HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM IN ICT 24 TO 26

Creating a level playing field
HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
FORUM IN ICT
24TH TO 26TH FEBRUARY 2014
LILONGWE, MALAWI
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“HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE AT
WORK”.
BY
AVILLA DOROROSA GOBA
HEAD CORPORATE SERVICES
POTRAZ
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AGENDA
• Introduction
• Causes and effects of Change
• Strategies and Methods for effective
implementation of change in the workplace
• Managing resistance/acceptance to change
• The Case of Postal & Telecommunications
regulatory authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)
• Recommendations/conclusion
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Introduction
Change management is a structured approach
to transitioning individuals, teams, and
organizations from a current state to a desired
future state.
There are at least three different aspects to
change management which are, adapting to
change, controlling change and effecting
change.
A proactive approach to dealing with change
is at the core of all three aspects.
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INTRODUCTION CONT.
During times of economic instability,
organizational
change
is
inevitable.
Uncertainty and survival can cause
employees to brace themselves for
impending changes and a natural resistance
can be fully formed by the time the changes
are communicated.
5
Introduction cont.
Change in a workplace is often stressful and
it creates feelings of distrust.
Rumors and myths crop in and the whole
atmosphere
in
the
workplace
is
demoralizing and if not checked, this could
results in negative energy and production is
affected.
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Introduction cont.
Terry Paulson, the Author of Paulson on
change, quotes uncles’s advice “It’s
easiest to ride a horse in the direction it
is going”
In other words, like water flowing in a river,
do not swim against the tide.
Learn to use change to your advantage.
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Examining Causes and effects
of Change
End-of-Life Products
market demand for a company's
product may diminish after some time.
This will then cause the company's
profits to drop, and ultimately force the
company to abandon the product for a
newer source of revenue.
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In other words, when a product reaches
the end of its life, the company
discontinues it and moves on to
something new.
When this happens, the company
transfers labor and funding to the new
product, which may impact on the type
of work the company performs and how
it operates going forward.
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Government Change
Government employees may find that when a
change in government takes place for
example, when a new president is elected and
consequently a new administration, the new
administration may stop certain existing
projects. A new government may mean a new
political agenda.
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As a result, one of the biggest challenges is
that this can completely warp the way the
governmental organization conducts its
affairs. Such a move may even result in
layoffs or redundancies, if two departments
are perceived to be doing the same thing.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions also cause
organizational
change.
When
two
companies come together, this usually
creates new a structure.
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The acquiring organization may wish to
cut the salary bill through layoffs and this
is also a change issue that affects
employees.
Strategy Change
Pressures for change may also arise from a
sources within the organization such as
adoption of new strategies and
technologies. Sometimes, a company may
change its priorities.
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For example, an organization might decide
to move from focusing on a product to
focusing on a service.
This will create a demand for new types of
marketing and production, while at the
same time requiring a shift in strategy.
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Changes to the business environment can
sometimes dramatically impact the way a
company makes money.
Structural Change
There will come a time when an organization
overhauls its structure where, the managers
and human resources professionals change
the way they organize the business resulting
in a new structure.
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New methods of accounting, such as going
from paper files to electronic files or
updating software, will no doubt, cause
some change to be introduced.
This would require massive retraining for all
employees involved.
The above examples of change can be
grouped as coming from both External and
Internal forces. All of these factors
combined can trigger massive change.
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However, when change results in major
reorganization, plans can be traumatic.
Managers have been known to respond to
pressures from change, in ways that are
ultimately destructive for example, by
• Denying that the change exists
• Resisting the change
• Avoiding the change
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Different stages of change include
• Anger where there is realization that the
usual way of doing things is no longer
possible
• Insecurity where the usual territory has
been invaded and the usual routine is
affected,
• dejection where there is feeling that
there is no choice but to let go the old
ways and conform
• Acceptance where there is no other way
but accept this change and begin to
reflect on new ways of doing things
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Examining why people Resist Change in
an Organization.
According to by Rosabeth Moss Kanter
(2012) there are ten most common
Reasons People Resist Change and
Rosabeth also gives possible ways to
manage the resistance.
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 Loss of control
Change interferes with autonomy and can make
people feel that they’ve lost control over their
territory.
It’s not just political, as in who has the power. Our
sense of self-determination is often the first thing
to go when faced with a potential change coming
from someone else. Smart leaders leave room for
those affected by change to make choices. They
invite others into the planning, giving them
ownership.
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 Excess uncertainty
When change feels like walking off a cliff
blindfolded, then people will reject it.
People will often prefer to remain mired in
misery than to head toward an unknown.
As the saying goes, “Better the devil you
know than the devil you don’t know.” To
overcome inertia requires a sense of
safety as well as an inspiring vision.
