Change Management Programme Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for a change management programme project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of delivering large-scale organisational change.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On a change management programme project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Change Management Programme project
Change Management Programme projects live or die on delivering large-scale organisational change. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how change management programme projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
Change Management Programme-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail change management programme projects:
- Resistance to change
- Sustaining adoption
- Leadership alignment
Example
On a real change management programme project, the decision log would be shaped by delivering large-scale organisational change. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — resistance to change, sustaining adoption, leadership alignment — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.