---
artifact_id: A39
name: Change Management Plan
version: 1.0.0
status: Active
category: Organizational Change Planning
governance_layer: Project Governance
source_type: synthesis
pmbok8_anchor: "PMBOK8 Guide §2.5 Stakeholders Performance Domain; §2.7 Delivery Performance Domain; Managing Change in Organizations Practice Guide"
authority: PMI-derived
performance_domains:
  - Stakeholders
  - Governance
  - Delivery
focus_areas:
  - Planning
  - Executing
  - Monitoring and Controlling
required_by_skills:
  - SKL-03-02
created_by_skills:
  - SKL-03-02
linked_artifacts:
  - A07
  - A06
  - A14
  - A17
  - A29
---

# A39 — Change Management Plan

**Artifact ID:** A39
**Name:** Change Management Plan
**Version:** 1.0.0
**Status:** Active
**Source Type:** synthesis
**Governance Layer:** Project Governance
**Authority:** PMBOK8 Guide §2.5 Stakeholders Performance Domain; §2.7 Delivery Performance Domain; Managing Change in Organizations Practice Guide

> **Source type note:** Organizational change management (OCM) is a recognized practice area in the PMI ecosystem via the *Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide*. PMBOK 8 addresses the people-side of change through the Stakeholders and Delivery performance domains. This artifact synthesizes PMI change management guidance with project delivery needs. The artifact ID A39 is assigned per the repository's extended artifact catalog in Artifacts-V-1.0.5.

---

## 1. Purpose

The Change Management Plan describes how the people-side of project-driven organizational change will be managed. It addresses stakeholder readiness, adoption strategies, resistance management, communication related to organizational transition, training needs, and the measurement of change adoption.

This artifact is distinct from the Integrated Change Decision Log (A12), which handles project scope, schedule, and cost change requests. A39 addresses *organizational change* — the human and behavioral transition that occurs when a project delivers new capabilities, systems, processes, or ways of working that require people to change how they operate.

---

## 2. Scope

| In Scope | Out of Scope |
|---|---|
| Organizational change impact assessment | Project scope change requests and decisions (belong in A12) |
| Stakeholder readiness assessment and approach | Detailed project communications plan (belongs in A10) |
| Change adoption strategy and interventions | Risk register entries for change-related risks (belong in A19) |
| Resistance identification and management approach | Benefits realization tracking (belongs in A02) |
| Change training and capability-building plan | Technical implementation plans |
| Change champions and sponsor engagement model | HR policies or personnel actions |
| Change adoption metrics and measurement | Product acceptance criteria (belong in A08 and A09) |
| Transition and sustainment approach | Procurement activities |

---

## 3. Trigger Conditions

The Change Management Plan is created when:

- The project will deliver a significant organizational change (new system, process redesign, structural change, cultural shift) that requires people to adopt new behaviors.
- The business case or project charter identifies organizational readiness as a material success factor.
- The sponsor or governance authority requires a documented approach to managing the human side of transition.

The plan is updated when:

- Change adoption metrics reveal that readiness or adoption is below target.
- A new stakeholder group is identified that will be materially affected by the change.
- The project scope change alters the nature or timing of the organizational transition.
- Resistance patterns emerge that require an updated response strategy.

---

## 4. Required Sections / Fields

| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Change impact assessment | Which groups are affected, how significantly, and what they will need to do differently | Mandatory |
| Stakeholder readiness assessment | Current readiness level by affected group and target readiness required | Mandatory |
| Change adoption strategy | Overall approach to moving stakeholders from current to desired state | Mandatory |
| Resistance management approach | How resistance will be identified, understood, and addressed | Mandatory |
| Change champions model | Who will serve as change champions and how they will be engaged | Mandatory |
| Training and capability-building plan | What training or capability development is required and for whom | Mandatory |
| Change communications approach | How transition-specific communications will be delivered (references A10 for the full communications plan) | Mandatory |
| Adoption metrics | How change adoption will be measured and at what checkpoints | Mandatory |
| Transition and sustainment plan | How the organization will sustain the change after project delivery | Recommended |
| Sponsor engagement model | How the sponsor and senior leaders will visibly lead the change | Recommended |

