In Lewin's change model, what is the purpose of the Refreeze phase?

• A. To embed the new protocol into standard practice and monitor
• B. To prepare for change
• C. To design the protocol
• D. To discard the change if it's not working

Answer: (A)

Refreeze focuses on making the change stick by embedding it into standard practice and monitoring to prevent slipping back into old habits. Once the new way of operating has been implemented, this phase solidifies it as the normal way of doing things. That means updating policies and procedures, rewriting job aids, reinforcing training, and setting up metrics or audits to ensure the change is sustained over time. The goal is stability and consistency so the new behavior becomes part of the organizational culture.

For example, after introducing a new incident-reporting protocol, refreezing would involve updating the standard operating procedures, incorporating the protocol into daily workflows, providing ongoing training for staff, and establishing dashboards to monitor compliance and outcomes. This contrasts with preparations for change, which happen earlier in the unfreeze phase, and designing the protocol, which occurs during planning and implementation. Discarding the change if it’s not working isn’t the aim of this phase; that would be a separate reassessment or decision outside of the stabilization goal.