PWPM Wiki

Organisational Restructuring Assumptions Log

This is a practical guide to building a assumptions log for an organisational restructuring project — a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated, adapted to the realities of restructuring teams, roles or the operating model.

What a Assumptions Log is

A assumptions log is a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Assumption. On an organisational restructuring project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.

Why it matters for an Organisational Restructuring project

Organisational Restructuring projects live or die on restructuring teams, roles or the operating model. A well-built assumptions 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 organisational restructuring projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.

What to include

  • Assumption
  • Impact if wrong
  • Owner
  • Validation status

Organisational Restructuring-specific considerations

Tailor the assumptions log to the risks that most often derail organisational restructuring projects:

  • People and morale impact
  • Consultation requirements
  • Business continuity

Example

On a real organisational restructuring project, the assumptions log would be shaped by restructuring teams, roles or the operating model. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — people and morale impact, consultation requirements, business continuity — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.