Capability Evolution
Capability evolution uses what is learned through change to adapt, renew, and strengthen change capability for future change.
What is capability evolution?
That learning may concern the organization itself, the assumptions and criteria used to reason about it, the practices and governance through which change was undertaken, the knowledge developed during the change, or the information and documentation needed to maintain an accurate understanding of the organizational state. Capability evolution occurs when this learning produces a persistent change that can support future work, such as improved decision practices, updated knowledge or organizational-state information, stronger governance, more effective methods, or better-prepared people. If learning remains confined to the initiative and does not change something that remains available for future use, change capability has not yet evolved.
Change Capability
Change capability is the capacity of an organization to undertake deliberate change.
It is shaped by its people, knowledge, practices, governance, systems, and operating conditions. Intent, Direction, Execution, and Validation operate within the organization's existing change capability, while Evolution extends the scope of the Intent Loop beyond the current change by carrying learning into future change capability.
Capability Stagnation or Erosion
Capability stagnation or erosion is the characteristic vulnerability of the Evolution function: change capability is not adapted, renewed, or strengthened, even when experience from change is available.
Change capability is shaped by people, knowledge, practices, governance, systems, and operating conditions. These conditions change over time: people leave, skills and knowledge are lost, information becomes outdated, practices lose relevance, systems and governance change, and new constraints emerge. Without continued renewal, capability can erode even when it was previously strong. If learning remains confined to the initiative and does not change something that remains available for future use, change capability has not yet evolved.
Not a failure to record lessons. Documented learning that changes nothing that remains available for future use is still stagnation.
What it is not
Not a lessons-learned document or a retrospective record. Evolution is a persistent change to change capability, not the capture of what the initiative noticed.
Where it sits
Capability evolution is the practice of the Evolution function. It acts on change capability rather than returning to an earlier function of the current change.
Primary effect: strengthens change capability for future change.
Related concepts
- Evolution (function): Capability evolution is the practice of the Evolution function, protecting against capability stagnation or erosion.
- Capability Stagnation or Erosion: Capability evolution is the practice of the Evolution function, protecting against capability stagnation or erosion.
- Change Capability: Capability evolution acts on change capability rather than returning to an earlier function of the current change.
Referenced by
Cite this page
Rozema, Lars. “Capability Evolution.” Intent Integrity. https://www.intent-integrity.com/capability-evolution. n.d.
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