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COOC: an Agile Change Management Method

Thibault Le Grand, Rebecca Deneckere

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Thibault Le Grand, Rebecca Deneckere. COOC: an Agile Change Management Method. IEEE BI
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 COOC: an Agile Change Management Method
Thibault Le Grand 1,2 Deneckère Rébecca
1
Centre de Recherche en Informatique Centre de Recherche en Informatique
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
2
Crédit Agricole Paris, France
CACIB, Montrouge, France [email protected]
[email protected]

Abstract— Successful completion of the Industry 4.0 or inseparable couple. In fact, agile change wants to be an
Future Industry programs requires support for women and men operational and concrete response to all the new problems
to drive them. The challenge of aligning skills is complemented related to change (more responsiveness, more flexibility for
by the modernization of their practices and tools. All businesses the organization). An agile change management method has
are changing and change management techniques have become already been defined [6] and we propose an extension of this
standard practice in most organizations. However, the so-called method with (1) the identification of supporting tools and (2)
"traditional" methods are limited and it is now proposed change an improvement of the workshops cycle. We also propose an
management methods called "agile", borrowing the philosophy evaluation of our method. The research questions we want to
of agile development methods to reduce the obstacles to change
answer in this work are the following. QR1: Does an agile
by injecting a bit of agility in their way of doing things. We first
argue about this proposal with the results of a questionnaire to
change management induce a better adoption of change?
define the importance of people implication in a change project. QR2: Does the tools proposed by the COOC method can help
We then propose a method based on the agile change model [1] to handle an agile change management?
by proposing tools adapted to each phase as well as an A state of art is given on section 2 about changes and what
optimization of the experimentation phase. An evaluation of the it entails for the organization, as well as about Agile methods,
proposed method is performed with a retrospective on a real their inherent concepts and what they bring to a company. A
case and the interview of an expert.
questionnaire to identify if agility could be useful in a change
Keywords— Change management, Agility, Method
management is proposed in section 3. The tools proposed by
the Concept Of Continuous Change (COOC) method are
I. INTRODUCTION presented in section 4 and evaluated in section 5. We conclude
in section 6.
Change refers to the change from one state to another.
Change in a company has its advantages and disadvantages. It II. RELATED WORKS
can be experienced as a trauma from employees accustomed
to a certain routine, methods and ways of working that can be A. Change, Agility and Agile change management
their own. Change can be experienced as a destabilizing, In business leaders’ speeches, the word Change has
disruptive element, but it also allows a company to adapt to become a permanent leitmotif. Executives do not hesitate to
changes in its environment and time. Industry 4.0 raises fears present it as a virtually automatic solution to the changing
among employees as robots and algorithms were seen, even markets, technology, laws or as the necessary dynamics for
recently, only as machines dedicated to supplanting humans any business. Often, business managers will say these words
[2]. This perception has evolved, as individuals see the "Change or disappear".
benefits of digital technology in terms of workplace well-
being, for example with robotic assistance for handling heavy However, what is a change? For there to be a change, there
loads, or with augmented reality for maintenance operations must be a significant break in modes of operation. This rupture
[3]. But even if we have gone from robots called to take up will force individuals to try to adapt. The transition from the
our jobs to concepts of augmented workers, all worries have present to the future is not a micro-adaptation that can be
not been swept away. Individuals remain concerned about the regarded as a minor evolution but a real leap that will make
possible disappearance of their position, its obsolescence obsolete some or even all of our existing way of workings in
caused by technology or, at best, its profound transformation. favor of a new way of doing things, to do better than before.
The change will be considered as such if the several elements
Before any change, a company must then anticipate future undergo a transformation, like practices, work conditions,
problems related to this change. It must think of the best way tools, management, business, strategies and so on [6].
to drive the change and have also to implement a specific
management to support its employees to combat any change Until the late 1990s, the dominant approaches in the
resistance. Change management involves all the operations development of computer projects were based on the planning
and actions carried out within an organization to handle the and subdivision of the project into sequential lots. Faced with
change with its employees and its environment. the need for adaptability, continual change and responsiveness
Organizational agility [4] is the ability of the company to imposed by an increasingly competitive technological market,
adapt on an ongoing basis in response to an environment the rather "conventional" methods have been put into question
characterized by complexity, turbulence and uncertainty. It by the emergence of new methods called "agile". These are
echoes agile methods, developed for several years in the field generally described as iterative, incremental, self-organising
of computing and originating from the Agile Manifesto, and more adaptable to change. Agility can be defined as a
written in 2001 [5]. It is necessary to see Agile methods more response to the widening and hardening of competitive
as a paradigm, a state of mind, a philosophy than as simple environments that allows to instill in organization,
methods to apply. Change and Agile methods are an responsiveness and performance [7]. Applied to the software
world, the notion of agility refers to the adaptive capacity of

XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/$XX.00 ©20XX IEEE

IT companies and the constantly evolving demands of phase, we seek to establish a roadmap that we will follow
customers, arriving usually during the project and to a better throughout the change project. This is a diagnostic phase, we
mastery of the tryptic cost-quality-functional perimeter. try to turn the discourse of change into a roadmap. The latter
is extremely important for the smooth running of the project.
