Monthly Report #21

This ensured continuity of services to the client and its stakeholders until circumstances related to the pandemic warranted a change to this practice. At the end of June 2021, Tea Ward left her position as the Change Management (CM) Lead. Resonance is currently undergoing a recruitment process for her replacement. Modification #6 was executed on July 19, 2021, which focuses on services for the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI). Resonance is currently working with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to submit Modification #7, which will amend the payment schedule to extend to December 2021. The TCMST met with the Culture and Change Management Committee (CCMC) Leads on July 23, 2021, to review the proposed scope of work (SOW) discussed in June 2021. The CCMC will connect the TCMST with the point of contact to make arrangements for the TCMST to attend the bi-weekly Operating Unit (OU) Directors meeting. The TCMST also shared materials to be used in a CM training, which will allow managers and supervisors to identify strategies and specific actions to address results from DDI's March 2021 pulse check. The TCMST has scheduled regular bi-weekly meetings with the project new Activity Manager, which will begin on August 2, 2021. The purpose of these meetings is to provide updates and determine the kinds of CM interventions that could be implemented. They will also help the TCMST to be more responsive to the needs of the Bureau and OUs. The TCMST's Senior CM Specialist met with the DDI Assistant Administrator's Chief of Staff on July 23, 2021, to provide an overview of the TCMST's work and DDI's CM progress. In early June, the COR had connected the TCMST with an Acting Division Lead in the Center for Environment, Energy, and Infrastructure, who was interested in coaching support. The TCMST's Senior CM Specialist scheduled an initial coaching session with the Acting Division Lead on July 28, 2021. The TCMST met with Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) and Acting Director of the Program Office (PO) on July 22, 2021, to discuss updates in the PO and review the proposed SOW discussed in June 2021. Leadership had taken steps to address some issues that were identified during the PO all staff retreat, which was held more than two months ago. As a result, the TCMST was asked to conduct focus group discussions with PO staff to update the data gathered during the retreat. The TCMST also plans to interview the PO Team Leads to help frame these discussions. The TCMST also plans to conduct a focus group discussion with new hires that were onboarded after teleworking became mandatory. This discussion would assess what worked and what needs to be improved regarding the onboarding process and their integration into their teams, the PO, and Bureau. The TCMST submitted draft questions for both focus group discussions to the DAA and Acting Director and are awaiting feedback. The TCMST's Senior CM Specialist began scheduling coaching sessions with the Acting Director. Coaching will also be offered to all PO Team Leads. The TCMST met with the DAA and Acting Director of ITR on July 19, 2021, to discuss updates in ITR and review the proposed SOW discussed in June 2021. The Acting Director is currently reviewing materials to include in an ITR communications strategy. Once her review is complete, she will share relevant materials with the TCMST to begin the process of developing an effective communications strategy for the Hub. The TCMST's Senior CM Specialist is also resumed coaching sessions with the Acting Director of ITR on July 23, 2021. Coaching has also been offered to ITR's Division Leads. The TCMST has scheduled a meeting with the Acting Economics Team Lead on August 3, 2021, to begin discussing the design of a Economics Team retreat. Key activities planned for August 2021 include the design of a CM training for managers and supervisors, presenting on the Customer Service Culture Assessment to the Client Service Operations Team, interviewing PO Team Leads to update retreat data, conducting staff focus group discussions to update retreat data, conducting a focus group discussion with new hires, and facilitating the establishment of the PO task force.