ORCA - Free Template

The ORCA toolkit gives you a structured way to assess whether your organisation is ready for a specific change initiative. It includes a visual overview of the three assessment dimensions (evidence, context, and facilitation) with their sub-scales, a summary card with practical guidance on how to run the assessment, and prompts for the conversations that matter most.

Use it before launching a change to identify where the ground is solid and where it needs work. The framework is particularly useful when paired with a broader change management approach - ORCA tells you what's ready and what isn't, so you can plan accordingly rather than discovering gaps mid-implementation.

Be specific about the change. "Digital transformation" is too broad to assess. Name the actual initiative, the timeline, and who's affected - that's what you're checking readiness for.

Gather honest voices. The assessment is only as good as the willingness to surface uncomfortable truths. Include people who'll say what others won't, not just the project sponsors.

Focus on unknowns, not just weaknesses. A "don't know" answer is often more revealing than a "weak" one - it means you're building on assumptions you haven't tested.

Revisit at milestones. Readiness shifts as context changes. Run a lighter version of the assessment at key points rather than treating the initial read as permanent.