Different models exist to describe changes [8,9]. It’s a phase where we have to ask questions, the right
Resistance to change is defined as any behaviour or attitude questions to be answered in order to define the changes, the
that indicates a refusal to support or make a change to a change context and the actors involved. This phase of Agile change
project [10]. It is necessary to support users in a change project
does not differ greatly from the classic conduct of change.
to reduce the possibilities of resistance, and thus to implement
a change management approach. There are several The "Experiment" phase is at the heart of the agile change
“instrumental” change management models [11,12]. These model. It consists of two cycles that combine and complement
models have several limitations, hence the need for a different one another: a series of workshops (participatory workshops
and more agile behaviour of change. [1] explains these and participatory cycles) and a control cycle. The cycle of
limitations: (a) the linear structuring that creates tunneling workshops allows stakeholders to become aware of the need
effects between beneficiary engagement and when the change for change, to involve stakeholders in the design of change,
will be real for them, (b) “the dictatorship of the Powerpoint” involving all stakeholders and bringing change to the actors
as many productions describe the existing in an analytical way rather than putting them through it. The control cycle consists
without always giving action keys that will put the in carrying out, at different intervals, measures of change in
beneficiaries in a dynamic of transformation, (c) the low progress, and the means of surveying individuals who are
participation of beneficiaries. beneficiaries of change. These surveys can be conducted
through discussions on a company’s social network or through
A particularity of agile methods that characterize agile interviews via questionnaires. Through piloting, information
change management frameworks and methods is to put human is available on the progress and adoption of change, and this
on the center of the change. The concept of people-centered
will allow us to assess and measure the contribution of actions
change, using user-centered design, believes in one to support change. It is advisable to do these surveys, used to
fundamental truth: gather success when starting with the user, produce indicators, every two to four months depending on
finding a real user need and then building a good solution [13].
the significance of the change project.
Following this philosophy, agile change management
frameworks and methods began to appear in the last decade. The anchor phase is essential if change is to be sustainable
For instance, the Accelerating Implementation Methodology in the company. Change projects are often criticized because
(AIM) is a flexible change management framework for they mobilize resources for projects that remain in the state of
managing organizational changes, designed to be able to discourse, or that are overnight changes. Individuals affected
handle change as it continues to evolve [14]. One of its main by change devote energy to change, and this expenditure must
advantages is that it focuses on the human-side of the change, not be in vain, both for the individual and for his enterprise,
as do all agile methods. Highly scalable, this framework may but must be used to capitalize on the changes made in order to
be considered quite complex and sometimes difficult to build the future of the company. Two productions come from
handle. [15] proposed an agile change management approach the anchor phase: a global vision, at five years, of the projects
which is less complex and easier to use. Experimentation and carried out, in progress and to come, as well as an analysis of
change management are at the heart of this model, with the ability to change the company.
scoping elements and an anchor in connection with
transformation strategies and development, with the people III. A BIGGER IMPLICATION OF PEOPLE?
affected by the change, their ability to change. An agile change management implies a bigger implication
B. The Agile change management model of involved people. In order to know if a bigger implication in
a change will help to handle the change project, we diffused a
In the Agile change management model [1][15] the link questionnaire which have been answered by 104 persons.
between the business line and the change is essential, it is not Table 1 presents the questions of the questionnaire. Some
just necessary to “change to change” because the change will questions are conditioned by previous answers.
always bring added value to the business. We want to change
in order to do better in the value-creating activity, thus the TABLE I. QUESTIONNAIRE
business or trades of the company. The use of workshops of
Question
various forms makes it possible to give back an active part to
1 Gender?
the trades in the management of change. The people in charge 2 Age?
of change management will have to propose devices for 3 Socio-professional group?
diagnosis, steering and change workshops for the people who 4 If there is ever a change in your professional life, would you be
are in the trades and through which the change is realized. more inclined to adopt a change that you yourself have designed?
5 Do you think that consulting the people affected by the change on
The model consists of three phases: Define, Experiment, several occasions will result in an extra cost (time, financial ...)
Anchor. The first two phases ("Define" and "Experiment") for the company?
concern a project or clusters of projects included in a program 6 Did you ever experience a situation of change in your working life
while the "Anchor" phase is at the level of the organization as (transfer, merger, adoption of new working methods, geographic
mobility)?
a whole. In this last phase, we look at how the different plans
7 Did you welcome positively this change?
for change fit into a dynamic of collective transformation, 8 Did you have the opportunity to give your opinion, to be
both at the level of the company’s overall project as well as consulted during this period of change?
the ability to change individuals and the company. 9 Would you have liked to be consulted about the change you
experienced?
The "Define" phase is carried out upstream of the project, 10 Do you think your opinion has been taken into account?
before its launch or at the beginning of the project. During this 11 Do you think this helped you to accept and adopt change?
 The panel of respondents to the questionnaire consisted of persons) find that it helped them to accept and adopt the
104 persons from 7 socio-professional categories, although a change. Involvement of individuals involved in change in the
majority of professionals and senior managers responded to development of the change project therefore helps them to
the questionnaire. The gender distribution is around 60/40. adopt and accept change. Moreover 80% of them welcomed
The majority of the panel consisted of persons between the the change positively because they had the opportunity to give
ages of 21 and 60. their opinions on the change. In the same line, 100% of the
individuals interviewed said they were more inclined to adopt
About 95% of respondents had already experienced a
a change they themselves would have designed.
change in their working life, which supports the theory that
the business world is constantly evolving and changing. It is noticeable that people in the age bracket between 61
Working for 40 years in the same company, at the same post and 80 would be more inclined to adopt a change designed by
became utopian in today’s world. themselves, to the tune of 75%. When one looks at the age
group between 21 and 40 years old, this figure rises to 99%.