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Leaders should create certainty of process,
with clear, simple steps and timetables.
Surprise, surprise!
Decisions imposed on people suddenly, with
no time to get used to the idea or prepare for
the consequences, are generally resisted.
It’s always easier to say No than to say Yes.
Leaders should avoid the temptation to craft
changes in secret and then announce them all
at once.
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It’s better to plant seeds — that is, to
sprinkle hints of what might be coming
and seek input.
So its better to avoid surprises
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Everything seems different.
Change is meant to bring something
different, but how different? We are
creatures of habit. Routines become
automatic, but change jolts us into
consciousness, sometimes in uncomfortable
ways. Too many differences can be
distracting or confusing. Leaders should
therefore try to minimize the number of
unrelated differences introduced by a
central change
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Wherever possible keep things familiar.
Remain focused on the important things;
avoid change for the sake of change.
 Loss of face.
By definition, change is a departure from the
past. Those people associated with the last
version — the one that didn’t work, or the
one that’s being superseded — are likely to be
defensive about it.
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When change involves a big shift of strategic
direction, the people responsible for the
previous direction dread the perception that
they must have been wrong. Leaders can help
people maintain dignity by celebrating those
elements of the past that are worth honouring,
and making it clear that the world has changed.
That makes it easier to let go and move on.
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 Concerns about competence.
Can I do it? Change is resisted when it makes
people feel stupid. They might express
skepticism about whether the new software
version will work or whether digital journalism is
really an improvement, but deep down they are
worried that their skills will be obsolete. Leaders
should over-invest in structural reassurance,
providing abundant information, education,
training, mentors, and support systems.
A period of running two systems simultaneously
helps ease transitions.
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 More work
Change is indeed more work. Those closest
to the change in terms of designing and
testing it are often overloaded, in part
because of the inevitable unanticipated
glitches in the middle of change, per
“Kanter’s Law” that “everything can look
like a failure in the middle.”
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Leaders should acknowledge the hard work
of change by allowing some people to focus
exclusively on it, or adding extra pecks for
participants (meals?).
Reward and recognize participants — and
their families, too, who often make unseen
sacrifices.
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Ripple effects
Change creates ripples, reaching distant spots
in ever-widening circles. The ripples disrupt
other departments, important customers,
people well outside the venture or
neighborhood, and they start to push back,
rebelling against changes they had nothing to
do with that interfere with their own
activities. Leaders should enlarge the circle of
stakeholders. They must consider all affected
parties, however distant, and work with them
to minimize disruption.
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 Past resentments
The ghosts of the past are always lying in wait
to haunt us. As long as everything is steady
state, they remain out of sight. But the minute
you need cooperation for something new or
different, the ghosts spring into action. Old
wounds reopen, historic resentments are
remembered — sometimes going back many
generations.
Leaders should consider gestures to heal the
past before sailing into the future.
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Sometimes the threat is real.
Now we get to true pain and politics. Change is
resisted because it can hurt. When new
technologies displace old ones, jobs can be
lost; prices can be cut; investments can be
wiped out.
The best thing leaders can do when the
changes they seek pose significant threat is to
be honest, transparent, fast, and fair. For
example, one big layoff with strong transition
assistance is better than successive waves of
cuts.
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Effects of Change in an organization
Change affects workers in different ways.
Some common responses are as follows:
• Loss of Self –confidence
Change can cause people to feel
incompetent, needy and powerless.
Leaders should make workers a part of the
planning and execution process.
Implement a support system to deal with
the changes that will occur before, during
and after implementation.
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• Confusion Change alters the regular routine
of a workplace and often creates chaos.
As managers, leadership skills will be critical
in re-establishing formal patters and routines.
• Conflict Individuals become attached to
things that they consider the norm and to the
stability of their workplace. When change
occurs, workers often have difficulty letting
off old ways of doing things. Address conflict
as it arises and create an open forum for
communication where workers can simply
deal with interpersonal conflict. www.eap4u
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Strategies and Methods for effective
implementation of change in the workplace.
Change program Health Check
Create tension
• Is there a clear and compelling reason for
adopting this change program?
• Is the objective data needed to convince
the skeptics available?
• Do people feel the urgency to change?
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Harness support
• Do we know what the motivators for each
stakeholder group are?
• Does the senior executive team support the
change?
• Are all the stakeholders engaged in the
change process?
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Articulate goals
• Do stakeholders take ownership of the vision
and goals?
• Are people involved in the devolving the goals
to lower levels of the organization?
• Are performance measurements and reporting
systems set up?
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Nominate roles
• Are change management and new
operational accountabilities clear?
• Are the right people selected for the right
roles?
• Are project management principles and
methods being used?
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Grow Capability
• Is the training plan sufficiently scoped
and adequately resourced?
