The first stage of the change process should be:

The first stage of the change process should be defining and promoting the change.

Within the Incident Command System (ICS), defining and promoting the change is critical for ensuring that all team members understand their roles and the objectives of the operation, particularly during emergency management scenarios where adaptability and swift action are paramount. As FEMA official training material states “Defining and promoting the change will help overcome resistance to change and engage people in the process.”

Source: https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is240b/sm%20files/sm_complete.pdf