CMI Unit 705 Leading Strategic Change (A/617/6865) Assignment Brief 2026

CMI Unit 705 Assignment Brief

Assignment Aim

The aim of this unit is for leaders to understand the scope, context and complexity of leading strategic change. Leaders will understand how the application of analytical techniques, theories and models of change, and creative problem-solving can be used to equip them to lead strategic change with confidence. The unit culminates in giving leaders the opportunity to develop a proposal to lead a strategic change.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

LO1 – Understand the scope and context of strategic change

Assessment criteria

1.1 Discuss the scope, context and drivers for organisational change

1.2 Critically appraise the complexities of leading strategic change

1.3 Critically evaluate theories and models for leading and managing strategic change

Indicative content 

1.1 Scope: strategic, operational, departmental, team, people.

• Organisational context: Type of organisation. Public sector (local and national government). Private. Third sector. Local, regional, national, international and global organisations (Cross border and cross boundary organisations). SMEs. Partnerships. Sole Traders. Limited liabilities Companies (LLPs).
• Internal drivers for change: Financial management. Profitability. Organisational structures and governance. Re-structuring. Competition. Organisational culture (Edgar Schein, 1988; Johnson and Scholes, 2011). Organisational vision and values. Resourcing, capability and capacity. Innovation, entrepreneurialism, creativity and enterprise. Stakeholder requirements. Current, emerging and disruptive technologies. New ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people and culture and sustainability. Systems thinking, knowledge/data management, programme management. New product development. Staff morale. Demographics. Conflict management.
• External drivers for change: Legal and regulatory requirements (for example, health and safety, environmental standards, CSR). Government-led drivers (for example, legislative changes, policy initiatives). Political, economic and social influences and stability (for example, local, regional, national, global). Industry structures. Stakeholder influence. Competition (for example, from existing and new competitors). Partnerships. Emerging/changing markets. Response to a crisis situation. Disasters and events. Emerging and disruptive technologies. Big data and insight.

1.2 Complexities of leading strategic change: Legal, regulatory and good practice requirements.

Organisational culture (for example, prevailing and desired, resistance to and support for change). Organisational development and design (for example, Human Resource Management. Impact of restructuring/de-layering). Stakeholder management (for example, relationships with partners, staff, unions and other representative bodies). Resourcing. Maintaining business as usual. Communicating, purpose, scope and definition of change. Managing and mitigating risk.

1.3 Theories and models for change: Models of Incremental and Transformational Change. Eight Guiding Principles of Change Management (Kotter, 2014). McKinsey’s 7S Model (Singh, 2013). The Three Step-Model of Change (Lewin, 1947). The Action Research Model (Lewin, 1946). Force Field Analysis (Lewin, 1951). Radical Change within Traditional Structures (Oswick, 2015). Appreciative Enquiry Model (Cooperrider, Srivastva, Bushe et al, 2011).

LO2 – Know how to propose a strategy for leading strategic change

Assessment criteria

2.1 Develop a proposal for leading strategic change

2.2 Reflect on how approaches to leadership can be applied to deliver the strategy for change

Indicative content

2.1 Proposal: 

• Outline of the proposed strategic change (for example, synopsis of change, statement of business value/benefits of change, anticipated timeframe, resources).
• Aim and objectives of strategic change.
• Alignment of change to the strategic goals of the organisation. Compliance with organisational (for example, HR, ethical, CSR), legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Tools and techniques to deliver strategic change. Diagnostic and action-planning. Stakeholder mapping. Models of change (for example, Kotter, 2014, Lewin, 1946, Oswick, 2015). Structured approaches to project management (for example, Agile, Waterfall, PRINCE2.) Risk identification and mitigation. Contingency. Governance and reporting structures.
• Potential impact and consequences of strategic change. Gaining insight into effects of change. (for example, change agents, stakeholders). Overcoming resistance to change. Monitoring outcomes (for example, Reactions to change, values, beliefs, culture).
• The organisation’s developing communications strategy to support and disseminate strategic change (for example, Internal/external).

2.2 Leadership approaches and management models: Authentic Leadership (Goffee and Jones, 2011). Entrepreneurial Leadership (Roebuck, 2014). Transformational Leadership (Bass and Riggio, 2006).

Situational Leadership (Hersey and Blanchard, 1969). Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership (Kouzes and

Posner, 1987). Leadership Styles (Goleman, 1995). Charismatic Leadership (House, 1997). The Servant Leader (Greenleaf, 1977). Finding new role models. Allowing imprecise visions. Creating new areas and pockets of commitment. Ethos, ethics and values (Mendonca and Kanungo, 2007). Use of informational resources.

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