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Initiatives and portfolios
Create and set up an initiative

Create and set up an initiative

Set up a new change project in minutes

Published on October 20, 2026
Who this is for: Users who can create or edit initiatives

Create an initiative

Add a name, portfolio, go-live date and owner, then save
Add a name, portfolio, go-live date and owner, then save
  1. Click Create at the top of the left menu.
  1. Choose Initiative.
  1. Enter the Initiative name and Target go-live date, choose the Portfolio, and add the Owner.
  1. Click Save & view initiative. ChangePlan opens the new initiative’s dashboard.

Complete Initiative setup

Initiative setup: three steps on the dashboard
Initiative setup: three steps on the dashboard
Answer each change effort question
Answer each change effort question
Initiative setup walks you through three steps:
  1. Upload documents (optional). Add a business case, project plan or similar.
  1. Assess change effort. Answer a short questionnaire. ChangePlan scores the initiative as Small, Medium, Large or Extra Large (your organisation may use different labels) and places it on the portfolio heat map.
  1. Create the initiative brief. A one-page summary you can edit and export to PowerPoint.
If your admin has switched on AI suggestions, ChangePlan can pre-fill answers from your documents. You stay in control: review and correct each answer before moving on. AI suggestions are off unless your admin turns them on.

Edit initiative details

Update the details, then Save changes
Update the details, then Save changes
Open the initiative and choose Edit initiative in its menu to change the name, dates, owner or other details.

Mark an initiative as completed

  1. Open the initiative and choose Edit initiative in its menu.
  1. Change Status to Completed.
  1. Save your changes.
Completed initiatives stay in ChangePlan for reference and reporting. You can reactivate one later by changing its status back, or duplicate it to plan a similar change.

Tip: one initiative per phase

If your change rolls out in phases (for example, a pilot in one region and then a full roll-out), create a separate initiative for each phase. Each phase then has its own dates, audiences and reporting.
Other details, such as hashtags, initiative type, status, completion date, sponsor, project manager and access, are all set on Edit initiative.

What to do next

  • Change canvas: context, scope and links
  • Audience: who is affected
  • Impacts: what changes for them
  • Activities: how you’ll support them
  • Risks and Benefits

Still stuck?

Email support@changeplan.co with a screenshot of what you see, and we’ll help.
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