ABSTRACT
One of the reasons why change projects sometimes fail is that organisations fail to assess the feasibility and ramifications of a change, or to evaluate alternative change strategies, before setting the project in motion. While in most libraries and information services there are numerous pressures for change at any given time, many of the desirable changes will be small and can be initiated and implemented by the areas affected. However, when larger changes are necessary, it is important to examine the problem or opportunity in more depth before beginning to plan and implement the change project. This examination involves:
• setting up a change assessment working group • clarifying the problem or opportunity • generating a range of possible change strategies • deciding which strategy is the most appropriate
• understanding the implications and risks of the proposed strategy
• deciding whether the proposed change is feasible and has priority over other changes needed.