A. Questionnaire results Age can then be a criterion to consider. Faced with age, agile
Approximately 97% of respondents would be more change is a response that may see its influence decrease as the
inclined to adopt a change they have designed. Participating age of the individuals affected by the change increases.
in the change project and helping to develop and design it,
through the various participatory workshops and the B. Conclusion on the questionnaire
"Experiment" phase of agile change, is one of the foundations The questionnaire showed that the panelists were rather
of an agile change. convinced of the benefits of people implication in a change
project. Each question asked referred to one of the key
Approximately 85% of respondents believe that concepts of agile change, such as the involvement of the
consulting the people affected by the change on several
individuals involved in the change in the development of the
occasions during the change project will result in an extra cost change. Responses to the questionnaire also highlighted
to the project. This is significant and the lesson can be drawn
criteria that may positively or negatively affect the adoption
from this is that leading a change project by implying people of business change: Socio professional category and age of
could result in an overcharge for the project. However, these
individuals affected by the change and cost allocated to the
comments can be nuanced because the time and money spent
change project.
during the project, for change management, can be considered
an investment because it will greatly reduce the resistance to We can conclude from this study that an agile change
change of individuals, and therefore change will be more management should allow a better adoption of the change.
easily adopted. It is time and money that we are spending This conclusion has to be nuanced according to the various
earlier in order to have a brighter future. criteria determined previously which will positively or
negatively influence the adoption of the change.
We can look more closely to the 19 people having already
experienced a change situation in their professional life, and III. THE COOC METHOD
having positively welcome this change. Of these people, two-
thirds had the opportunity to give their opinion, to participate The questionnaire showed that a bigger implication of the
in the change. Another information given is that two-thirds of employee in the change project helps to have a better change
these people consider that being able to give their opinion on management. It means that an agile change management – as
the change, participating in its development, helped them to agile implies exactly this concept of employees implication –
adopt and accept the change. We can say that people who had should help a change project. The methodology proposed by
the opportunity to give their opinion, to participate in the [1,15] provides the basis for a change management approach
change had more facilities to adopt the change. incorporating the principles of agility. Some techniques are
recommended by the method but here we propose a set of
However, all of these 19 persons are medium or high tools that can be used to implement these techniques, each
levels executives, this may be considered as one of the criteria phase of the method having its own tools that will allow to
for a good change adoption. If we study more closely the set produce deliverables that will in turn meet the objectives of
of people which are “basic” employees, we can see that all each phase. Fig. 1 shows the summary diagram with the tools,
people who had experienced a situation of change in their recommended by the COOC method, to be used in each
professional lives (7 persons), did not positively accept the phase.
change. Moreover, none of them had an opportunity to
comment on the change.
Of the 104 respondents in this questionnaire, 84 people
experienced a change in their working life and did not have
the opportunity to give their opinion or be consulted about the
change that would be made in their companies. Of these 84
persons, 96% would have liked to be consulted. Another
observation can therefore be made, the various times when
individuals affected by change will have the opportunity to
express their feelings, reservations and ideas about change, are
important. These individuals are consulted in order to improve
the current change, so that all stakeholders in the change
project are satisfied.
100% of the people who had the opportunity to give their
Fig. 1. Tools of the COOC method - based on [1]
opinion on the change and to participate in its design (14
C. Define phase characterize each actor with the following characteristics:
Change management consists in a set of methods, type, number, location, role, importance degree and risk level.
processes and tools that will diagnose a situation of change The concerned persons are grouped by typology according
and propose a number of actions to support and control to the homogeneity of their behavior with regard to the change
change. The main objective of most methods is to limit the or according to the title of their trade. It is strongly advisable
resistance to change of beneficiaries affected by change. There to adopt the typology by trade, because people in the same
are several ways to limit aversion to change, the conduct of trade will often find themselves with the same problems, the
instrumentalized change makes use of communications, same questions and therefore the same behaviors in the face
training and accompaniment plans. This can also be done of change.
through managers, who can be trained to be true relays of
change. Each manager will then be seen as a change The concept of number makes it possible to understand
facilitator, they will facilitate change with their employees. how many individuals are affected by the change and thus the
volume of accompanying actions that will have to be carried
In all cases, the conduct of change is embodied in tools and out: < 50 individuals (actions in participatory mode), > 50
methods that require time and key skills. We have to consider individuals (direct participatory-type actions are much more
that these tools are sometimes long and costly to put in place difficult to implement. These groups must then be divided into
in a company. It can lead to some form of inoperative, time- smaller groups so that this type of action can be envisaged), >
consuming bureaucracy, never really implementing change. 100 and not breakable down into smaller groups (the measures
1) Cartography of Change envisaged must have an industrial dimension and can be
addressed to the recipients in a uniform way).
Cartography of change has been used for different
objectives [1,16] but it is always a technique to describe the The location of the actors is simply the place where the
change. It is a tool that qualify the changes to assess the actors carry out their activity. Classifying the actors through
envisaged change extent and to determine which risk areas the location of their place of work will make it possible to
should be treated or avoided. This tool is organized around better organise the actions envisaged, especially in the case of
five main themes: organization, functioning, tools, a large company with several buildings scattered throughout a
competencies, culture and behavior. We propose to address region or country.
these themes by asking the questions listed in Table 2. There are different levels of roles, from most to least
important: sponsor (whoever wears and wanted the project),
TABLE II. QUESTIONS TO DEFINE THE CARTOGRAPHY OF CHANGE level 1 relay (individuals facilitators of change - managers),
Organization Will the structures in place be changed by the change, level 2 relay (individuals helping level 1 relays in change -
will there be creation, deletion or modification in assistants), beneficiaries (individuals benefiting from change).
terms of the power and scope of activities of certain
branches, services or units? The degree of importance of an actor in the change
Functioning Will existing practices and ways of doing have to project characterizes the level of influence of individuals in
evolve in such a way that people will have to the success of the project. There are three levels of
completely change their ways of doing things? importance: Essential, Important, Unimportant.
