(79b) Risk Assessment Process for Organizational Changes

In every organization, each person fulfills many roles and responsibilities. These duties may be listed in a job brief, position description, or other document. There also frequently exist tasks, responsibilities, or areas of expertise that are not identified in a job brief, if one exists at all.

Organizations can undergo change in many forms, including job transfers, promotions, resignations, and position elimination/additions. When these changes occur, it is imperative that the duties and responsibilities (including formal and informal) of the ?old? organization be accounted for in the ?new? organization.

This paper presents one company's methodology for assessing the risks associated with organizational change. These changes may take the form of resignations, promotions, reorganizations, and the creation of new positions. The paper describes a team-based approach, which includes methods of identifying what the ?old? organization did, and how it will be accomplished in the ?new? organization. Gaps in assigning responsibilities in the ?new? organization are identified, risks assessed, and corrective actions agreed upon and tracked to completion.