The key elements of this project are:
• Developing a clear project plan including evaluation to monitor the success of the project;
• Creation of a dissemination strategy to ensure widespread awareness of the project.
• The application of change management theory to optimise successful project outcomes;
• Consideration of the implications of leadership attributes and team dynamics to ensure project effectiveness;
Intended Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding
(a) Design and plan a health-related project about implementation of a diabetic foot assessment pathway, demonstrating a critical understanding of the principles of health care project management and making use of project management tools
(b) Critically examine, evaluate and reflect upon different techniques used in project management and apply these to healthcare management and your own professional discipline;
(c) Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of, and ability to plan for, strategic change including the importance of evaluation, within complex healthcare environments with potential for practice development in your specialist field;
(d) Demonstrate the ability to consolidate project management skills to facilitate practice development and disseminate this to a wider audience;
(e) Apply skills of critical analysis, synthesis and integration of theory and practice to healthcare project management to develop new insights and perspectives;
(f) Demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on: leadership effectiveness in organisations, team-building skills and the influence of self to support successful project management:
Learning Outcomes: Skills and Attributes
Successful students will typically….
(a) Present a coherent and analytical proposal plan making recommendation for changes in clinical practice related to improving health outcomes;
(b) Demonstrate through reflective writing the development of transferable skills in leadership, teamwork, strategic planning, problem solving and report writing;
(c) Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and apply theoretical ideas to practice
Structure of the project
There are 3 key parts to this assignment which are described in detail below:
(1) Executive Summary: (250 words)
This should provide a brief summary of all aspects of your project proposal and should make sense if read separately to the rest of your project plan. The Executive Summary is often used to gain approval for project implementation by senior managers who have no previous knowledge of the project so it is vital that it is concise and that it clearly states what the project is about and why it should be implemented. Write this section as if it were being read by someone who has no expertise in this field.
Consider the following when writing the executive summary:
• Overall aim of the project and intended outcomes;
• Rationale for project;
• Overview of implementation strategy;
• Overview of project evaluation;
(2) Part One: Project Plan (60% weighting) (2750 words)
2.1 Project Preparation Template: there is a template available in the attachments that you should use. This provides an outline to the project and should include:
• A project title and overall aim for your project;
• Background to the project to include:
Rationale
o Your professional role, area and context of practice, interest in the topic area;
o Current healthcare provision locally in relation to your topic
o Identification of deficiencies in current service provision
Drivers
o What is the local/national situation with regards to your project topic?
o What are the financial implications/service implications for your topic?
o How might any anticipated benefits improve health outcomes for patients?
(all the above should be supported by relevant literature)
Impact on stakeholders
• Specify project objectives and expected outcomes (measurable deliverables).
These should be presented as short, medium and long-term.
2.2 Identifying strengths and weaknesses: Select a recognised business/project analysis tool, e.g. SWOT
• Briefly discuss the reasons for your choice of tool and how the process of completing the analysis tool will inform your project plan.
• Illustrate your analysis using a table and bullet points.
• Complete this section with a brief statement of the key issues that
o (a) this exercise has highlighted;
o (b) that would be useful for you to consider when planning the rest of the project.
2.3 Project plan table
This section should start off with brief introduction to your project table. There is a copy of the template for the table that you should us. The table requires you to document your outcomes and then determine the issues related to these outcomes and the strategies and tactics that you will use to achieve the outcomes. There is a column for you to document the resources required to implement this project successfully. This could include any of the following: clinical space; equipment and consumables; human resources; committee formation; training and education; procurement and logistics.
2.4 Evaluation
2.4.1 Introduction to Evaluation
In this section you must explain what evaluation is and why it is critical as part of a health care change project. You should refer here to the literature on undertaking evaluation in a healthcare environment highlighting the specific challenges involved.
2.4.2 Evaluation template
You should then complete the template provided in the attachments where you will consider the critical outcomes for project success. You must give specific indicators for success and the strategies that you will use to evaluate each outcome. State whether each outcome is process (i.e. ongoing throughout the project) or impact (i.e. measuring an end point).