Tools Will there be new tools driven by change? What
impact the use of these tools will have on the daily The level of risk qualifies the categories of actors vis-à-
functioning, the organization of work and the vis their acceptance of the change project. There are three
competences of the different actors?
levels of potential risk: Acceptance, Modification, Refusal. If
Competencies Will people affected by change have to acquire new
skills both technically and managerially? Do the actors whose degree of importance is essential or important
change will lead to suppression but also to the creation have a level of risk equal to the refusal or modification, this
of new trades? represents an area of risk which will have to be considered in
Culture and Is the project of change predicting or necessitating the actions envisaged for the conduct of the change. For the
behavior major behavioral changes? Will the culture of the actors requesting the modification, it is then necessary to
company evolve and to what extent?
assess the level of modification expected by the latter. If the
requests are of the order of a complete reconfiguration of the
Cartography of change helps to identify "areas of change", change project itself, it will be difficult to accept them. On the
such as areas of significant change and the area of change other hand, if the requests relate to existing practices that the
affecting all actors of change. This analysis in terms of targets actors wish to retain, it is quite easy to resolve them by taking
(actors) and significance will thus make it possible to propose them into account in the change project or by working with
an accompaniment adapted to each type of actor of the change. the people concerned, to show them the interests they would
This cartography is carried out at the beginning of the project, have to change. It is a kind of negotiation during which a
but its content must be reviewed and updated regularly. compromise must be found so that the level of risk of the
Actions, such as accompaniment adapted to each type of actor, actors is a level of acceptance.
should therefore also be updated. It is through these
continuous enhancements that we can talk about agile change The document produced by the cartography of actors is
management. The cartography is usually carried out in a small, carried out at the beginning of the change project and must be
small committee, consisting of the change management team, regularly updated by the team in charge of the change
project team members and business leaders. The mapping of management project, throughout the course of the project.
change is not a secret document, but must remain discreet. Like the document produced by the cartography of change, it
is a document that is not secret but must remain discreet. The
2) Cartography of Actors main objective of this document is to establish the magnitude
[9] proposes to carry out a cartography of actors that of the change and the categories of actors according to their
makes it possible to identify and them. We propose to importance and their position with regard to the change project
but also the various influencing will be able to lend themselves experience the change through a kind of simulation of change
the relays and sponsors of the project. or role play).
3) Change Readiness The participatory workshops [9] allow the different
participants to tame the change, but also to learn the new ways
The Change Readiness [17,18] is a tool for carrying out an of doing things related to the change. However, sometimes
analysis of the factors of acceptance or, on the contrary, of these schemes may prove insufficient for the beneficiaries of
refusal of the change. This tool comes in the form of a the change who may wish to take training to learn or integrate
questionnaire that will detect project specific elements that these new habits or gestures. Formative cycles [9] thus
will be levers or brakes for change. Each answer is generating complete the cycle of participatory workshops. When training
points and it results in twenty transformative scores. A project is programmed in the conduct of change, the target must be
is then considered strategic in terms of change if the score is defined.
greater than ten. Table 3 proposes a set of questions
summarizing several questionnaires found in the literature. Three types of training program can be distinguished:
Collective, by relay and individual training. Collective
TABLE III. CHANGE READINESS training involves training all individuals within a specific
QUESTIONNAIRE (BASED ON [15,16]) functional perimeter. All those involved in training must
1 Will the change project result in job losses? follow it with degrees of deepening which may differ
2 Will the change project result in geographical and functional according to their role and activity. This type of training is
mobility constraints for a large proportion of the beneficiaries? widely used for computer related training or awareness, but it
3 Will the change project last more than 36 months? is much less interesting and relevant for organizational or
4 Will the change project lead to major changes in the culture and cultural projects. Relay training consists of training only a
behavior of employees in the company?
5 Does the change project involve the entire company?
few people with a high level of expertise so that they can then
6 Is the change project carried by the company management? redeploy and dismantle the training to other people. This type
7 Will the change project change existing management power of training requires two stages of achievement, one to train the
zones? relays, and a second for the relays to train other employees.
8 Is the project clearly linked to the company’s strategy? These people will then play the role of referent after the end
9 Does the project have formal stages of implementation? of the change project, they will have the original knowledge
10 Is there internal competition (between services or between people) of change. Individual training may be similar to tutoring or
for the realization of the change?
11 Does the management of the company give enough importance to
coaching. This device is adapted when there are relatively few
the change? individuals to take the training. The instructor will have to be
12 Does the company have a practice and experience in leading particularly pedagogical and will have to have practical cases
change? solved by the people he is responsible for, while presenting
13 Does the company have mobilizable methods and resources for concepts and methods to resolve the same cases.
change management?
14 Will managers be co-builders and good relay to change? The original agile change model [6][1] does not provide
15 Are the jobs affected by the change driving the change project? guidance on the sequence of the participatory workshops and
16 Do individuals affected by change have a culture of change? does not specify when the formative cycles are to be
17 Does the company have a clear and legible transformation policy? introduced, or when the model is to be introduced. In addition,
18 Does the company find itself in a situation of saturation
the agility of the model lies only in the repetition of the cycles
concerning change?
19 Has the company recently experienced a traumatic change? of workshops and steering. The COOC method recommends
20 Is the company able to recognize individuals who are involved in that the different types of participatory workshops should be
change projects? carried out on a specific cycle that can be repeated until a
sufficient level of satisfaction is obtained for all stakeholders.