• Are teams being developed and
supported for high performance?
• Is support in place ensuring transfer of
training to the workplace?
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Entrench Changes
• Are performance results reported and success
celebrated?
• Are rewards and recruitment systems aligned
with the change objectives?
• Do managers and supervisors lead by
example?
Source: www.businessperform.com
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Managing Resistance or Acceptance to Change
TheisneedforaProcessofChangeinanOrganization
In their book “Blue Ocean Strategy”, W Chan
Kim and Renee Mauborgne cite four hurdles
that face a manager trying to institute broad
change in an organization.
The first is cognitive-people must have some
understanding of why the change is strategy or
culture is needed.
The second is limited resources - Changing an
organization will require shifting resources
away from some areas and towards others.
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The third is motivation – ultimately workers
have to want to make the change.
The fourth hurdle is Organizational politics, a
subject that no organization is prepared to
discuss yet it is part of the way they get
things done!
W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne quote
one manager who complaints “In our
organization, you get shot down before you
stand up”.
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To overcome those hurdles, they suggest a
“tipping point” approach to management.
Start
with
people
who
have
disproportionate
influence
in
the
organization. Get them committed to
change, failure that, get them out.
Once they are committed to change, shine
a spotlight on their accomplish so others
get the message.
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Second, look for ways to get people to
experience the harsh realities that make it
necessary to change. E.g. requiring managers
to take calls from disgruntled customers
Third Look for ways to redistribute resources
towards “hot spots” i.e. activities that require
few resources but result in large change.
Move away from “cold spots” or areas with
large resources demands but relatively low
impact.
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Finally, W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
advocate appointing a highly respected
insider who knows who is fighting you, who
is supporting you and what you need to do
to build coalitions and devise strategies for
change.
There is also need to create a task force after
identifying employees strengths and consider
creating new groups with a tailored mix of
talents. e.g.
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Mix employees with different experience
levels.
Young team members may provide
energy and optimism
Veterans may provide insight from past
experience
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For brainstorming, Consider creating a plant
packed “green” room or exterior garden where
workers can spend an hour a week with nothing
but a blank pan and pencil.
Allow flexible schedules, few meetings, and
interdisciplinary project teams
Allow people to work from home at times.
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For teamwork, eliminate exclusive looking
private office suites and assign everyone work
stations in close proximity to jump – start
communication.
Create amenities like office gym
Appoint a Change Agent to lead or guide the
process of a change in an organization. In
every situation where change is required,
some person or group must be designated as
the catalyst for change.
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Change agents can be members of the
organization or consultants from outside the
organization.
A consultant from outside may be more
suitable for a complex lengthy
change
programme.
Outsiders with no vested interest in the
organization are often more likely to be
confided in, listened to and able to form
objective judgments.
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The Advantages & Disadvantages of a Change
in an Organization
Advantages
• Depending on the leader, an organization led
by a flexible leader does well with crisis
management. Whether a natural disaster
occurs, or there is unexpected violence in the
workplace, a change-oriented leader
responds to the unexpected happenings in
step, and implements necessary measures to
deal with the crisis.
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• A change-oriented leadership responds well
to valuable input from workers or members
of a group. If employees or members of a
group see an area where change would
advance their productivity, a changeoriented leader is ready to try a new way of
doing things.
• A change-oriented leader is always ready to
adjust focus to meet new demands, such as
for a new product or service.
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Disadvantages
• When leaders are making frequent changes
in policy and practice, employees can get
confused.
• If there is not frequent clarification of new
goals and ways of doing things, members of
the group can become frustrated and
disillusioned by too many changes.
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• Also, because a group's goals are often
intertwined, the decision to make a change
in one area to improve the chances of
meeting one particular goal might
undermine the achievement of another
goal.
• Being change-oriented demands that a
leader be well tuned into all the goals of
the company, so that she/he can be wise
about changes and understand their
implications before making them.
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The Case of Postal & telecommunications
regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)
POTRAZ became operational in Year 2001
 Statutory Body established by the
Postal and Telecommunications Act [Cap
12:05]
Dual Regulator (Posts & Telecoms)
Self – Financing
53
• POTRAZ is in the process of implementing
change of its performance management
system. We are changing from using the
Balance Score Card to the Results based
management system (RBM).
• The new version of the Strategic plan builds
upon the Strategic planning process
undertaken in May 2012 and was reviewed in
line with the Results Based Management
system
being
implemented
by
the
Government of Zimbabwe.
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• This Results Based Strategic Plan sought to
communicate POTRAZ’s vision, mission, key
result areas, goals, impacts, outcomes
strategies, major programmes and projects
and direction to its employees, clients,
stakeholders and partners.
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• It also established a road map of the
strategic results, programmes, projects and
activities that POTRAZ will focus on in the
medium term. The initiatives from this
strategic plan will be assessed to see if they
are achieving the anticipated results.
