PRODUCING A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN

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Madlyn Horn
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1 PRODUCING A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN

2 1. WE ARE ALL PROJECT MANAGERS Project management is not difficult. People can be difficult. The art of being a good change manager is getting people to do what you want, when you want it and to the right standard. A Project Manager needs to be tenacious with task completion, and a good communicator. 2. INITIATING A PROJECT Producing a Workforce Development Project Plan is no different from any other project planning process. Whether large or small any project needs to: Have a clearly stated purpose so that the desired outcome is obvious. Be broken down into manageable chunks, each of which is an essential step towards a successful outcome. Measurable by milestones that will give an indication of progress. A well planned project will: Keep a focus on the project goal and prevent scope creep (drifting away from the project purpose). Enable lessons to be learned from each step of the plan to increase likelihood of success next time. A Project Initiation Document (PID) is a way of bringing together the plan to help define it; justify it; communicate its purpose and value; and fundamentally set out a contract of agreement between the Project Initiator, who requests the work to be done, and the Project Manager, who ensures delivery of the work. A Template is provided as Appendix A as guidance for structuring a PID. The day to day business of the project will be managed by the Project Lead, making sure it is delivered according to plan; the Project Team are the staff who actively work on the project; and the Project Board/Steering Group is responsible for overseeing the progress of the project and reacting to any strategic problems. Improve communications ensuring all involved are kept well informed. 2 Workforce Development Project Plan

These initial sessions should get plenty of information out of everyone.

3 3. HOW TO PLAN A PROJECT PLAN Use the PID Template to steer discussions with the Project Team and any other relevant individuals/ groups. As issues are raised, capture and categorise them under each heading (flip charts, post-its, Blu Tack and lots of wall space could prove useful at this stage). These initial sessions should get plenty of information out of everyone. If more details are needed the relevant people should be tasked to find out more and report back to the Project Lead as soon as possible. The Project Lead can now draft the first version of the PID, outlining the project plan s purpose, its outcome and the way to go about it. This first draft will now be reviewed by the Project Board/Steering Group and agreement reached on its content, objectives and timescales. The first stage of project planning is now underway. Helpful hints: Once the plan has been drafted and discussed with Team members, it could be shared with a critical friend for comments before officially sending it for final approval to the project Board. It can also be useful to look at plans produced for other projects, to give an idea of style and presentation. Pick out the best bits and use them to create your own masterpiece. 4. THE PROJECT INITIATION MEETING (PIM) By the end of the Planning Stage you will need to present your plan to the Project Board/Steering Group for formal sign off. Checklist for a Project Initiation Meeting 1. Identify/confirm Project Board/Steering Group attendees i.e. key stakeholders that have a specific interest in the work to be undertaken. 2. Ensure a suitable venue is arranged and that all attendees are available at that time. 3. Circulate an invitation letter with an agenda and a copy of the PID at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting or 7-10 days if it s a large document. Workforce Development Project Plan 3

An agenda could run like this: 5. CONTROLLING A PROJECT i. Presentation and agreement of PID - Project Lead ii. Presentation and approval of stage 1 plans - Project Lead / Board iii.

As the Project Lead presenting the PID to the Board, be sure of what to say - pick out the salient points from the document page by page; be succinct and clear. 5.

4 An agenda could run like this: 5. CONTROLLING A PROJECT i. Presentation and agreement of PID - Project Lead ii. Presentation and approval of stage 1 plans - Project Lead / Board iii. Approval to proceed - Project Board iv. Date of end stage assessment for Stage As the Project Lead presenting the PID to the Board, be sure of what to say - pick out the salient points from the document page by page; be succinct and clear. 5. The Project Lead should make a note of any amendments requested by the Board. 6. Approval to proceed must be agreed by the Board, giving the authority to carry out the project and to call on the resources that have been identified. 7. If the initial Plan is not approved then the meeting will serve to begin to identify what is wrong with it and the alternatives to put it right. The PID should be revised accordingly and once again presented to the Project Board. Depending on the number of amendments needed, it may suffice to present the revised PID via rather than call another meeting this decision should be made at the PIM. This is not the end of the world; it s about getting the plan right! Arrange dates for checkpoint meetings with the Project Team on a weekly or fortnightly basis. It may be helpful to agree individual task plans that are then regularly reviewed so any slippage is quickly identified. Checkpoints should be short and to the point. The Project Lead should take notes and distribute these before the next meeting. Highlight Reports should be submitted to the Project Board/Steering Group at regular intervals to keep them informed of progress. A highlight report should be no more than 2 sides long and briefly summarise progress on the main tasks, identify any areas where there might be problems, and advise of any minor changes in resources or timescales. If any problems arise it is the Project Lead s responsibility to identify these as soon as possible and inform the management team the Risk Register (see PID) is useful here to keep an eye on potential concerns. Don t forget that quality assurance should not be swept under the carpet along the way. Any task which requires the production of something e.g. a set of procedures, a tool for gathering data, or a report, should meet certain criteria that have been agreed upon beforehand. 4 Workforce Development Project Plan