The cycle of the participatory workshops begins with the
D. Experiment phase catharsis workshop, and then leads to a cycle consisting of
The experiment phase is organized around two cycles, the three bricks: the brainstorming and exploration workshops
control cycle and the workshop cycle, in parallel and make up the first brick, the proposed workshops are located in
interdependently. the second and the experimentation workshops in the third.
Thus, little by little and incrementally and iteratively, we
1) Participatory Workshops and Formative Cycle manage to please and involve all the different stakeholders of
Participatory workshops [19] are at the heart of the dual the change project.
cycle of experimentation/piloting. These are times when the The first brick of this iterative cycle is therefore composed
beneficiaries of change, whether they are managers or not, and of the Exploration and Brainstorming workshops. This mini-
the people in charge of change work hand in hand in the cycle have to begin with a Brainstorming workshop so that
perception, understanding and realization of change. Each participants can share ideas together and then deepen them
workshop is a working session differentiated according to its during the Exploration workshops. In the latter, new ideas can
objective. There are five types of participatory workshops, emerge and the mini-cycle Brainstorming/Exploration starts
each with different objectives and different timing: catharsis again. Once the stakeholders at the workshops have been
(to formalize feelings, fears, frustrations or possible satisfied, the other two bricks, Proposal and Experimentation
discontent), brainstorming (to express creativity, to make workshops, can continue. At the end of these Experimentation
proposals that should not be criticized, so other participants workshops, stakeholders can see that the change tested during
can bounce on them and propose in turn other ideas that may these workshops is wrong or lacking something. The COOC
be related to the previously proposed idea), exploration (to method allows them to go back on an Exploration/
define possible solutions), proposition (to take decisions and Brainstorming-Proposition-Experimentation cycle. It is then
commitments about the solutions) and experimentation (to possible to iterate over several cycles of workshops and to
improve or increment the change project with new ideas in evolves in increments according to the clicks of perception of
order to make it ever more satisfying for the different utility and interest that emerge from situations of training,
stakeholders and individuals concerned by the change. The learning. As with the rate of information, the evolution of the
end of the workshop cycle is reached when a level of rate of understanding must also be linear but less rapid, more
satisfaction is achieved by all stakeholders. gradual than for information. Adhesion rate returns to the
learning curve of change: after an euphoria linked to the
Fig. 2 shows the sequence of the different types of beginning of change, a decrease follows because of the
workshops. It is an ongoing cycle for continuous improvement constraints encountered in practice. This decrease is observed
in the conduct of change. People affected by the change have during the period of exploration (or brainstorming). This rate
a say in the change, considering their opinions and ideas, this re-increases during the experiment phase. Participation rate
makes it possible to put in place "tailor-made" change tends to follow a yo-yo curve because the individuals involved
management systems for the company concerned. in the change cannot devote themselves entirely to the
realization of the change, they alternate the times dedicated to
change with their daily activity, increasing the time allotted to
change as they go along. Questionnaires for the desired rates
and rate values are summarized in Appendix A.
E. Anchor phase
The "Anchor" phase is the last phase of the agile change
model. The latter is not to be carried out during a specific
project but more on all the projects carried out for the
transformation. Its objective is to define the vision of the
company’s completed, ongoing and future projects and to
analyze and determine the ability to change the company.
Fig. 2. Recommended cycle for Participatory workshops and formative
cycles 1) Transformation Dashboard
Although it is a so-called "learning" step, it may happen The transformation dashboard [6], without going into
that the individuals concerned by the change, after having every detail of the projects, give an inter-project vision on
experienced it, express the need for training moments in order what is needed to drive transformation in the company. Its
to become even more familiar with the change, in order to objective is to represent the change trajectory in progress and
integrate it. These courses must be included in the training consists of building a database of the company’s projects.
cycle. The formative cycle must take place between
It contains the change project name, its start and end dates,
Experimentation workshops and change promulgation.
the trades concerned by the change, the number of people
The workshop cycle is supplemented by the control cycle impacted, the project state (ended, current, to come) and the
which runs in parallel. different themes concerned by the change: (a) Culture and
values: the cultural codes of the company but also the routines
2) ICAP Barometer and Control Cycle and symbols that form the identity of the company and what it
The ICAP barometer is a tool developed by [6,9], which is and represents, (b) Customers, markets and products : deal
takes place during the steering cycle, itself taking place in with the external dimension of the company, its business
parallel with the workshop cycles. Steering actions must be environment, (c) Organization and computerization : Is the
carried out throughout the duration of the project in order to change organizational and/or IT? (d) Management and skills:
have a dynamic, representative and relatively often updated deal with the "Human" and managerial aspects of
view of the acceptance of the project. The ICAP barometer is transformation: managerial skills, roles of managers, skills
used to evaluate the change with four rates (Table 4) management for all employees in an organization.
calculated at different phases of the project. The values In addition to the dashboard, the second tool that can be
obtained must be compared with desired theoretical values, used is the Business Change Assessment Grid.
which will make it possible to assess the level of each of the
indicators, the level of achievement of the change but also the 1) Business Change Assessment Grid
effectiveness of the communication levers, training and
The ability of an enterprise to change is the ability of the
support. The ICAP barometer must be formalized several
enterprise and its members to create the conditions for change,
times during the project through the conduct of surveys,
to promote its deployment and integration into the very
conducted quarterly and/or at the end of each phase of change,
functioning of the organization. As stated above, the change
among the individuals affected by the change.
