Change management activities do not execute themselves. Behind every stakeholder workshop, training module, communications campaign, and readiness assessment lies a requirement for specific human, financial, and technological resources. The degree to which these resources have been formally identified and confirmed is a critical indicator of the change management programme's readiness to proceed.
Definition and Distinction
Resource identification, in the change management context, refers to the process of cataloguing all the resources—including change management practitioners, subject matter experts, communications and training professionals, technology tools, and budget allocations—required to execute the change management plan from initiation through to post-go-live reinforcement. This is distinct from resource allocation (formally assigning identified resources to specific activities) and resource acquisition (procuring external resources not yet engaged).
A resource that has been identified but not yet confirmed is a resource risk. A resource that has been confirmed but not yet allocated to specific activities represents planning work remaining. Change managers should clearly distinguish between these three states for each required resource.
Why Resource Identification Matters
Incomplete resource identification is one of the most common causes of change management plan failure. Activities that are planned without identified resources are, in effect, plans without delivery mechanisms. When resources are assumed rather than confirmed, the plan is vulnerable to collapse at the point of execution when the assumed resource is unavailable.
Early resource identification also enables proactive risk management. If the assessment reveals that a required skill set is not available internally and must be procured externally, the procurement process requires lead time. Identifying this gap early provides the opportunity to initiate procurement in time to meet the delivery schedule.
Assessing and Documenting Resource Status
Change managers should produce a resource inventory that lists every resource category required by the change management plan, the specific resource (or resource type) needed, and its status (identified, confirmed, allocated, or at risk). This inventory should be reviewed at each project governance meeting and updated as the resource landscape changes.
Example of a well-documented resource assessment:
'All resources required for Phase 1 of the change management plan have been identified. The change manager and change analyst are confirmed and allocated. The training facilitator role is identified but not yet confirmed; procurement has been initiated with a target confirmation date of 1 March. The e-learning authoring tool licence has been approved and is being procured. The subject matter experts for training content development have been identified by name in each business unit and briefed on their estimated time commitment of four hours per week during content development.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Planning activities without identifying the resources required to execute them: Every activity in the change management plan should have an identified resource owner. Activities without owners are at high risk of not being executed.
Assuming that subject matter experts will be available on request: Subject matter experts have day-job responsibilities that compete with their project contributions. Identify specific individuals by name and confirm their availability with their line manager before including them in the change plan.
Not accounting for the full range of resource types required: Change management plans require not only the change manager's time but also communications expertise, training design capability, technology tools, and administrative support. All resource categories should be explicitly identified.
Not monitoring resource risks throughout the project: Resource availability changes. A resource confirmed at planning stage may become unavailable due to competing priorities. Monitor resource status at every governance meeting and escalate emerging gaps promptly.
References
Prosci. (2023). Change Management Resource Planning. https://www.prosci.com/resources/articles/change-management-planning
Project Management Institute. (2021). PMBOK Guide (7th ed.). PMI. https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards
Anderson, D., & Anderson, L. A. (2010). Beyond Change Management. Pfeiffer. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Beyond+Change+Management