How to Create and Use Custom Groups in ChangePlan
Overview
Custom Groups in ChangePlan are static groups that allow you to manage stakeholders that don’t fit within your standard org chart structure. They are useful for:
- Cross-functional project teams
- Steering committees
- Change agent networks
- Vendor or partner teams
- Placeholder groups (when you don’t want to add individuals)
Important Note
Custom Groups are static — they do not update automatically when your org chart changes and must be maintained manually. Dynamic groups (criteria-based and auto-updating) are coming in an upcoming platform update.
How to Create a Custom Group
From All Initiatives View
- Go to All Initiatives View > Audience page
- Click on the Custom Groups tab
- Click Add at the top — this will open the Add Audience modal
- Make sure you are on the Custom Group tab within the modal
- Enter a Group Name
- Set the Number of People (optional — useful if creating a placeholder without adding individuals). This overrides the actual count of individuals added.
- Optionally set a Location
- Optionally add individuals to the group by:
- Clicking the link and selecting individuals from your organisation, or
- Uploading an Excel sheet with a list of individuals (a template file is available in this area)
- Click Create to save the custom group
From a Single Initiative
- Inside your initiative, go to Audience > Custom Groups tab
- Click Add
- Either select an existing custom group, or create a new one following the steps above
Adding a Custom Group to an Initiative
- From the initiative’s Audience page, click Add
- Search for and select the custom group
- The group will be added to the initiative
- From this point, you can assign impacts and activities to the custom group
Custom Groups in Reporting
Custom Groups are reflected in reporting at the portfolio level. To view them:
- Go to All Initiatives View
- Click on Reporting
- In the Options area, make sure you select the option to Show Custom Groups
Key Notes
- An individual can be part of multiple custom groups, as well as one org chart group
- Only Admins can add/edit individuals, set headcount, location, manager, and notes
- Full Access Users can only edit the group name
- Individuals must already exist in ChangePlan before being added to a custom group
- Email addresses must be lowercase for the system to match them correctly