can no longer be considered a temporary state between two
Leading the change through the ICAP barometer means periods of stability within the company. The latter must
calculating indicators at a certain time. Each indicator will be enshrine change in its DNA because it will enable it to survive,
produced using four questions with four possible answers. The to continue to exist and to remain competitive in an
ICAP barometer calculates four rates: the rate of information, increasingly globalized market.
understanding, adhesion and participation. Information rate
The assessment grid for the ability to change an enterprise
informs about the quality of communication. The values are
[20,21] is organized around three main areas: context, content
based on a linear evolution of the information. The
and process. The Context echoes all the internal and external
information curve must be gradual and constantly evolving
elements that will have an influence on the importance that the
until the deployment phase. The more we move forward in the
salaried individuals will attach to the notion of change. This
project, the more communications actions must take place and
will require consideration of whether there are elements
the more the project must be known. Understanding rate
within or outside the organization that will positively or TABLE IV. CHANGE RETROSPECTIVE
negatively affect its ability to change. The Content Phase Period Objectives
corresponds to the reservoir of change management skills that Scoping < july 17 Define the outlines of the project
the employees of the organization are building up to the Information July to Announcement of change to employees
progress of the various changes they are experiencing. The part 1 sept 17 without setting terms and conditions
Process refers to the mobilization of corporate resources to Information Sept to Announcement of the modalities of the
part 2 dec 17 change
resolve change situations within the organization. The notion
Deployment/
of process corresponds to the actions to do for change. promulgation
>jan 2018 Promulgate the change

The purpose of the evaluation matrix (see Appendix B) is

to provide a score of 45 to assess an organization’s ability to This was followed by the information period, which was
change. Each axis of the evaluation grid is scored on 15 points. deliberately divided into two distinct phases. The first part of
There are 5 questions per axis and there are 4 possible answers the information phase took place from July to September. The
for each question. Below 15, the ability to change your employees were informed, through a conference in an
organization is low; between 16 and 30, the ability is medium; auditorium, that there was going to be a change and that they
above 31, the ability is good. were going to be transferred to another Crédit Agricole group
The assessment of an organization’s ability to change entity, in this case CACIB. However, it was an announcement
should be carried out, at best, every three years in order to be with no details as to how this change would take place. This
able to consider actions that will improve the ability to change only accentuated the blurred areas around this change project,
the company. The main objective is to commission actions among the employees. The latter did not have access to any
(workshops, training, scenarios, role-playing) so that change information about the change, which only increased their
is no longer occasional but usual for employees. sense of instability, and the company’s daily activity slowed
during this period. Throughout the change project, employees
IV. EVALUATION developed a certain reluctance to change, which would later
lead to an aversion to this change.
In January 2018, the employees of the Information System
Management department of a French bank (let’s call it BANK From September to December 2017, there was the second
A) were all transferred to another entity of the bank group part of information period, where employees were informed
(let’s call it BANK B), in the IT department of this entity. This of the terms of the change, how and when the change was to
change has been experienced and is now effective and be made. The employees had many questions, which remained
promulgated within these companies. unanswered by the change teams. This only increased the
reluctance of employees to change. Most even felt a sense of
Our evaluation was performed in two steps. (1) First, a
abandonment from the HR department of their future former
retrospective on this change, in order to determine the actions
company (Crédit Agricole SA). At no time did the employees
or elements that could have been better performed as well as
the employees' feelings at the time of the change. This have the opportunity to get involved in the change project.
retrospective leads to an imaginary project which could have Finally, the project deployment period ran from January 1,
happen if the agile change management had been used. (2) 2018, to the present, with the objective of promulgating
Secondly, an interview of an IT project manager of the bank, change, implementing it. Individuals affected by this change
who has experienced this change in order to present him the were unaware of the new business and new tools (Project
agile change model and the COOC method to obtain an Imputation Tools, Project Management Methods, etc.) had to
external opinion that may allow to raise areas for improvement be taken over. Some employees had the opportunity to train in
or points of attention about the COOC method. these new tools but not all of them. This was a new period of
uncertainty for all employees. The former employees of
We will begin with a retrospective on the change made
BANK A and new employees of BANK B did not, for the
within the bank. Then we will see how the agile change and
most part, have the opportunity to meet their new colleagues
the COOC method could have alleviated or avoided the
of BANK B. All these findings have led to a real resistance to
various problems encountered during this change project.
change on the part of the individuals concerned by the change,
A. Real facts and many of them have gone to another of the group entities
Between July 2017 and January 2018, employees in or even to other companies.
BANK A IS department were waiting for a change that would B. Hypothetic application of the COOC method
profoundly transform their daily lives. Approximately 200
employees were transferred to another entity of the group: Let’s look to this change and how it could have been
BANK B. This change project was managed using a rather handled with the COOC method.
conventional change management (Scoping, Information, 1) Define phase (equivalent to the phase Scoping)
Deployment). Table IV shows the periods lived by the
employees as well as the various findings. This period, had the project been carried out using the
COOC method, would have allowed the change teams to
The project scoping period ended before the communicate a certain amount of information to the
announcement of the change to employees and no specific concerned collaborators. Waiting time would certainly have
start date for this period is available. Numerous corridor been less important for employees before getting information
noises circulated during this period, it was a real period of about the change. The agile change will not be effective for
instability that had the consequences of creating uncertainties rumors and lane noises, however these will be mitigated as the
for the employees. The change was decided at the top of the change and its terms will be announced simultaneously. Table
company and no information was disclosed to the other 5 shows what happens versus what an agile change could have
collaborators who were going to be affected by this change. improve.
