Which Ackerman and Anderson step involves assessing the situation to determine design requirements and the desired state and analyzing the impact?

• A. Assessing the situation: Determine design requirements and desired state and analyze the impact
• B. Preparing the lead to change
• C. Plan, organize and implement the change
• D. Learn and course correct

Answer: (A)

This question targets the initial assessment step in Ackerman and Anderson’s change framework. In this phase you take stock of the current situation, determine the design requirements needed to reach the desired future state, and analyze the potential impacts on people, processes, and systems. Establishing what needs to change and what the future should look like, along with understanding who and what will be affected, provides the foundation for all subsequent work—the planning, budgeting, and execution that follow.

This is the best fit because it explicitly covers assessing the situation, setting design requirements, identifying the desired state, and analyzing impact—the core activities of that early step. The other options align with later stages: preparing leadership for change is about readiness and sponsorship; planning, organizing, and implementing is the execution phase; and learning and course correcting is the feedback loop after implementation.