Prosci is one of the most widely adopted change management methodologies in the world. Used across industries and sectors, it provides a structured, people-centered approach to managing the human side of change so that organizational initiatives achieve their intended outcomes.

At its core, Prosci is based on a simple premise:

Projects succeed when people adopt and use changes effectively.

Prosci does not replace project management, agile delivery, or technical implementation. Instead, it complements them by focusing on how individuals experience, adopt, and sustain change.

Prosci is best understood not as a rigid framework, but as:

• A research-based body of knowledge
• A set of models and tools
• A common language for change

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1. The Foundations of the Prosci Methodology

Prosci’s approach is built on decades of research into what makes change successful. Its research consistently shows that initiatives with effective change management are significantly more likely to meet objectives, stay on schedule, and remain within budget.

Three foundational ideas underpin the methodology:

1	Change happens one person at a time
2	Individual adoption drives organizational results
3	Change management is a structured discipline, not ad hoc activity

These ideas lead to Prosci’s most well-known contribution: the ADKAR Model.

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2. The ADKAR Model: Managing Individual Change

2.1 What ADKAR Stands For

ADKAR is an acronym representing the five outcomes an individual must achieve for successful change:

1	Awareness of the need for change
2	Desire to participate and support the change
3	Knowledge on how to change
4	Ability to implement required skills and behaviors
5	Reinforcement to sustain the change

The model is sequential. Each element builds on the previous one, and failure at any stage can stall or derail adoption.

2.2 Awareness

Awareness answers the question:

Why is this change happening?

Key characteristics:

• Driven primarily by leadership and sponsorship
• Focused on the business rationale, risks of not changing, and urgency
• Not the same as agreement or support

Common awareness-building activities include:

• Executive communications
• Town halls
• Business case messaging
• Change impact explanations

Without awareness, resistance often takes the form of confusion, rumors, or disbelief.

2.3 Desire

Desire answers the question:

What’s in it for me?

Desire is personal and influenced by:

• Individual incentives
• Perceived impact
• Trust in leadership
• Organizational culture
• Past change experiences

Prosci emphasizes that desire cannot be mandated. Leaders and managers can influence it, but individuals ultimately choose whether to support a change.

Common desire-building approaches include:

• Addressing personal impacts
• Aligning incentives
• Engaging managers in one-on-one conversations
• Actively managing resistance

2.4 Knowledge

Knowledge answers the question:

How do I change?

This includes:

• Skills
• Training
• Processes
• New behaviors

Knowledge is typically delivered through:

• Formal training
• Job aids
• Documentation
• Coaching

Prosci differentiates knowledge from ability: knowing what to do does not guarantee someone can do it effectively.

2.5 Ability

Ability answers the question:

Can I actually do this in my real work environment?

Ability depends on:

• Practice
• Time
• Resources
• Coaching
• Feedback

Barriers to ability often include:

• Competing priorities
• Poor system design
• Lack of reinforcement from managers
• Inadequate tools

Prosci emphasizes the critical role of people managers in enabling ability through coaching and feedback.

2.6 Reinforcement

Reinforcement answers the question:

Will this change stick?

It ensures that change is sustained over time and does not regress to old behaviors.

Reinforcement mechanisms include:

• Recognition and rewards
• Performance management
• Metrics and measurement
• Ongoing feedback
• Corrective action

Without reinforcement, even well-adopted changes tend to erode.

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3. The Prosci Change Triangle (PCT Model)

While ADKAR focuses on individual change, Prosci also provides the Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) Model, which addresses organizational-level change effectiveness.

The PCT Model identifies three critical elements required for successful change:

1	Leadership / Sponsorship
2	Project Management
3	Change Management

All three must be present and strong.

3.1 Sponsorship

Prosci research consistently shows that active and visible sponsorship is the single greatest contributor to change success.

Effective sponsors:

• Participate visibly
• Build coalitions of support
• Communicate directly with employees
• Reinforce the change over time

Ineffective sponsorship is one of the most common reasons initiatives fail.

3.2 Project Management

Project management focuses on:

• Scope
• Schedule
• Cost
• Technical delivery

Prosci stresses that strong project management alone does not guarantee adoption. Projects can deliver on time and on budget but still fail if people do not use the solution.

3.3 Change Management

Change management focuses on:

• Preparing people
• Managing impacts
• Supporting adoption
• Sustaining outcomes

The PCT Model reinforces that change management and project management are complementary, not interchangeable.

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4. The Prosci Change Management Process

Prosci defines a structured three-phase process for applying change management to an initiative.

4.1 Phase 1: Prepare Approach

This phase establishes the foundation.

Key activities include:

• Defining the change characteristics
• Assessing organizational readiness
• Identifying risks and resistance
• Developing a change management strategy
• Clarifying sponsorship roles

The output is a tailored approach based on the initiative’s scale, complexity, and risk.

4.2 Phase 2: Manage Change

This is the execution phase, where plans are implemented.

Core plans typically include:

• Communication plan
• Sponsor roadmap
• Manager coaching plan
• Training plan
• Resistance management plan

These plans are integrated with the project timeline to support adoption at the right moments.

4.3 Phase 3: Sustain Outcomes

This phase ensures the change lasts.

Activities include:

• Measuring adoption and usage
• Reinforcing desired behaviors
• Addressing gaps
• Transitioning ownership to the business

Sustainment is often underemphasized but critical for long-term success.

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5. Roles in the Prosci Methodology

Prosci clearly defines key roles in change:

5.1 Executive Sponsor

• Owns the change
• Authorizes resources
• Provides visible leadership

5.2 People Managers

• Translate change into day-to-day reality
• Coach employees
• Address resistance

5.3 Change Practitioner

• Designs and executes change activities
• Advises sponsors and managers
• Integrates change with project delivery

5.4 Employees

• Experience the change
• Decide whether to adopt
• Ultimately determine success

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6. Measurement in Prosci

Prosci emphasizes measuring adoption and usage, not just activity completion.

Common metrics include:

• Awareness levels
• Adoption rates
• Usage frequency
• Proficiency measures
• Sustainability indicators

Measurement is used to:

• Identify risks
• Adjust interventions
• Demonstrate progress

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7. Strengths of the Prosci Approach

Prosci is popular for several reasons:

• Clear, intuitive models
• Strong research base
• Scalable across initiatives
• Widely understood language
• Practical tools and templates

It is particularly effective in:

• Large, structured organizations
• Regulated environments
• Enterprise technology implementations

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8. Limitations and Considerations

While Prosci is widely used, it is not a cure-all.

Common challenges include:

• Over-reliance on templates
• Mechanical application without judgment
• Weak sponsorship undermining outcomes
• Treating change as a checkbox exercise

Prosci works best when:

• Applied pragmatically
• Tailored to context
• Integrated with delivery and strategy
• Supported by strong leadership

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Conclusion: Prosci as a Foundation, Not an Endpoint

Prosci provides a solid, research-backed foundation for understanding and managing change. Its focus on individual adoption, sponsorship, and structured planning has helped countless organizations improve outcomes.

However, Prosci is most effective when viewed as:

• A starting point
• A shared language
• A discipline to be adapted

Change management success ultimately depends not on models alone, but on leadership commitment, organizational context, and disciplined execution.