 TABLE V. DEFINE PHASE COMPARISON deployment of the change takes place during the
Facts Agile change contributions experimentation phase, the deployment phase, experienced in
- Many rumors - Change announced at the end of the the case of Crédit Agricole, would not have existed had this
- Uncertainties for employees "Define" phase change project been conducted using the agile change model
- Lack of information - Procedures for implementing the and the COOC method. There would certainly have been
- Sensations of clutter. change announced at the end of the fewer departures or requests for departures from individuals
"Define" phase
affected by the change, but also fewer resistances to change.

2) Experiment phase (equivalent to the phase Information – TABLE VII. EXPERIMENT PHASE COMPARISON 2
part 1 and 2) Facts Agile change contributions
- Lack of information - The deployment would have
The two parts of the Information Phase have been - Many new tools to adopt been experimented during the
voluntarily grouped together as they are part of the so-called - Blurred Situation experimentation phase
experimental phase or "Experiment" of agile change. They - Lack of knowledge of new business (participatory workshops), so the
correspond to both parts of the project information period. - Lack of knowledge of new change would have been gradual
colleagues and less brutal
Through the Experiment phase, during the workshop cycle,
- Lack of team alignment - Familiarization of new tools on
employees will be able to get the answers to their questions - Many Resistance to Change the part of employees during the
and the information they want and thus reduce their worries. - Numerous requests for departures. experimentation phase.
The various participatory workshops will enable them to
reduce their fears and involve them in the heart of the change 4) Anchor phase
project, transforming them into actors of change. At the same
time, the steering cycle will enable the change teams to carry It was useful to add the "anchor" phase in the grid of
out more or less change actions (participatory workshops, potential inputs of agile change. This phase did not take place
trainings, sensitizations, etc.) in order to obtain a level of and therefore did not really exist in the facts described. This
information, understanding, adherence and satisfactory phase would have allowed absolutely all employees of the
participation. The employees' opinions will therefore be taken company to anchor the change in their DNA and that of the
into account for the change, this will enable a change company. This would have made it possible, in the near future,
management and a "over-tailor-made" change for the to live change better and thus reduce the various resistance to
company and its employees. Future teams (composed of change encountered (table 9).
former BANK A employees and BANK B employees) will
also be able to get to know each other and discuss their TABLE VIII. ANCHOR PHASE COMPARISON
activities and problems encountered during these workshops. Facts Agile change contributions
This will have the effect of strengthening the links between - Employees and managers - Habit of change
the employees but also of cross-linking the knowledge unaccustomed to change - Anchored change in company DNA
between the teams. By making them test and experiment with - Change becomes customary for
employees
change, workshops, more playful than simple training, would - Less resistance to change.
have made it possible to reduce the various aversions to
change developed by employees, as shown in Table 6.
5) Conclusions on the case study
TABLE VI. EXPERIMENT PHASE COMPARISON 1
Analysis of this case study highlighted the inputs related
Facts Agile change contributions to the use of the COOC method and agile change as part of a
- Concerns of employees, - Information obtained during
Blurred Situation participatory workshops
change project or inducing a change in the enterprise. The key
- Lack of information, - Concerns reduced through point corresponds to the various workshops of the experiment
Business activity slowed participatory workshops phase, which make it possible to involve individuals in the
- Employees reluctant to get - Opinions of employees taken into change, thereby reducing frustrations, Questions and different
involved account aversions to change. During a career, there is a good chance
- Choice not given to - Employees become actors in their that an employee will be confronted with a major change, so
employees change
- Numerous questions raised - Ownership of change by employees involving him in the change, ask for his opinion and listen to
by unanswered employees - The steering cycle will enable a him will allow him to better live the change. His company will
- Feeling of abandonment customized change management also be satisfied because an employee feeling happy and
- Lack of information - Fears and blur reduced thanks to considered in his work will exploit all his potential at the
- Employees are undergoing participatory workshops service of his company.
change - The newly created teams will be able
- Numerous aversions to to meet as soon as these workshops are C. Interview of an IT manager
change. held.
The interviewee was responsible for production
management and technical support in the BANK A. During
3) Experiment phase (equivalent to the phase Deployment) his career, he had the opportunity to live and lead several
Table 7 shows the possible improvement of the use of an projects involving a change management but also to live
agile change in this phase. Deployment or promulgation of the several change projects.
change would have occurred during the experiment period. For our interviewee, there are four main objectives when
The various participatory workshops, aimed at experimenting carrying out a change management, the first is to explain the
with change, would have made it possible to inculcate change change to the people who will be impacted by it, then explain
among the individuals involved. The change would have been to them the issues of the change, why we want to change, and
more progressive and less brutal. In the agile change, the
then support the different people in the change in order to V. CONCLUSION
better make them adhere to the change. Finally, the final With an increasingly competitive global market,
objective is to measure the effectiveness of change. When companies around the world must be increasingly efficient
presented with the Agile change management and the COOC and innovative in order to satisfy their customers. This global
method, our expert highlighted the fact that the first phase of context leads companies to adapt to the new requirements of
the agile change model is paramount. If the change and its their customers so as not to lose market shares to decline and
objectives are poorly defined from the beginning, the change disappear. Companies are therefore forced to change more and
project will not succeed. The important thing in a change more often and more quickly.
project is to have a true vision of the project, why we will
realize this project, but also to share and communicate around In the context of Industry 4.0, companies announce
this vision. profound changes that will have a lot of implications on its
employees. Defining a vision, strategy and goal for Industry
He proposed a possible improvement point during the 4.0 projects, setting up a change project plan as well as
"define" phase which would be to include agility during this employee involvement are central factors for effective change
phase as well. A possible practical case would be to rely on management. Accomplishing changes will be very difficult
indicators (such as Indexes of Engagement and without a company culture that supports those changes as
Recommendations (IER)), harvested through digital experiences of change can be traumatic for the employees of
interviews with employees of the company, Presenting a a company and for the company itself. Agile methods, widely
number of figures showing the need for change in the used in the world of IT development, bring a different vision
enterprise, so that the need for change is expressed by the to project management and offer better guarantees for project
employees themselves. Thus the future people concerned by success. Agility echoes agile methods, widely used in the
the change will adhere from the beginning of the project. It world of computer development. We made a questionnaire to
will also be necessary to explain the ins and outs of the project evaluate the impact of people implication in a change project
so that individuals feel involved from the beginning of the and highlight its importance. We concluded that an agile
project. It will thus be possible to involve individuals in the change management should help the change adoption in the
definition phase. process of a change project (RQ 1).