• The strategic plan will be used to inform
POTRAZ’s budgets, performance contracts
and annual work and performance
monitoring plans during the plan period.
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How did POTRAZ do it?
• Selected a team of 46 participants from Officer
Level upwards and went for strategic review.
• An external consultant who is an expert in the
RBM system was appointed to lead the
process and train the group on RBM.
• The group spent five days at some place away
from the office.
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• On return and after the training, the Heads
of Departments and their respective team
members proceeded to finalise the
Departmental Integrated Performance
Agreements (DIPA) and Performance
Monitoring Evaluation Framework (PMEF)
which were signed off by the Acting Director
General.
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• By the middle of 2013, The RBM was used
to assess performance for the Heads of
Departments and all Direct reports as a
pararrel process because the RBM had not
yet been fully cascaded to the rest of the
workers.
• A year later, this January 2014, the team
had to break away for a retreat to check on
progress of implementation of the RBM.
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• The Strategy review was also meant to
comply with a change where Government
decided to role out RBM to all public
sector organizations.
• The Government of Zimbabwe introduced
the Zimbabwe Agenda For sustainable
socio-Economic Transformation
(ZIM ASSET) in October 2013 – December
2018 “in pursuit of new trajectory of
accelerated economic growth and wealth
creation”.
60
• ZIM ASSET was crafted to achieve sustainable
development and social equity anchored on
empowerment and employment creation. It
was signed off by His Excellency our
President Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The Office
of the President and Cabinet will play a
leading and coordinated role as overseer of
the implementation process to ensure
attainment of set targets.
61
• We took the necessary steps to revisit any
changes to our Strategic Plan document so
that it would align with the ZIM ASSET.
• We managed to work on our Strategy
document as a team of Officers and
managers, the same team that had been
involved in crafting our Strategy for 2013
to 2018.
62
• We also came up with a Strategy Team
comprising of selected individuals from various
departments whose Term of reference as
agreed will be to:
•
•
•
•
•
Review and finalise the strategy document
Communicate/ Disseminate any changes
Quality check
Produce the final strategy document
Custody of Final document to be centralised for
distribution purposes as and when need arises
63
In order to work effectively and more
efficiently, the team also agreed to
• meet weekly
document
on Fridays to finalise the
• Submit team assignments by Mid-March
• Submit DIPA and PMEF by Friday the 21st
February 2014
64
• Frequency of meetings there after –
Quarterly on Fridays
• Besides Reviewing our strategy document,
the Head of HR and Manager Finance have
been selected to attend training of trainers
(TOT) for RBM so that they in turn also
train some employees in POTRAZ and other
parastals.
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• The Strategy change was spearheaded by
current Acting Director General and this
made implementation easer and buy in
much better for the rest of the Team.
• Involving an External facilitator resulted in
objectivity in the manner the change
process took place.
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• The Head of Human Resources took
advantage of the situation as a change Agent
to have a Team building Workshop back to
back with the RBM training.
• Prior to that, it was so difficult to get the
team together for a team building workshop.
• Results are still to be felt because we are still
in the process of implementing the change.
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• So far the buy in has been very good and
the team building workshop produced
soccer players that POTRAZ was not aware
of.
• The team building workshop brought
employees closer together because
everyone was at some stage playing at a
level playing field.
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Recommendation/Conclusion
Having articulated some issues to do with
what Change is all about, the reasons for
change, challenges to do with change. One
can simply summaries that, change in an
organization requires.
Involvement of people affected by the
change
Buy in from the top management
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Communication, communication
communication.
Appointment of Change Agents OR Teams
Allocating Resources both Human and
Financial
Implementation
 Monitoring and Evaluation.
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Conclusion
I quote ‘’It is not the strongest of the species
that survives, nor the most intelligent that
survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable
to change’’
Charles Darwin
‘‘Change is not change until it changes’’.
Julie Madondo
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References
James A. F. Stoner and R. Edward Freeman: Management fourth edition
Alan Murray, published by Harper Business. “The Wall Street Journal Guide in
Management”
Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe:” Zimbabwe Agenda For sustainable socioEconomic Transformation (ZIM ASSET)
Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe: “Postal and Telecommunications Act [Chapter
12.05]”
Kottler International.com
Curtis W. Cook: Phillil L. Hunsaker (2001) “Management and Organizational Behaviour”
Third Edition
James F.Cox, III: Michael S. Spencer (2000) “The Constraints Management Handbook”, The
St. Lucie/APICS Series on Constraints Management www.ehow.com/waymanaging-changeworkplace
www.ehow.com/way
www.businessperform.com
www.Bnet.com
www.ehow.com/info
THANK YOU
TINOTENDA
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