About This Course
Organisations today face relentless pressure to adapt — whether driven by digital transformation, regulatory shifts, workforce evolution, or competitive market dynamics. Yet research consistently shows that more than seventy percent of change initiatives fail, not because the strategy is wrong, but because the human and structural dimensions of change are poorly managed. The ability to plan, lead, and embed change is therefore one of the most critical competencies any organisation can develop.
This Organisational Development and Change Management Training programme offered by TrainingComplex addresses that gap head-on. Rooted in established frameworks such as Kotter's 8-Step Model, the ADKAR Model, Lewin's Change Theory, and McKinsey's 7-S Framework, the course blends theory with hands-on application to ensure participants can translate concepts into real organisational action. Delegates will examine the full lifecycle of a change initiative — from diagnosing the need for change and building a compelling case, through mobilising stakeholders and managing resistance, to embedding new behaviours and measuring lasting impact.
Equally, the programme addresses the organisational development (OD) dimension: understanding how organisations function as systems, how culture shapes performance, how to design fit-for-purpose structures, and how to build internal capacity for continuous improvement. Participants will engage with real-world case studies drawn from African and global contexts, practise facilitation and coaching skills for change conversations, and leave with a personally tailored change management plan.
Whether you are leading a departmental restructure, rolling out a new technology platform, merging teams, or shifting organisational culture, this programme provides the strategic thinking and practical toolkit to do so with confidence and credibility.
Who Should Attend
- Senior managers and executives responsible for strategic change initiatives
- HR and Organisational Development professionals designing or supporting transformation programmes
- Change managers and project managers leading complex, cross-functional change
- Team leaders and department heads navigating internal restructuring or culture shifts
- Government and public sector officials overseeing institutional reform
- Consultants and advisors supporting client organisations through periods of transition
- L&D professionals building internal change capability within their organisations
Learning Objectives
- Explain the principles of organisational development and articulate the relationship between OD and change management
- Apply leading change management frameworks — including Kotter, ADKAR, and Lewin — to real organisational scenarios
- Conduct an organisational diagnostic to identify readiness for change, cultural barriers, and structural misalignments
- Develop a comprehensive change management plan covering vision, stakeholder engagement, communication, and risk mitigation
- Design and execute stakeholder analysis and engagement strategies that build buy-in at all levels
- Apply proven techniques to identify, understand, and constructively address resistance to change
- Lead change communication campaigns that are clear, consistent, and tailored to diverse audiences
- Use coaching and facilitation skills to support individuals and teams through the transition curve
- Measure the effectiveness of change initiatives using appropriate metrics and feedback mechanisms
- Embed change sustainably by aligning culture, systems, and leadership behaviours with the desired future state
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Organisational Development
- Defining organisational development: scope, purpose, and history
- The OD practitioner's role: internal vs. external change agents
- Organisations as open systems: understanding interdependencies
- Key OD values: participation, humanistic principles, and continuous learning
- Diagnostic models: Burke-Litwin, Weisbord's Six-Box, and McKinsey 7-S
- Linking OD strategy to business performance and long-term sustainability
Module 2: Understanding Organisational Change
- Types of change: incremental, transformational, and disruptive
- The psychology of change: why people resist and how they adapt
- Lewin's Force Field Analysis: driving and restraining forces
- The Change Curve: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and its management implications
- Differentiating change management from project management
- Common reasons change initiatives fail and how to prevent them
Module 3: Change Management Frameworks and Models
- Kotter's 8-Step Model: principles and step-by-step application
- The ADKAR Model: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement
- Prosci's change management methodology and its organisational fit
- Lewin's Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze model in modern contexts
- Comparing frameworks: selecting the right model for your situation
- Integrating multiple frameworks for complex, layered change programmes
Module 4: Diagnosing the Need for Change
- Conducting an organisational health check and change readiness assessment
- Data collection methods: surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation
- Analysing quantitative and qualitative diagnostic data effectively
- Identifying root causes versus symptoms in organisational performance gaps
- Building the case for change: the burning platform and the compelling vision
- Presenting diagnostic findings to leadership to secure commitment
Module 5: Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement
- Identifying and mapping stakeholders across the change landscape
- Assessing stakeholder influence, interest, and readiness for change
- Developing targeted engagement strategies for each stakeholder segment
- Building coalitions: engaging champions, sponsors, and change agents
- Managing competing stakeholder agendas and political dynamics
- Sustaining stakeholder engagement throughout the change lifecycle
Module 6: Managing Resistance to Change
- Understanding the sources and forms of resistance — overt and covert
- Diagnosing resistance: individual, team, and systemic levels
- Conversation frameworks for exploring concerns and building openness
- Negotiation and influence strategies to convert resistors into advocates
- When to accept, adapt, or override resistance: making the judgement call
- Creating psychological safety to enable honest dialogue during change
Module 7: Change Communication Strategy
- Principles of effective change communication: clarity, consistency, and empathy
- Designing a change communication plan: audiences, messages, channels, and timing
