Who this is for: Admins
Update your org groups and individuals regularly so every initiative works from the same, accurate audience data. Doing it centrally saves each change manager from updating their own initiatives, and reduces errors.
Before you start
- Your admin owns this update. Pick a cadence that suits your organisation, for example monthly, every two months or quarterly.
- ChangePlan Customer Success can help with your first few updates. During onboarding we map the fields in your HR system export to the ChangePlan templates.
- To automate the update from your HR system, see Setting up automated org chart & employee updates.
The update has four steps:
- Prepare the template files.
- Update the org chart and decide what happens to groups that no longer exist.
- Import new individuals.
- Remove people who have left.
Step 1: Prepare the template files
Your data needs to match the ChangePlan templates exactly, so start from the latest templates.
Org chart template
Download it from Settings > Org chart > Import.
Column | Title | Note |
A | ORG LEVEL 1 | group name |
B | ORG LEVEL 2 | group name |
C | ORG LEVEL 3 | group name |
D | ORG LEVEL 4 | group name |
E | ORG LEVEL 5 | group name |
F | ORG LEVEL 6 | group name |
G | ORG LEVEL 7 | group name |
H | ORG LEVEL 8 | group name |
I | ORG LEVEL 9 | group name |
J | ORG LEVEL 10 | group name |
K | ORG LEVEL 11 | group name |
L | NUMBER OF PEOPLE | optional, overrides a sum count of individuals in the group |
M | LOCATION | text |
N | REPORTING MANAGER | email address |
O | INDIVIDUALS | optional, email addresses separated by commas |
P | PREFERRED COMMUNICATION APPROACH | text |
Q | NOTES | text |
- Leave column O (Individuals) blank. You'll add people with the individuals file in Step 3.
- Columns L to Q are optional org group details (metadata). If you don't use them, you only need one file from your HR system: build the org chart file by copying the org level columns from your individuals file into the org chart template.
Individuals template
Download it from Audiences > Individuals > Import individuals.
Column | Title | Note |
A | FIRST NAME | required |
B | LAST NAME | required |
C | EMAIL ADDRESS | required, unique identifier |
D | JOB TITLE | text |
E | ORG LEVEL 1 | group name |
F | ORG LEVEL 2 | group name |
G | ORG LEVEL 3 | group name |
H | ORG LEVEL 4 | group name |
I | ORG LEVEL 5 | group name |
J | ORG LEVEL 6 | group name |
K | ORG LEVEL 7 | group name |
L | ORG LEVEL 8 | group name |
M | ORG LEVEL 9 | group name |
N | ORG LEVEL 10 | group name |
O | ORG LEVEL 11 | group name |
P | LOCATION | text |
Q | EMPLOYEE ID | text |
R | REPORTING MANAGER | email address |
S | PREFERRED COMMUNICATION APPROACH | text |
T | NOTES | text |
U | CUSTOM FIELD 1 | text, field can be configured in the settings area |
V | CUSTOM FIELD 2 | text, field can be configured in the settings area |
W | CUSTOM FIELD 3 | text, field can be configured in the settings area |
- Every row needs a valid, unique email address. ChangePlan uses it to recognise each person.
- Org group names must match your org chart exactly.
- For files over 1,000 rows, split them into smaller batches.
- You may be able to automate reshaping your HR export into these templates (for example with an Excel VBA script). Our team is happy to discuss this with you.
Step 2: Update the org chart
Org groups are the buckets that individuals sit in, so update the org chart before you import individuals.
- Export your current org chart from Audiences > Org groups and compare it with your new file. See Prepare your Excel file for an org chart update.
- Go to Settings in the left menu, open Org chart and click Update org chart.
- Upload your file. You'll see this notification.
- ChangePlan compares the existing and updated org charts and lists any defunct groups: groups in your current org chart that aren't in the new file.
- Decide what happens to each defunct group.
Option | Initiative data (audience, impacts, activities) | Individuals in the group |
Do nothing | The group is removed from all initiative data | Stay in ChangePlan, but their org group details are removed |
Transfer project data | Reassigned to another org group you choose | Moved to that org group |
- Review the summary table and confirm the update.
- ChangePlan updates the org chart in the background.
Org chart update questions
- Why do I get duplicate name errors? Every group name must be unique, even across levels. Clean them with Prepare your Excel file for an org chart update.
- How do I keep the org chart and individuals file in step? Export your current org chart, make sure group names match exactly in both files, and update the org chart first.
- What if a group was renamed? ChangePlan can't detect renames automatically, so a renamed group shows as defunct. Use Transfer project data to move its data to the new name, or contact support.
- What if we're restructuring? Compare the old and new org charts (for example with VLOOKUP) before you upload, and choose transfers carefully so initiative data lands in the right groups.
Step 3: Import individuals
- Go to Audiences in the left menu, open Individuals and choose Import individuals.
- Upload your individuals file. ChangePlan matches people by email address.
- ChangePlan imports the file in the background.
Importing adds new people only. It doesn't change individuals who are already in ChangePlan. To update an existing person, such as a new job title or org group, edit them on the Individuals tab.
The import fails for rows with a missing or invalid email address, or an org group that doesn't exist in ChangePlan.
When someone moves to a different org group
- They pick up the initiatives, impacts and activities linked to their new org group.
- Initiatives, impacts and activities that reached them only through their old org group no longer apply to them.
- Impacts and activities they were added to as an individual stay with them.
- Their custom group membership doesn't change.
Step 4: Remove people who have left
ChangePlan never deletes individuals automatically. People in defunct groups that you didn't transfer stay in ChangePlan with no org group.
- On Audiences > Individuals, export the list.
- In the exported file, filter the Org level 1 column for blanks to see who has no org group.
- Decide for each person: keep them and move them to another org group later, or delete them.
- To delete, find the people on the Individuals tab with Search or Filter, tick their checkboxes and choose Delete from the bulk actions.
Deleting a person can't be undone. It removes them from their groups and from every initiative, impact and activity.
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Still stuck?
Email support@changeplan.co with a screenshot of what you see, and we'll help.
Last updated: 21 October 2026