A nonprofit wants to make a substantial technology shift that will affect multiple teams and...

For a "substantial technology shift," a consultant must apply Change Management principles, such as Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change. Technology is only one part of the project; the human element is what determines success.

Initial Strategic Steps:

Establish a Sense of Urgency (C): People are naturally resistant to change. The consultant must help the organization articulate why this shift is necessary now. This involves identifying the risks of staying with the current siloed systems (e.g., "We are losing 20% of our donors because our data is inaccurate") and the opportunities of the new system. Without urgency, the project will likely lose momentum.

Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition (D): A technology shift cannot be led by the IT department alone. A consultant must encourage the formation of a team that includes Executive Sponsors (to provide budget and authority) and Departmental Champions (to provide ground-level influence). This coalition works together to overcome resistance and ensure the project remains aligned with the mission.

Why other options are incorrect:

Summarizing final steps (Option A): This happens at the end of the project lifecycle.

Deploying features (Option B): You cannot deploy features successfully until the groundwork for change has been laid. Jumping straight to deployment without leadership alignment is a leading cause of implementation failure.