Government agency prime contractors need their consulting partners to bring these essentials.

In today’s rapidly evolving government landscape, agencies are more engaged in transformation initiatives than ever before. They include technology modernization and responsible integration of artificial intelligence. Agencies are also weathering big changes to the federal government workforce such as agency-level restructuring, reorganization, and return-to-work mandates.

Big changes need change management to succeed.

A great organizational change management (OCM) partner can be invaluable to prime contractors supporting these new agency priorities.

Here are seven key features primes should look for in a change management teaming partner:

1. Comprehensive Expertise

A change management partner should have experience across project types. They should be able to manage:

• Global Implementations
• Supply Chain Transformations
• IT System Rollouts
• Integration of Innovative Technologies
• Organizational Restructuring
• Process Redesigns

The consulting partner should also have significant experience in various industries, private and government organizations. In particular, private sector change management experience can offer a lot of value.

Significant industry experience means the consultant can bring fresh perspectives and proven methodology honed in competitive, demanding environments, where change is constant and success is measured by tangible outcomes.

Moreover, private sector experience offers valuable insights into managing cultural shifts and overcoming resistance to change. This enables federal clients to navigate their unique challenges more effectively, balancing the need for consensus-driven decision-making with the imperative for rapid, impactful change.

This breadth of experience helps the entire project team deliver more successful transformation, improve service delivery, and better align with evolving public sector demands.

2. Proven Methodology

Look for a partner with a structured, yet flexible approach to change management. They should offer:

• Stakeholder Identification and Analysis
• Change Impact Assessments
• Change Models Tailored to Your Organization
• Comprehensive Change Management Scorecards

Many OCM firms have developed their own change models based on their experience of what works. That said, there are many change models organizations can adopt, such as ADKAR and Kotter’s eight-step change model. A good OCM partner should be able to apply a variety of change models, including proprietary. Regardless of the approach, the model should consider the entire performance system at the individual, organizational, and cultural levels.

3. Ability to Manage Complex Change

At Emerson, we often adopt the mindset of an air traffic controller, where we help our prime teaming partner see the “flight map” of the organization. We identify the concurrent initiatives impacting the same stakeholders so we can anticipate conflicts, clarify messaging, and ensure smooth implementation of activities. This is particularly valuable in large-scale government projects with multiple stakeholders and initiatives.

The idea is to keep a structured but nimble approach, helping our partners meet project milestones, manage risks effectively, and deliver successful outcomes.

4. Experience with Comprehensive Communications

Effective communication is crucial in change management. Your partner should excel in:

• Ensuring leadership alignment
• Developing targeted communication plans
• Creating engaging content for various channels
• Training change champions and leaders
• Facilitating workshops and seminars

It’s essential that all communications across the initiative are grounded in one set of messages, and that all actors are aligned on that foundation. That’s why it’s important that your consulting partner has deep experience planning and implementing communications from the leadership level to the staff level, customizing content so that it resonates with each group.

5. Employee Engagement Focus

A great partner recognizes that successful change hinges on employee buy-in. They should provide:

• Employee readiness planning
• Strategies for building and sustaining momentum
• Interactive training programs
• Tools for measuring and improving adoption

Successful employee adoption requires a multifaceted approach. A good strategy prioritizes organizational values, transparency, and engagement (physical or virtual). Good plans include activities that build trust, confidence, and ownership in the agency’s success.

It’s essential that a consulting partner targets true engagement — not just delivering communication and training but creating a two-way flow of information and collaboration between the program and stakeholders.

6. Training and Development Expertise

To support new processes or systems, your partner should be adept at designing, developing, and delivering:

• Custom learning programs that target the initiative’s outcomes
• Training in multiple and blended modalities
• Training that fits agency platforms and policies (in-person or virtual)
• Sustainable learning solutions

Training and workforce development drive performance. Without the right skills and knowledge, employees can’t fulfill the initiative’s objectives or the agency’s mission. Targeted learning programs help the workforce embrace the rationale behind the change, adopt new processes, and develop the competencies they need to work in the new way.

7. Experience Building Change Capability

In an ever-evolving government landscape, smart agencies are building capability in change itself. Home-grown change management practitioners can serve their own agencies, dispelling common myths about change, reducing employee resistance, and creating momentum for workforce adoption.

Building capability typically means a combination of training and practical application. The right consulting partner can teach selected staff to apply change management concepts and methodologies to real scenarios.

Agencies with internal change management capabilities are ready to respond to future transformations and foster a culture of continuous improvement and agility in a time of constant change.

A change management partner with the right qualities boosts a prime contractor’s ability to execute complex government projects successfully, support positive client relationships, and position themselves for future opportunities.

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Turbulent times require more support for your federal agency workforce.

In today’s political climate, it might feel like positive change within the federal government is an up-hill battle. Whether it’s planned or not, welcome or not, any big change means that people and teams have to work differently. And they need help to do it.

Change management is a way to optimize any change. It’s a way to get your organization from the current state to a future state, smoothly and successfully.

