NextGen: HN Change Impact Assessment - Pilot centre experience

To support centres preparing for NextGen: HN pilot delivery a Change Impact Assessment (CIA) session is scheduled for each centre. CIA sessions are facilitated by SQA and have been introduced to support pilot centres with changes faced by Next Gen: HN. They consider the impacted stakeholders’ and the required key change activity. The main objective of the sessions is to help centres identify potential change, implement countermeasures and support colleagues across the organisation. We consider this a change management process.

What is Change Management?

Change management is an approach utilised to prepare, support, and help individuals through change. Structured tools are used to consider how people and teams are affected by change.

What is a Change Impact Assessment?

The ‘Change Impact Assessment’ tool is used to establish the changes and impact for each stakeholder group and identify key requirements to support effective change.

Change Impact Assessment Sessions to date

NextGen: HN Phase 1: CIA sessions were held with the two pilot centres offering NextGen: HNC Television prior to pilot delivery in academic year 2021/22. The sessions provided centres the opportunity to consider change impact and provided time to identify stakeholders impacted by the changes. This allowed centres to implement countermeasures and effectively prepare for pilot delivery.

Pilot centres were provided with a CIA template to complete prior to the session by identifying groups of stakeholders (internal and external) who may be impacted by NextGen: HN. The purpose of this was to maximise the time spent discussing each stakeholder group during the session. Centre colleagues, SQA Co-ordinators and/or Quality Managers supported completion of the template by encouraging internal cross-campus collaboration and input.

NextGen: HN Phase 2 Twelve CIA sessions were completed between March-May 2022 to support centres preparing for pilot delivery in academic year 2022/23.

Centre CIA Experience/Preparation for Pilot Delivery

North East Scotland College (NESCOL) is a pilot centre for NextGen: HNC Computing and HNC Television. NESCOL embraced the CIA session when preparing for NextGen: HN pilot delivery where they implemented excellent, proactive, and effective internal collaboration, supporting all colleagues with preparation for pilot delivery.

Shona Anderson, Quality Enhancement Manager at NESCOL, shares their experience preparing for NextGen: HN pilot delivery and the value of the CIA session. Shona recalls “a light bulb moment” while attending a NextGen webinar where other centres shared their current experiences regarding pilot delivery. In particular, Shona recalls the discussion about how NextGen: HN affects a wide range of centre colleagues and how cross-college staff from various departments are required to be involved in the preparation and pilot delivery. Shona and her team were extremely proactive in their preparation for the CIA session as a result of this webinar. Preparation included identifying key internal stakeholders. In addition to the curriculum managers/leads and delivery staff from several curriculum areas, NESCOL identified colleagues from quality department, student admissions, marketing, student records, learning and development and student support as important considerations. In addition, the work carried out prior to the CIA session instigated internal cross departmental collaboration and enhanced communication, which supported pilot delivery.

The CIA session proved extremely beneficial and successful as a result of the preparation carried out. Representatives from the identified key internal stakeholders attended the CIA session which encouraged good, thorough, and engaging discussions. The session helped to identify additional stakeholders and appropriate countermeasures to support effective change and implementation of a proposed action plan.

Change Management Support from SQA reported 'an engaging interactive session with all attendees having an opportunity to clarify understanding, ask questions, identify further stakeholders and appropriate actions applicable for their centre and range of stakeholders.'

Following the CIA session, the centre was provided with their bespoke CIA tool to utilise with identified key stakeholders and colleagues responsible for further actions. The centre continues to monitor and review their CIA tool regularly, ensuring all stakeholders are involved and informed. The CIA tool ensures a proactive approach in preparation for change.

Centre Internal Communication

NESCOL set up a specific NextGen: HN Teams channel which included a range of key internal stakeholders, alongside curriculum managers not yet involved in NextGen: HN. This allowed them to raise awareness with staff in other curriculum areas and support effective internal communication. Shona and her team ensure NextGen: HN updates are posted in this Teams channel. In addition, updates are provided at senior level meetings ensuring the Vice Principal and Heads of Faculty are kept informed of NextGen: HN developments.

Next Steps

Centres will continue to monitor and review the CIA tool. Centre internal communication and collaboration is ongoing, ensuring all stakeholders are involved and informed. This allows centres to be better equipped to deal with any change and enhance pilot delivery.

Special thanks to Shona Anderson, the Quality Enhancement Manager for North East Scotland College (NESCOL), for sharing their experience preparing for NextGen: HN pilot delivery and Change Impact Assessment. Thank you too to all pilot centre and SQA colleagues for their support and assistance with CIA sessions and supporting pilot centres with their preparations for pilot delivery of NextGen: HN.

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