2.4.3 Evaluation strategy
Taking the outcomes that you feel are most critical for the project and give further detail about your evaluative strategy and identify specific evaluation tools, explaining why you have chosen them and what the evidence base for them is.
2.4.4 Dissemination
You must explain how you propose to disseminate the outcomes of your project. You should consider here why dissemination is important within a project, who you feel it is appropriate to disseminate to and what methods you would use for each group.
2.4 Summary
This should include a couple of sentences briefly summarising part one and making a link to part 2.
(3) Part Two: Change and leadership for successful project implementation (40% weighting) (2000 words)
3.1.Change
Explore relevant theoretical models with regards to change management. Explain the theory underpinning these models and select one that you would use to inform you project. Make links between your chosen model and the strategies and tactics that you plan in the table above. By applying your chosen model to your specific project you will demonstrate an understanding of the relevant theory.
3.2 Leadership
In order for the project to work you would need to demonstrate leadership skills. You should explore the theories around leadership styles and discuss the style of leadership that you think would optimise outcomes for your project. You must then reflect on your own leadership style and discuss how you would use this to ensure the best project outcomes.
3.3 Teamwork
Consider the team that you would need to carry out your project. Identify the team members and what roles you would expect them to undertake. Look at literature around team structure and team roles and apply this to your team situation. You should also reflect on how your particular leadership style works with team members.
3.4 Conclusion
The project should close with a brief conclusion outlining what you have learnt from undertaking this project and what if anything you would do differently. This is also your opportunity to mention further project ideas that you might have as a consequence of undertaking this work.
Coursework Submission Guidelines
These instructions must be used to format all written work.
• All written work must be typed in Ariel font size 12 and use 1.5 line spacing, submitted as a single word document;
• Work should be page numbered;
• Text within tables does not count towards the final word count;
• Tables with more than two columns should be displayed in landscape, the rest of the document in portrait;
• Include a reference list of in-text citations, compliant with the referencing guidelines of APA 6th edition
Submission Details for Summative work:
Component Word limit
Executive summary 250 words
Part 1
Completed template overview
SWOT or PEST(LE) analysis
Project steps
Evaluation and dissemination
2750 words
Part 2
Change management
Leadership & teamwork Conclusion 2000 words
References (Use APA 6th edition)
This list is not comprehensive but gives you a starting point for the topics studied on this module. You can link to most of these books and articles through the “Reading” link in module information on the Canvas pages. You are strongly recommended to search for additional literature to assist in your studies.
Barker, S. & Cole, R. (2015). Brilliant Project Management. (3rd edition). London: Pearson Business.
Berwick, D.M. (2003). Disseminating innovations in health care JAMA, 289(15),1969-1975
Brophy, S. Snooks, H, & Griffiths, L (2008) Small Scale Evaluation in Health. A Practical Guide London: Sage Publications
Cameron, E. & Green, M. (2015). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. (4th edition). London: Kogan Page.
Dwyer, J. Liang, Z.Thiessen, V. (2019). Project Management in Health and Community Services: Getting good ideas to work (3rd edition). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Greenhalgh, T. (2017). How to Implement Evidence-Based Healthcare. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons
Jasper, M & Jumaa, M (eds) (2005). Effective Healthcare Leadership. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing (especially useful Chapters 1 and 2)
Kerzner,H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. (12th Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Leonard,H.S., Lewis, R., Freedman, A.M. & Passmore, J. (2013). The Wiley Blackwell handbook of the psychology of leadership change and organisational development Chichester: John Wiley & Sons
Royal College of General Practitioners (2015). Quality improvement for General Practitioners: A guide for GPs and the whole practice team. London: RCGP
Storey, J. & Holti, R. (2013) Towards a new model of leadership for the NHS. Retrieved January, 2, 2019 from https:\\www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Towards-a-New-Model-of-Leadership-2013.pdf
Thorogood, M. & Coombes, Y. (eds.) (2010) Evaluation of health promotion: practice and methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Useful Websites:
• https://www.england.nhs.uk/sustainableimprovement/change-model/
NHS England Change Model
• https://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/
NHS Leadership Academy