📘️ Overview
Use the Change Impacts section in each initiative to capture who is affected, how they’re affected, and when. This helps you understand the scope of disruption across the organization, so you can plan communications, training, and engagement activities accordingly.
This section works hand-in-hand with the Change Risk Assessment:
- Impact Assessment = Who is affected and how
- Risk Assessment = What might get in the way of adoption
Together, they provide the full picture: where the change is hitting and where it might struggle to land.
Captured impact data feeds into dashboards, stakeholder plans, and the heatmap view, helping you prioritize support and avoid change overload.
❓ FAQs
Q: Who should I include in the impact assessment?
A: Anyone affected by the change — from frontline employees to senior leaders. Use the org chart to select groups and individuals.
Q: What if I’m not sure of the exact impact yet?
A: Start with a draft. You can update as the project progresses and your understanding deepens.
Q: Can I link impacts to specific audiences?
A: Yes — each impact can be assigned to multiple org groups or audiences. These appear separately in heatmaps and reporting views.
Q: How does this help with planning?
A: It informs your engagement strategy. High-impact groups may need more support, training, or communication.
Q: How often should I revisit the impact assessment?
A: Revisit it at each major milestone or monthly for active initiatives. Impacts can shift over time.
🧠 Example Change Impacts
What is Changing | Impact on Audience | Org Group | Timeframe | Impact Level |
New digital reporting system | New process and login required | Sales team | Go-live | High |
Shift to hybrid work policy | Loss of dedicated desks | Corporate services | Pre-launch | Medium |
Retirement of legacy tool | Need to learn replacement | Finance dept | 4 weeks before go-live | High |
🧵 Why It Matters – A Quick Story
An organization was rolling out a new CRM platform. The change team assumed it mostly affected Sales. But the impact assessment revealed that Marketing, Customer Support, and even Finance were also impacted by changes in reporting workflows and data entry.
Because they had a clear view of who was affected and when, they tailored communication and training plans by department. Adoption was smoother, and fewer post-go-live support requests came in.
Without the impact assessment, several groups would have been caught off guard, creating frustration and rework. Risk assessments built on top of this view then helped flag where engagement and trust were still at risk.
⌛️ How Much Time Should I Spend on Impact Assessment?
Link your effort to the Change Effort Assessment score in ChangePlan. Use the guide below to scope your work:
Change Effort Score | Typical Characteristics | Suggested Time | Typical # of Impact Entries | Notes |
Low | Narrow scope, single team | 30–45 mins | 3–5 | Quick mapping of impacted group(s) and timing |
Low-Medium | Affects multiple stakeholders | 1–2 hours | 5–8 | May need light input from team leads |
Medium-High | Cross-departmental impact | 2–4 hours | 8–15 | Recommend a working session with initiative team |
High | Broad, visible, or complex change | 4+ hours over 1–2 weeks | 15–20+ | Revisit regularly to update and validate with stakeholders |
✅ Pro Tip
Use the timeframe and impact level fields to feed into heatmaps. This helps you and your stakeholders visualize peak periods of change pressure and inform sequencing of initiatives.
➡️ Next Step: Complete the Change Risk Assessment to understand barriers to adoption across the same groups.