Here are some of the challenges agency workforces are facing and why they might need help with change:

• Rapid Policy Changes. The Trump administration has implemented many executive orders and policy shifts that affect both government agencies and private industry. Regulatory freezes, hiring freezes, and shifts in priorities mean different ways of working for leaders and staff. Organizations have to quickly adapt to these changes as they continue to work toward their missions.
• Organizational Restructuring. With the administration’s focus on reducing the federal workforce and eliminating certain positions (like Chief Diversity Officers), many organizations will implement significant restructuring. Leaders and employees will have new workloads and different procedures to follow.
• Process Redesigns. The emphasis on deregulation and “unleashing prosperity” means many agencies might need to redesign their processes to align with new regulatory landscapes. To do it right, agencies need insights, methods, and lessons learned from across sectors.
• IT System Rollouts. As organizations adapt to new policies and regulations, they may need to implement new IT systems or modify existing ones. Technical modernization is a priority for this administration. Supporting the people side of digital transformation is key to adoption and performance.
• Supply Chain Transformations. The administration’s focus on infrastructure investment and potential changes to international trade policies might require supply chain transformations. These kinds of transformations have ripple effects that touch many teams and employees’ day-to-day work. They need help transitioning to the new way of working.
• Navigating Uncertainty. Frequent policy changes and potential legal challenges to some administration actions create an environment of uncertainty. Uncertainty is disruptive to any workforce. Clear messaging and alignment from leaders can help stabilize teams and maintain performance.
• Balancing Compliance and Innovation. Organizations must balance compliance with new directives while pursuing innovation and growth. It’s essential to prioritize employee behaviors and activities so everyone is aligned and meeting those goals.
• Managing Cultural Shifts. Some of the administration’s policies, particularly those related to DEI, might go against the culture of an organization. Leaders must clarify values and norms to affirm culture, and engage employees in the conversation, while remaining in compliance.
• Leveraging Cross-Industry Insights. Some policy changes might blur the lines between public and private sectors. It’s a great time to adopt valuable cross-sector insights and best practices.

Each of these challenges highlights the need for change management in some form.

It’s important to consider the impacts on the entire “performance system” at the organizational, cultural, and individual levels.

Even in a historically dynamic federal government, we can achieve positive change.

How Government Agencies Use Storytelling in Change Management.

Change management is an essential function for any organization, but it’s especially important for federal government agencies. Change initiatives help drive the agency’s mission, which can impact millions of US citizens. Storytelling is fundamental to effective change management. Stories engage, inspire, and move people to action, making them a potent tool for leaders helping their agencies change and thrive.

Here are a few reasons government agencies should integrate storytelling into their change management approaches.

1.    Stories work.

Humans are naturally drawn to stories. Stories are how we make sense of the world and our place within it. In the context of federal agencies, stories can transform abstract concepts into tangible examples that employees can understand and relate to. When leaders share stories of successful change, they provide a narrative that helps people envision the positive outcomes of the transformation.

2.    Stories promote your change.

A compelling change narrative should be authentic, relatable, and aligned with the agency’s values and mission. It should illuminate the “why” behind the change, the vision for the future, and the role each employee plays. For instance, a story about how a new technology will improve citizen services can help employees see the importance of their contribution to the larger goal.

3.    Stories combat resistance.

Stories are also powerful learning tools. They can be used to illustrate best practices, common pitfalls, and lessons learned from past changes. By sharing stories from within the agency or similar organizations, leaders provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of change; this tamps down resistance and builds confidence in the change.

4.    Stories engage employees.

Change can be daunting. But stories can create emotional connections that facts and figures alone cannot. They can motivate employees by describing the human impact of the change, such as how it improves the lives of the public or enhances the work environment for staff.

5.    Stories drive commitment.

Inclusivity should be a cornerstone of stories in change management. Diverse perspectives help the narrative resonate with a broad audience and make all stakeholders feel heard. Inclusive stories foster a sense of belonging and commitment to both the change process and the agency.

The power of story in change management cannot be overstated. For federal government agencies, where change can be particularly complex and impactful, stories unite, guide, and inspire employees. As agencies continue to evolve and adapt to new challenges, the stories they tell will shape their path forward.

Our government is apparently not a fan of TikTok, but they seem to love other innovative technology — especially AI. US federal agencies are starting to harness the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to improve efficiency, decision-making, and service delivery.

For instance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could use generative AI to model complex public health scenarios, helping them form policies and response strategies. Similarly, the Department of Defense (DoD) is exploring generative AI for simulation and training purposes, to give personnel realistic and varied practice scenarios.

AI promises big benefits, but beware — there are three pitfalls government teams should consider as they approach AI projects.

Consider ethics and policy.

As federal agencies adopt generative AI, they must keep ethics and policy implications at the forefront. They need clear guidelines on data usage, privacy, and security. They must also ensure that AI-generated content is unbiased and equitable; government decisions based on AI outputs can have significant impacts on the lives of US citizens.

As federal agencies adopt generative AI, they must keep ethics and policy implications at the forefront.

Hire and train for the AI-enabled agency.

Generative AI will change the work performed within federal agencies. This is a good thing; AI can take over repetitive tasks, freeing up human workers for more complex and creative work. But that workforce must be prepared to get all the benefits of AI. Agencies should consider AI technology skills as they recruit and hire. They must also invest in training to help employees perform in an AI-augmented workplace.

Generative AI will change the work performed within federal agencies. This is a good thing.

Manage it like any other change.

Integrating AI technology into federal agencies is an organizational change, like any other. Agencies will not see the workforce adoption they need – and the benefits they expect – without effective change management. Dedicated change management teams help federal organizations navigate the complexities of the new technology, address resistance, and promote employee engagement and adoption. The right communication, training, and support minimizes disruption and maximizes the benefits of generative AI, fostering an environment where innovative tools like AI enhance employee performance and service delivery.

Dedicated change management teams help federal organizations navigate the complexities of new technology.

Generative AI offers federal agencies exciting opportunities to innovate and improve their operations. But each opportunity comes with the responsibility to implement AI ethically and support the workforce. As generative AI continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how federal agencies leverage this technology to serve the public better.