He found the experiment phase very interesting because it Building on the agile change model of [1,15], we have
will allow people to experience change and experience it in provided the tools to drive agile change and thus make change
real conditions. Providing and including on-demand training agile: the COOC (Concept Of Continuous Change) method.
(training cycles) is also an interesting element that can be We evaluate the method by a retrospective case study on a
applied in companies. bank migration and an expert interview. These assessment
Our expert thinks that the agile change model is applicable tools determined that the COOC method should allow a better
in a real company and that’s very important. The tools adoption of the change by the impacted collaborators (RQ 2).
presented in the COOC method will allow a good definition However, this method has a big limitation: by perpetually
of the change and then a good adoption of the change by the redefining change during the "Experiment" phase, one of the
concerned collaborators. The “anchor” phase of the change risks would be that the change would remain at the word stage
will flow if the definition and experimentation phases have and would never really be implemented. Another limitation
been correctly carried out, so individuals will more easily is that the fact that the company is in perpetual change could
assimilate the change or changes in the enterprise. We will still prove to be extremely resource-consuming and the change
have to be careful that the pace of change is not too high, could be detrimental to the company’s main activity. The
because people may have enough after a while. question that can be raised would therefore be How can an
D. Discussion on the evaluation enterprise can make performant business activity by
continuously change?
In the case study (migration of employees from BANK A
to BANK B), we highlight the fact that if the agile change had An on-going perspective is to actually find two similar
been adopted, the change would certainly have been adopted change projects in order to use the COOC method in a real
as well. Less reluctance would have been shown as people case and to have a real comparison with another method. The
would have been more implied in the change process and use of indicators will help to define if the change is going on
decisions. However, the case study, even if based on real facts, smoothly or not in all its phases and if the proposed tools are
is only a hypothetic one as we only pinpoint the areas where really pertinent.
an agile change management could have been an Another improvement is to define a bigger set of tools in
improvement. each of the phases, to apply accordingly to the context of the
The interview with the IT manager, who already deal with change project. Our questionnaire already highlights some of
change management, highlights the qualities of the agile the criteria that could be of use to decide between the tools
change model and the COOC method. In a change project or but there are a lot more of them and a bigger study is required
a change management project, it is vital to involve the people to define them.
involved in the future change from the beginning of the
project. It emerged from the interview that the phase of REFERENCES
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[2] A. Weiss, A. Huber, J. Minichberger, M. Ikeda, “First Application of
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[7] J-P. Vickoff, « Méthode Agile, Les meilleures pratiques,
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[11] J. P. Kotter, “Leading Change”, Harvard Business School Press, 2012 0-25% No Understanding Annoncement 25 %
[12] R.M. Kanter, “The Change Masters”, Simon and Schuster, 1983 25-50% Wished Exploration 40 %
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[14] P. Alsher, “5 Implications for Change Management in an Agile
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[15] D. Autissier and J-M. Moutot, « Le changement agile, Se transformer 50-75% Partial adoption Experimentation 60 %
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practices regarding change?
Is change a priority for the company’s manager(s)?
APPENDIX A : QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ICAP BAROMETER AND Is there a real culture of change in the company?
WISHED VALUES, FOLLOWING [6]
Does the company strategy propose operational change
Information rate (4: regularly / 3: yes irregularly / 2: 4 3 2 1 projects?
yes once / 1: never) Is a change management method and/or tools available
Have you heard of the project? to employees?
Did your hierarchy introduce you to the project? Content
Did you receive any information about the project? (4 : always / 3 : often / 2 : sometimes / 1 : never) 4 3 2 1
Did you search for information about the project? Do employees assess the level of change in the situations
Comprehension rate (4: yes exhaustively / 3: yes 4 3 2 1 they face?
partially / 2: no but I would like / 1: no at all) Do employees change the way they do things after the
Do you understand the objectives and terms of the change?
project? Do employees have the opportunity to assess their ability
Have you solicited people or experts for a better to change themselves?
understanding of the project? Do employees have an idea of their own ability to change
Do you have a clear idea of what will change for you in their employees?
your activity? Is the management of change subject to a recognised and
Have you looked on the project and its topics? valued competence in the company?
Adoption rate (4: yes completely / 3: yes overall / 2: yes 4 3 2 1 Process
a little / 1: not at all) (4 : always / 3 : often / 2 : sometimes / 1 : never) 4 3 2 1
Do you think this project is useful for the community? Do employees communicate with each other on the
changes to be made and how to do so?
Do you think this project is useful for your business?
Do employees use the tools and resources available to
Do you think this project is well received by the them in terms of change management?
individuals concerned? Do employees define themselves as relays of change
Do you think that all the conditions are met for the Do employees see change as an opportunity to improve
success of the project? the existing one?
Are there indicators and/or tools for managing change?