Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth

Measuring change progress is a critical responsibility in the APMG Change Management Foundation,

ensuring alignment with objectives. The question seeks a term for outcome-focused measures. Let’s

dive deeply into each option:

•

Context: Change Managers need metrics to demonstrate success, not just activity

completion. These measures must be defined collaboratively (e.g., with sponsors) and tied to desired

outcomes (e.g., improved efficiency, customer satisfaction), providing evidence that the change is

delivering value.

•

Option A: Islands of Stability – This term, sometimes used in change literature, refers to fixed

points (e.g., unchanged processes) providing comfort during upheaval. It’s about emotional

anchoring, not measurement. For example, retaining a familiar reporting structure during a tech

rollout isn’t a metric but a stabilizing factor, making this irrelevant here.

•

Option B: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Correct answer. KPIs are quantifiable measures

reflecting success against goals, widely used in change management. The APMG framework defines

them as tools to track outcomes like sales growth post-training or error rates after a system upgrade.

For instance, if a change aims to boost productivity, a KPI might be “average tasks completed per

hour.” Agreed upon with stakeholders, KPIs show whether the change is on track, making them the

standard term in this context.

•

Option C: Incremental Milestones – Milestones mark progress (e.g., “training completed by

Q2”), but they’re time-based checkpoints, not outcome measures. While useful, they don’t

inherently reflect success (e.g., training might finish but not improve skills), so they’re less precise

than KPIs for the question’s focus.

•

Option D: Transition Tranches – This refers to phased delivery segments (e.g., rolling out

software by department). It’s a strategy, not a measurement tool, and doesn’t assess outcomes,

ruling it out.

•

Deep Reasoning: KPIs bridge outputs (what’s done) and outcomes (what’s achieved). The

APMG emphasizes their role in the Balanced Scorecard or benefits realization, distinguishing them

from milestones (process-focused) or tranches (delivery-focused). For example, a KPI like “customer

retention rate” directly ties to a change’s purpose, unlike a milestone like “system installed.”

•

Example Application: In a retail change to improve service, KPIs might include “average

customer wait time” or “Net Promoter Score,” agreed with managers to track progress, proving

Option B’s fit.

Reference: APMG Change Management Foundation, Chapter 8 – Measuring and Sustaining Change

Outcomes, Key Performance Indicators section.