What would be the most effective strategy for handling this risk?

A consequence of ZYX’s SIAM transition is that the small IT team of 5 staff within ZYXUK, who currently develop and support small stand-alone applications, are being displaced, with their roles outsourced to a new external service provider. This external service provider will provide a standardized approach to the development and B support of bespoke applications across all of the ZYX organizations It is hoped that this will allow similar requirements from different ZYX organizations to be identified a more manner

The impacted staff is expected to be reluctant to transfer to the new service provider, who is based outside of the UK and has a very different organizational culture B I he project team is concerned that these staff members may either be reluctant to pass on their knowledge of the existing applications, or may leave before knowledge transfer can take place

What would be the most effective strategy for handling this risk?
A . identify the one or two key members of the team, who have the greatest knowledge of the applications Find these individuals suitable alternative roles within the retained IT capability, to ensure that the knowledge does not leave the organization
B . identify a minimum set of documentation. Task the impact team to produce or update these documents for each application. Put in place a handover process which includes formal review and sign-off of the documents by the new service provider
C . Provide clear communication to the impacted staff regarding why the change is happening, the implications for themselves and the timescales involved. Incentivize some or all of the impacted staff to remain throughout the handover and early life support phases.
D . Take immediate steps to embed staff from the new service provider, to work alongside the impacted staff members Initiate a coordinated exercise to ensure that all existing documentation regarding the applications is brought up to date.

View Answer

Answer: C

Explanation:

Understanding the Context:

The small IT team is being displaced and their roles outsourced, raising concerns about knowledge transfer and staff retention.

Communication Strategy:

Clear and transparent communication is crucial to ensure that staff understand the reasons behind

the change, what it means for them, and the timeline of the transition.

This helps in reducing uncertainty and resistance.

Incentivizing Staff:

Offering incentives (financial or otherwise) encourages key staff members to stay during the critical phases of handover and early support.

This ensures that the knowledge and expertise necessary for a smooth transition are retained within

the organization for as long as needed.

Risk Mitigation:

This strategy directly addresses the risk of staff leaving prematurely or being reluctant to share their knowledge, which could severely impact the project’s success.

Reference: SIAM Professional Body of Knowledge (BoK), Chapter on Organizational Change Management ITIL 4: Create, Deliver and Support (CDS), Section on People Management and Communication