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Road Map 55

The audience, collection, and delivery mechanisms for progress reports are determined in this
step. It will be important to vet the data being reported with leadership as well, in case there are
business-driven reasons to adjust the measurement and feedback mechanisms.
3. Define the sustaining requirementsdThe first step of managing the changes that will occur is to
plan those changes. There will be many cultural elements that need to be addressed if there is to
be a successful DG rollout. This activity determines these elements and how they are
coordinated. The team reviews the change capacity assessment, stakeholder analysis, and any
other findings gathered during the previous activity with the intent of developing the
requirements for ensuring the DG program is sustainable. The number one pet peeve in our
practice is the deployment of, well, almost anything, without considering what will need to
happen one or two years down the road. In addition to training and communications activity,
which are obvious, there will need to be an ongoing measurement of the rate and amount of
change, as well as the attitude and morale of the DG team and stakeholders. Change efforts
require long-term sponsorship, so the DG team will be looking for an individual to act as
a change sponsor.
A key segment of any effort requiring changes in process, policy, or behavior is consistent, clear,
and unambiguous communication. The plan for communicating is developed at this point. Two
other adjectives that help here are simple and straightforward. The DG team will invest time
creating the message and brand for the oncoming changes. The timing, type, and intensity of
the communications are all specified. Lastly, the communications plan is reviewed and approved
by DG leadership.
Similar to the communications plan, a training plan is developed to reflect the required audiences
and delivery vehicles suitable for the organization’s culture, along with the review and approval of
the training approach. The key here is to avoid “one-size-fits-all” orientation slide decksdalso
known in our practice as “Death by PowerPoint.” There are three distinct levels of training:
a) OrientationdSetting the stage and high-level view of DG
b) EducationdAwareness and ability to use policies and procedures
c) TrainingdActual hands-on development for use of new tools and procedures
4. Design change management plandThe requirements for change lead into the development of
a formal change management plan. This will entail metrics to measure change (not to be
confused with the metrics for DG effectiveness) and the development of reward structures and
compliance activity for stakeholders who are moving into a world of well-managed data assets.
The change management plan is fairly detailed and should encompass a period of one to three years.
5. Define DG operational roll outdOnce the requirements for change are understood, the details of
the rollout of DG are put together. The actual steps to start DG, including details for the stewards
and custodians, are presented.

HELPFUL HINT
The successful deployment of DG will be viewed as yesterday’s news unless it is kept visible (and someone
important gets credit for its success), and that is the purpose of the sustaining phase. We approach the planning
and rollout of DG with the viewpoint that modern organizations, especially modern corporations, have the attention
span of a two-year-old. This may or may not be true, but it helps with the planning.