- Crafting a compelling change narrative that connects strategy to people
- Leadership visibility and storytelling as communication tools
- Two-way communication: listening mechanisms and feedback loops
- Managing rumour, uncertainty, and misinformation during transitions
Module 8: Leading and Facilitating Change
- The change leader's mindset: adaptive leadership and emotional intelligence
- Coaching skills for supporting individuals through the transition curve
- Facilitating change workshops and town halls with diverse stakeholder groups
- Building and sustaining high-performing change teams
- Decision-making under uncertainty: balancing speed with inclusion
- Self-care and resilience strategies for leaders under sustained change pressure
Module 9: Culture Change and Organisational Alignment
- Defining organisational culture and its role in enabling or blocking change
- Diagnosing current culture using cultural assessment tools
- Designing interventions to shift culture: behaviours, symbols, and systems
- Aligning structure, processes, and incentives with the desired future state
- Leadership modelling: how senior behaviour shapes cultural norms
- Sustaining culture change through reinforcement and accountability mechanisms
Module 10: Measuring, Embedding, and Sustaining Change
- Defining success metrics and key performance indicators for change initiatives
- Using balanced scorecards, pulse surveys, and milestones to track progress
- Celebrating wins and maintaining momentum across the change journey
- Institutionalising change: policies, structures, and standard operating procedures
- Building internal change capability for ongoing organisational agility
- Conducting a post-implementation review and capturing lessons learned
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least two years of professional experience in a managerial, HR, or leadership role. A basic familiarity with organisational strategy or human resources concepts is helpful but not required. No prior formal training in change management is necessary, as the programme builds from foundational principles through to advanced application.
Training Methodology
- Diagnostic self-assessments and organisational readiness surveys to anchor learning in participants' real contexts
- Case study analysis of high-profile change initiatives from African and global organisations, examining both successes and failures
- Facilitated group discussions and structured debate to explore competing change frameworks and their practical trade-offs
- Role-play exercises simulating difficult change conversations — including resistance management and leadership alignment sessions
- Stakeholder mapping and analysis workshops using live scenarios brought by participants
- Change communication drafting labs where participants craft messages for defined audiences and receive peer feedback
- Small-group change plan development sessions, with expert coaching from the facilitator throughout the programme
- Reflective journaling and after-action review exercises to consolidate personal learning at each stage
- Video-based case vignettes illustrating culture transformation, restructuring, and digital change journeys
- Final presentation of each participant's change management plan to the cohort for structured peer and facilitator review
Organisational Benefits
- Higher success rate of strategic change initiatives across the organisation
- Reduced cost and disruption associated with poorly managed transitions and employee resistance
- Stronger organisational agility and resilience in the face of market and regulatory change
- Improved employee engagement and morale during periods of uncertainty
- More effective leadership pipeline capable of driving and sustaining transformation
- Better alignment between organisational strategy, structure, culture, and people practices
- Enhanced internal change management capability, reducing reliance on external consultants
- A shared language and methodology for change that promotes cross-functional collaboration
- Clearer communication during change that builds trust with staff, clients, and stakeholders
- Data-driven evaluation of change programmes that supports continuous organisational learning
Where Is Organizational Development and Change Management Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Accra, Kisumu, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Naivasha, Abuja, Pretoria, Zanzibar, Riyadh, Nakuru, Dubai, Arusha, Mombasa, Lagos, Cape Town, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
24 Oct 2026 – 15 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,500 |
+234 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal background in HR or organisational development to attend?
No formal background is required. The programme is designed for anyone in a leadership, management, or advisory role who is involved in or responsible for driving change. The course builds from foundational principles so that all participants, regardless of prior exposure to OD theory, can engage fully from day one.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend the full five-day programme and complete the final change management plan presentation will receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion in Organisational Development and Change Management. This certificate is recognised by employers across East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, and the Gulf region.
Is this course available online for participants who cannot travel?
Yes. The programme is available as a Live Virtual cohort delivered over five days via a facilitated video-conferencing platform. Virtual participants engage in the same case studies, workshops, and group exercises as in-person delegates, ensuring equivalent learning outcomes.
What should I bring or prepare before attending?
Participants are encouraged to arrive with a specific change challenge or initiative from their own organisation in mind. This real-world context will be used throughout the practical workshops and will form the basis of your personal change management plan developed during the programme. No pre-reading is required, though a brief pre-course organisational readiness questionnaire will be sent two weeks before the start date.
How is the final change management plan assessed?
On the final day, each participant presents a concise change management plan to the cohort and facilitator. This is a practical, supportive exercise — not a formal examination. The facilitator provides structured feedback and participants receive written comments to take away. There is no pass or fail; the goal is to ensure every delegate leaves with a plan that is genuinely actionable in their context.
