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Association for Project Management (APM) is sponsoring the inaugural Change and Project Partnership Award at the upcoming Change Awards 2025, an annual awards programme honouring the best examples of global change, transformation and innovation. The Change and Project Partnership Award will recognise the collaborations and partnerships in the project profession that have led to meaningful change. As part of the award celebrations, APM is speaking to winners and finalists of previous Change Awards.

In 2024, Domino Printing Sciences won in the category of 'Future-ready leadership'. The award recognised the upskilling programme the organisation created for the management teams to help them be more mature and prepared for managing transformation changes in the future.

Lucia Ivanova, Channel Development Change Manager and Stephanie Chandler, Business Change and Benefits Manager for Domino Printing Sciences spoke with us about the award and what it means to the company.

What motivated you and your organisation to enter the Change Awards last year? Why did you feel these awards in particular were well suited to the work you had done?

We are very proud of the progress we have made in the change management discipline over the last four years. Applying for the award was an opportunity for a recognition of these efforts for the whole of the organisation. We were very immature in our change management practice and application, and with the implementation of targeted training and coaching, we have improved our maturity level significantly. It was also an opportunity to reflect on how change management contributes to overall customer and employee satisfaction.

Why do you feel it is important for change, transformation and innovation to be recognised through events such as the Change Awards?

It's important because it validates the work we are doing in our organisation, and it is an opportunity to highlight the value that change management can bring to the business. External recognition brings a level of credibility to our team and the work that we do, which can have a positive impact internally amongst peers. 

In a world where change is constant, what advice would you offer to project managers who are often tasked with making change happen?

Our advice would be to engage and collaborate with the change management teams that you partner with. You will be much more successful working together than if you work in a silo. The two disciplines complement each other and can help to drive success. Think of change management as the insurance for your project. Involving a change management can help ensure the people involved adopt the change brought on by the project and that the benefits are realised. If you can improve the likelihood of project success, why wouldn't you? 

What would you say to anyone who is considering entering the Change Awards 2025?

Go for it and don’t be afraid to talk about your weaknesses too!

The awards ceremony itself was a fantastic event and we have made a lot of great contacts by networking with people both on the day and afterwards. Getting exposure to people outside your organisation is invaluable, it helps to bring a different perspective and provides an opportunity to learn.

Change management is not yet a well-recognised discipline and can be often overlooked when celebrating project success. This was a chance for us to celebrate our success and to be around like-minded peers who share similar experiences and have gone through similar challenges.

The Change Awards 2025 ceremony takes place on 10 April 2025. The list of categories and key dates leading up to the event can be viewed here. Further submission details and guidance will become available in November 2024.