For two years (2021-2023), SGI Europe supported the Malta Employers Association (MEA) in the implementation of the ‘Social partners supporting anticipation and management of change after COVID 19’ (SPAM-COVID19) project.
Over the course of two years, SGI Europe supported the Malta Employers Association (MEA) in the implementation of the ‘Social partners supporting anticipation and management of change after COVID 19’ (SPAM-COVID19) project.
Finance by the European Commission, over the course of two years this pilot project proposed actions related to business transformation towards ensuring resilience and sustainability of the business model and addressed the facilitation of change management in the human resources of companies implementing change with a view to ensure adequate communication and ownership of the change process on the part of employees.
Assuming a renewed sense of relevance in the follow-up of the Covid-19 pandemic which necessitated rapid and dramatic change across several companies across Europe, this project was not just about reimagining business organization, but it focused also on assessing the dynamics between employers and employees. The overall objective of this project was therefore to build and update the expertise with regards to anticipation, preparation and adaptation in view of the management changes, new business strategies and sustainable workplace transformations.
The constantly changing circumstances, the onset of new disruptive technologies, the ever-intensifying competitive environment, and the social and economic crisis caused by the pandemic made this project even more relevant. The COVID-19 pandemic was a driver for change in enterprises as it accelerated the need for meaningful transformation in workplaces, be it the creation of new forms of work, new processes, new communication tools, and diverse modes of training delivery, amongst others, and its impact on management and strategies was of fundamental importance.
In this scenario, enterprises must adapt to new challenges to improve their social dialogue capacity and competitiveness, to respond to new customers needs and to improve the scope and quality of their services. Adapting to the new normal has created opportunities for employers to embrace much needed change that will benefit businesses in the post-pandemic era and that will help the environmental and digital transitions. Moreover, employers’ organizations are on the front line during the process of management and business strategies changes since they have the representativeness, the size and the legitimacy to help the changes run in a better way. It is therefore of particular value to improve their expertise in regarding anticipation, preparation and adaptation to new types of management, business strategies and sustainable workplaces in the post-COVID economy.
With the aim to provide a structured approach to managing change, the project ‘Social partners supporting anticipation and management of change after COVID-19’ led to the development of the manual “Change Management Business Manual”.
The document includes a set of guidelines and procedures that business organizations can follow while implementing change, and it covers various aspects of the business lifespan, including communication, training, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. Available in English, French and German, the manual is intended to serve as an exhaustive step-by-step guide for organizations seeking to restructure and develop further, and it aims to help businesses in various sectors of the economy to navigate more effectively the complex process of change, while minimizing risks and disruptions.