---

## 5. PMBOK 8 Authority

| Source | Section | Purpose of Citation |
|---|---|---|
| PMBOK8 Guide | §2.5 Stakeholders Performance Domain | Grounds organizational change management in stakeholder engagement — readiness, resistance, and adoption are stakeholder outcomes |
| PMBOK8 Guide | §2.7 Delivery Performance Domain | Links change management to value delivery — a project delivers value only if the organization adopts and sustains the change |
| Managing Change | PMI Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide | Primary OCM authority — provides the change management framework, readiness assessment, adoption strategy, and transition guidance |
| PMBOK8 Guide | Table 2-1 Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Change adoption activities are part of stakeholder engagement management |
| PMI Lexicon | Change Management Plan definition | Canonical PMI definition: a plan that provides direction for managing the change aspect of a project |

---

## 6. Used By (Skills That Consume This Artifact)

| Skill ID | Skill Name | How Used |
|---|---|---|
| SKL-03-02 | Develop Project Management Plan | Change management plan is established as a subsidiary plan during integrated planning |
| SKL-04-06 | Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Change adoption activities and resistance management are executed as part of stakeholder engagement |
| SKL-05-07 | Monitor Stakeholder Engagement | Change adoption metrics feed into stakeholder monitoring |
| SKL-06-01 | Close Project or Phase | Transition and sustainment plan is activated as part of project closure |

---

## 7. Created By (Skills That Produce This Artifact)

| Skill ID | Skill Name | How Produced |
|---|---|---|
| SKL-03-02 | Develop Project Management Plan | Produces the change management plan as a subsidiary planning artifact |

---

## 8. Linked Artifacts

| Artifact ID | Artifact Name | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| A07 | Stakeholder Register and Engagement Strategy | Stakeholder impact assessment and readiness levels in A39 are built on the stakeholder analysis in A07 |
| A06 | Tailoring Decision Record | Tailoring decisions determine whether a full change management plan is required or a lighter readiness section suffices |
| A10 | Communications Management Plan | A10 governs the overall communications approach; A39 contains change-specific communications strategy that A10 references |
| A12 | Change and Exception Decision Log | A12 handles project change requests; A39 handles organizational transition — they are complementary, not duplicative |
| A14 | Integrated Project Management Plan | Change Management Plan is a subsidiary plan within A14 |
| A17 | Integrated Performance Reporting Record | Change adoption metrics feed into integrated performance reporting |
| A29 | Change Readiness and Adoption Record | A39 is the plan; A29 is the living execution record tracking adoption status against the plan |
| A02 | Benefits and Value Measurement Record | Change adoption is a prerequisite for benefit realization — A39 adoption metrics link to A02 benefit triggers |

---

## 9. Validation Criteria

| Check | Validation Rule |
|---|---|
| Change impact assessment complete | At least two affected stakeholder groups are identified with impact description |
| Readiness baseline established | Current readiness level is assessed for at least the primary affected group |
| Adoption strategy defined | A documented approach to moving stakeholders from current to target state is present |
| Resistance management addressed | At least one resistance category is identified with a management response |
| Training needs identified | At minimum, a training needs statement is included even if detailed curriculum is TBD |
| Adoption metrics defined | At least one measurable adoption metric with a target and a measurement point is stated |
| Distinct from A12 | This plan does not contain project scope/schedule/cost change request records — those belong in A12 |
| Linked to A07 | Change impact groups trace to the stakeholder register in A07 |
| Waste test pass | Separate readiness assessment worksheet, resistance log, and change communications plan do not replicate the same OCM decisions without distinct decision value |

**Waste test:** Fail if a standalone organizational readiness workbook, a resistance tracking spreadsheet, and a change communications plan all contain the same impact assessment, adoption strategy, and metrics without each adding a distinct control or decision function.

---

## 10. Change Log

| Version | Date | Author | Change Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2026-05-30 | @fakhruldeen | Initial definition — Phase B1 Priority 9. Source: PMI Managing Change in Organizations Practice Guide + PMBOK8 Stakeholders and Delivery Performance Domains. |