5 Always agree detailed specifications before any resources are committed to a task. If the first stage of the project leads into a second, as the first nears successful completion, planning for the next stage should begin. The same processes for stage 2 will be followed as were for stage 1. It may be necessary to involve other people depending on the tasks to be carried out during the stage. If the tasks are specialised it may be more appropriate to appoint a Stage Lead to control this part of the project. Production of an End Stage Assessment (ESA) document is a useful control mechanism; this will contain a report on the progress of the last stage and the plans and narrative for the next stage. The ESA will also form the key element at the next Project Board/Steering Group meeting the date of which will have been agreed at the PIM. Remember to circulate the invitations and the ESA documents well in advance so that everyone gets a good chance to read it. The agenda for this meeting could be as follows:- i. Presentation of the report for Stage 1 - Project/Stage Lead ii. Presentation of the plans for Stage 2 -Project/Stage Lead iii. Approval to proceed into Stage 2 - Project Board iv. Date of ESA for Stage 2. This is the cycle of the project until it is completed. Then the last ESA could also be a Project Closure Meeting. Throughout the project it is the Project Lead s responsibility to: Keep in order, copies of all project documentation produced and associated reports etc. Note lessons learned for future projects. On completion of the project the Project Closure Document, presented to the Project Board, will assess the entire project and report on any of the benefits that are beginning to be realised as result of it. If something has been implemented as an outcome of the project e.g a change in working practice, introduction of a new role, the Project Closure should include a mechanism of audit and evaluation. It is beneficial to draw a line under the project so that everyone is aware of his or her roles and responsibilities in the future. Workforce Development Project Plan 5

6 1. INTRODUCTION PROJECT PLAN DEVELOPMENT TEMPLATE APPENDIX A What is the Project about, what is it designed to do, who wants it to happen and why. 2. BACKGROUND Set out the origin and context of the work. Include background material, (as Appendices if more appropriate), which supports the work and provides its rationale and evidence base, e.g. strategic drivers; report recommendations. State why and how the work is to be commissioned, and if applicable, what funding is available to support it? Identify how this work interfaces with any other. 3. SCOPE This is the big picture view of the Project that will also state the limitations of the work:- What are the end products? What solutions/answers will the project deliver? What is the timescale for delivering the project? If appropriate, state what is NOT to be included in the project? 4. PROJECT AIM & OBJECTIVES A succinct outline of what the Project will seek to achieve and when. Objectives should be SMART specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and timebound. 5. PRE-REQUISITES What are the things which MUST happen, or which MUST be produced either before the work starts or during its development? For example, all users must be trained. 6 Workforce Development Project Plan

7 6. RISKS Communicating potential risks and preparing for them, should they materialise is an integral part of project management. The unexpected can happen so it pays to think through and analyse the perceived risks to the work. Here are some areas to consider: Calibre of staff Knowledge of the subject matter Reliance on other s e.g internal departments/services Level of workforce/service change management experience Funding. State risks; identify ownership of the risk; evaluate their likely impact; and confirm what the project team is able to do to mitigate them. If there are a large number of risks - be sure to make these clear to those who have commissioned the work. It might be useful to set up a Register to capture risks as they arise and monitor them in Project meetings. The following Risk Register Template may be helpful: Risk Description Date Identified Likelihood Impact Response Risk Owner (High/Medium/ Low) 7. CONSTRAINTS Summary of any limitations that affect the scope of the project or how it is carried out, such as: Staff availability(lack of/ full diaries/ annual leave) Deadlines Accommodation Hardware (i.e. may be purchased already) Stakeholder/staff knowledge/competence. As with risks, it is not enough to list the constraints without attempting to evaluate the impact on the work and identify ways in which they may be overcome. 8. ASSUMPTIONS The initial project framework and plan are based on assumptions, for example, IT support, resource availability, working arrangements and flexibility, user expertise. Particular care should be taken in defining what is expected of people outside the project team. 9. ORGANISATION OF THE WORK PROGRAMME It is helpful to show the project structure as an organisational diagram with names and roles; and lines of accountability for the Project. Workforce Development Project Plan 7

8 10. PROJECT PLAN This is a detailed schedule of tasks to be performed alongside other relevant information such as leads, key milestones, and dates for achievement: Task Milestone Lead Deadline Progress/Date 11. MANAGEMENT CONTROLS State how the team intends to manage the work: What controls will be in place, such as assessments of Project progress; frequency of meetings and reports. 12. EVALUATION Any workforce change should be evaluated to determine what impact the change is having on the delivery of services or care to patients. The primary purpose of evaluation is to gain insight into prior or existing initiatives, and to enable reflection and assist in the identification of future change. The key aim of most evaluations is to provide useful feedback to a variety of audiences including sponsors, service users, staff, and other relevant stakeholders. 8 Workforce Development Project Plan

Project Management Handbook

Project Management Handbook Version 0.1 September 2011 1 CONTENTS Introduction 3 The Project Lifecycle 3 Aspyre 4 Project or Programme 5 Project Management 6 Phase 1 Prepare 7 Project Brief 7 Business