HFI & managing organisational change
What is this report about?
This report is the deliverable for a Work Package to review changes to Business Process Engineering (BPE).
An approach has been taken that focuses the review specifically on one aspect of BPE, the management of
organisational change, that is judged to be one of the most relevant to the Human Factors Integration (HFI) process.
What problem does the report address?
It is suggested in this review that the expectations of a new procurement can be better realised
through early planning of a socio-cultural introductory strategy. That strategy requires an
approach to equipment introduction that takes account of the cultural issues surrounding its
introduction, and manages the changes to operations and responsibilities caused by the new equipment.
What is the benefit of this work?
Characteristic failings in the management of the acquisition of the new system, if they are
sufficiently addressed through the management of organisational change, may limit the
effects of potential technical failures.
Who should take note of it?
- IPT HFI Foci
- HF Practitioners
What is the report's status?
Issue 1
What are the main issues addressed in the report?
Poor management of system change can affect the operation of a system in a number of ways.
From a technical perspective, equipment may not work as intended. From a human perspective,
though, the sources, causes and impacts of failure may not be so obvious. While it may be
possible to ensure that technical standards are adhered to, and prototyping may prove the
capabilities of the technological elements of a system, it is very difficult to predict
exactly how the human element will react when a system goes ‘live'. It is relatively easy,
therefore, to describe the human aspects of organisational change as too variable and
difficult to manage effectively. Specifically, the implementation of system change/introduction
can be improved through the involvement of the end users in the design and assessment of the system.
What are the findings?
Through the investigation of a case study and other examples, the report identifies characteristic
failings in the management of the acquisition of new systems that, had they been addressed,
would have limited the effects of technical failures. The lack of involvement of the users in
the design and assessment of the system was believed to have led to the users actively conspiring
against the system, and exacerbating the problems that were being experienced in the use of the system.
What is recommended?
It is suggested that the negative socio-cultural impact of new acquisitions could be minimised
through earlier assessment and planning as part of the HFI process. Currently, such socio-cultural
factors are not formally addressed within the MoD HFI Process. It is further believed that addressing
such factors could be accomplished at very little cost per acquisition if a formal process were developed
to facilitate the consideration of the relevant issues. Finally, it is suggested that this is essential
for products involved in concepts such as Network Enabled Capability, where a change to established
cultural practices is specifically envisaged.
Why bother?
An unstructured approach to the human issues involved in change management may produce satisfactory results,
but there is an equal chance that potential difficulties are not identified until the acquisition cycle is
well progressed. A lack of ‘buy-in' by the end-users will make any technical difficulties much more difficult
to overcome. Even if technical problems do not occur, a more hostile user group will mean that the initial
dip is prolonged, and that expected efficiency gains are harder to produce.
In the context of Defence procurement, there is a concern that faster acquisition of new technologies may have wider ranging effects on force structure. That is, that the introduction of concepts such as network enabled capability (NEC) will have an effect on the ways in which whole teams and forces communicate and operate, and that if this is not taken into account when designing the system force-wide difficulties may be encountered.
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