable members free and informed choice
members have commitment (ownership)
2. based on (causal) knowledge of intended outcomes (see difficulties Waddell et al p. 155)
3. transfers the competence to manage the change to the organisation (the client)
i.e not same reliance on consultant in future change programs

5. How to design effective interventions
Contingencies (things that can affect achievement) related to the change situation
Readiness for change (what indicators might be useful?)
Capability to change (e.g. skills to lead, develop support, sustain the urgency)
Cultural context (e.g. team-based interventions may not fit with usual practices)
Capabilities of the change agent (knowledge & skills required may be beyond the agent’s capacities)

6. How to design effective interventions
Contingencies related to the target of change
Organisational issues
Strategy
certain interventions enable organisations to make better strategic decisions
more recent additions to the range of OD interventions
Technology and structure
includes how to divide/allocate work (differentiation)
includes how to then coordinate work to achieve strategic goals & objectives (integration)

7. How to design effective interventions
Contingencies related to the target of change
Organisational issues (continued)
Human Resources
interventions that address how to attract the suitably skilled, developing, retaining, etc
Interpersonal
focus on social processes
typically, group dynamics, communication, leadership, decision-making

8. Categories of interventions
Interpersonal (formerly human process):
focuses on people within organisations and the processes through which they accomplish goals e.g. T-Group, Grid organisation development
Technostructural:
focuses on technology and structure of the organisation
e.g. downsizing
Human Resource Management:
focuses on personnel practices used to integrate people into the organisation e.g. career planning
Strategic:
focuses on linking the internal functioning of the organisation to the external environment e.g. open systems planning

9. Implementing change - a six step process
Step 1: Motivating Change
Cannot expect members’ support. Typically, heavy investment in status quo
Support given when compelling reasons are evident
Requires creating a culture which is ready for change
Ensure org. members aware of pressures for change
Identify gap between current & desired states
Communicate achievable & positive expectations
Managing resistance to change:
Resistance can be positive and constructive if there is empathy and support, communication and involvement

10. Implementing change Step 2: Creating a vision
Describing a desired future state
Ideally, consistent with org. members’ view
Needs a clear justification
Achievable, otherwise impetus for change will not occur
Leader-driven - with broad support/participation necessary
Clear valued outcomes to drive the change program
Energising commitment
Should be exciting, connected to the past, present and future … and compelling

11. Implementing change Step 3: Developing political support:
Organisations are loosely structured coalitions
Change typically upsets existing balance of power
Threatened groups typically resist: beneficiaries will typically promote/agitate for the change
Conflict, disinformation, and other ‘political’ behaviour should therefore be expected

12. Step 3: Developing political support:
Implementing change
Step 3: Developing political support:
Involves the following activities …
1. Assessing change agent power
May need to build power sources – viz. knowledge, personality and others’ support
2. Identifying key stakeholders
Who are the other powerbrokers (individuals & groups)?
3. Influencing stakeholders
Playing it straight, social networks and utilising the formal system (see Waddell et al 2011, pp ).

13. Implementing change
Step 4: Managing the transition: from current state … to transition state … to future state
Activity planning
Detailed ‘road map’ with top management support, and flexibility as feedback determines
Commitment planning
Identification of key stakeholders, and how to gain their support
Management structures
Allocation of key roles and responsibilities (see Waddell et al 2011, pp for the range of possible structures)

14. Implementing change Step 5: Sustaining momentum:
continual reinforcement of the need to succeed with the change process … otherwise, commitment wanes
4 specific activities
i. Providing resources for change
Substantial change cannot develop without extra financial, human resource, energy and time allocations
ii. Building a support system for change agents
A professional network of like-minded personnel
Emotional support (for all participants incl. change agents

15. Implementing change Step 5: Sustaining momentum:
4 specific activities (continued)
iii. Developing new competencies and skills
Change often demands new skills, knowledge & behaviours
Required learning includes technical & social skills
iv. Reinforcing new behaviours
Prevent return to the ‘old ways’
Reward behaviours that support intended change
Intrinsics included … & linked to early successes

16. Implementing change Step 6: Start all over again
Change is a continual process and never finished
The end of one cycle is the beginning of the next
Resources (including energy) must be made available for the longer term. The temptation to backslide (to what was known, understood and accepted) is invariably strong.

17. Implementation and Evaluation Feedback

18. Evaluating interventions
Implementation and evaluation feedback
Achievement of change goals cannot be taken for granted
Change agents often required to justify investment in change … hard data (bottom-line) warranted
Evaluation aimed at guiding implementation (ongoing and informs the change process) is implementation feedback
Assessment intended to discover intervention outcomes are called evaluation feedback

19. Implementing change
Measurement (provision of useful feedback involves two key elements)
Selecting variables
Should derive from the intent that underlies the interventions; should incorporate the key features as well as expected results
Designing good measures
Operational definition
Reliability
validity

20. Framework – Institutionalising interventions

21. Institutionalising interventions
Occurs when change is part of normal functioning, i.e. embedded in the organisation’s culture
Contemporary concerns about ‘institutionalising’ as this infers setting or (Lewin’s) refreezing. Perceptions that change is a constant in the contemporary organisation, has meant a rethink.
Institutionalising has ‘morphed’ a little … to the point that the need for (continual) change has in many instances become the focus of any refreeze.

22. Institutionalising interventions:
Organisation characteristics (important elements of an organisation that can affect (impede?) efforts to institutionalise changes)
Congruence
The extent to which an intervention is in harmony with strategy, structure (remember the 7-Ss?) & managerial orientation
Stability of environment and technology
Degree of protection of the change target from the vagaries of other environmentally-driven changes
Unionisation
Unions can be strong supporters of change, but the opposite may also hold when their interests are confronted by intended changes

23. Institutionalising interventions
Intervention characteristics (important elements of an intervention that can affect (impede?) efforts to institutionalise changes)
Goal specificity (the greater the specificity the better)
Programmability (when intervention characteristics are clear at outset, commitment and reward allocation are easier to manage)
Level of change target (individual, group or organisation-level, each has supporters & inhibitors)
Internal and external support
Sponsor(s) (the presence of a powerful sponsor from the upper levels of the organisation can legitimise and help to control use of resources

24. Institutionalising interventions
Institutionalisation processes
Socialisation
learning & experimenting accompany intervention, meaning effort is required to encourage persistence
Commitment
Required throughout the levels of organisation hierarchy
Reward allocation
When linked to desired behaviours increases likelihood of refreezing
Diffusion
Take-up by other areas limits probability of opposition
Sensing and calibration
Detecting deviations from desired outcomes & correction

25. Institutionalising interventions
Indicators of institutionalisation (or how to assess degree of persistence with the intervention)
Knowledge do the org. members know the behaviours associated with the intervention?
Performance frequency or number of members adopting the preferred new behaviours
Preferences genuine personal acceptance is much stronger than peer-induced consent or acquiescence
Normative consensus the extent to which the desired behaviour becomes routine
Value consensus social consensus on values that are relevant to the intended changes

26. Summary
Only the most appropriate interventions should be used in a change process
Two questions will help to determine which intervention is required: What is the type of change required? What is the impact of the change intended?
Once interventions have been selected they must be implemented and evaluated as part of the formal process.