Essay: Healthcare workforce – Project Initiation Document

Project definition
This Project Initiation Document (PID) aims to relocate the NHS Workforce Review Team (WRT) main office, improving the standards of the facilities available to staff and to maintain costs at an appropriate and affordable level. The new office will be relocated in a strategic location within central Winchester to encourage staff to use other methods of travel than using their own car.
Background & justification
The NHS Workforce Review Team (WRT) is a group of dedicated healthcare workforce planners established in 1999 and nowadays, the WRT is formed by an experienced team of analyst, data modellers and professional healthcare advisors.
In early 2013, it was clear that WRT would need to relocate its main office, planning and delivering an office environment that allows the team to perform well, listening and acting on the views of staff and key stakeholders, and to agree both the benefits and the risk involved.
To help everyone office relocation and minimise impact, two phases has been identified:
Phase 1: The first part of this project will focus on planning the move of the office, from packing everything in the office until the boxes are delivered in the new office and everything is in place according to the new office distribution.
Phase 2: Once the phase 1 is complete, the second stage of this project will aim on moving IT Service desk to ensure everything is in place, creating a connected network to ensure everyone has the necessary software to work.
Project outcomes
The primary outcomes of the project are:
• To provide an improved standard of healthcare workforce driven strategic decision making across colleagues
• To develop a framework were colleagues working remotely can access any new working practices.
• To support the whole team to integrate into a hot desking environment.
Project objectives and deliverables
The objectives of the office relocation has been agreed on different meetings by the NHS board. The specified objectives are:
• Define resources allocation so the project team can meet the processing requirements and have the knowledges and resources to support them.
• Find and design a new working area with 26 standard desk units for the 40-45 staff
• Ensure that adequate monitoring systems and quality measures are in place.
• The formation of a healthcare board in order to provide guidance
• To investigate and complete a different assessments
• A review of current services
• A study to identify whether such a transfer is financially possible
• A workforce analysis
• To complete a report which will be completed by the end of the project
The deliverables will include:
• Guidance from HR department about managing change to help staff.
• A partnership board will be created to agree and implement agreements. Also they will liaise with the executive board.
• A clear protocol to be agreed that ensures efficient and effective feedback.
• A communication strategy will be develop to inform and update internally and externally stakeholders.
• Agreed evaluation outcomes will ensure the provision of the workforce as agreed.
• Direction and support will be provided by the project manager.
• The project team will identify any areas of concern surrounding the new office, staff concerns, office structure, etc.
• Guide to the new office plan and IT systems
Project scope and exclusions
The scope will be managed right from the start by the project manager and it will make sure all parties are agreed what the project is going to do and any possible changes that may take place for the benefits of the project.
Scopes
The scope include:
• Relocation of the WRT main office into an open plan office in central Winchester
• Managing and coordinating the external contractors and suppliers involved in the procurement, installation, testing, quality inspection of the furniture and IT communication system.
• Planning and training the staff for any new communication system.
• All documentation for a successful relocation.
Exclusions
Some exclusions for the project are:
• Construction of a new office.
• Hiring additional staff.
• Moving any additional furniture from different NHS departments beyond this project
• Cost from additional activities not relating to this office relocation project.
Constraints and assumptions
Constraints
• Set and schedule a date for the start of the relocation which will take from 12 to 24 months.
• No external contractors or suppliers that can give a negative impact to the office relocation.
• Budget
• New office open plan
Assumptions
• A new office will be ready to continue with the business practice at the set finish date.
• No legal related delays
• The required resources to complete the relocation will be met.
• The project manager, the executive board and key stake holders will give full support to the project.
Risk analysis
Possible sources of risks to the project have been estimated. Each risk has been measured on its possible impact and the probability of this happening (1 = low impact; 10 = high impact). The Risk Priority Number (RPN) has also been calculated (RPN = Probability x Impact)
Risk reviews will take place regularly at each team meeting. If there is a considerable increase in any of the risk listed, a mitigation strategy will be created to minimize impact whether possible.
Risk
Event Probability Impact RPN Rank Mitigation Risk
Owner
Not able to move to the new office on time Regular inspections of the project.
Follow up activities.
Weather conditions Whether possible, initiate activities before or after the start of the severe weather conditions.
The insurance is inadequate for the move Review policy
Check with insurance company
Office plan may be hazardous Office plan reviewed by people from HR.
Request inspection.
Equipment broke during move Adequate packing.
Ensure more equipment is available.
Communications not in place in the new office Contact with the provider to switch landline and broadband.
Allow working from home.
Allow enough time for the provider to do the switch.
Delay transporting the equipment Follow up traffic problems.
Allow a few more days to transport the equipment.
Staff on annual leave Plan who will take his/her place during the annual leave.
Regular review of tasks and tasks owners.
System data loss Create 2 backups of the system.
Staff illness Re-allocate other resources when possible to cover this, using the slack from other tasks.
Staff stress The HR team to create a guide and to share tips regarding to fight stress.
Inadequate IT equipment to support the improved systems Create a specification list need it and check the specifications of each computer against this.
Basic business capacities stop To avoid this the staff will maintain the standard clients that they handle in a daily basics.
Project team structure
The following role definitions are being applied to the resources designate to this project:
• Corporate or programme management: This sits outside the project management team and will be responsible for identifying the Executive and defining the project tolerances.
• The Project Board: the project board is responsible for the overall direction and management of the project. This will be created by a senior user, the executive and a senior supplier.
• Project Manager: The project manager will be responsible for the daily project management activities involved with the office relocation.
• Change of Authority: This actual project doesn’t have this role because in this project a few changes are envisaged and it is reasonable to leave this authority to the project board.
• Project Assurance: Will be designated by the board for monitoring all aspects of the project’s performance independently of the project manager.
• Team Manager: The team manager takes directions and reports to the project manager. And its responsibility is to ensure the job is done.
• Project Support: This will be the responsibility of the project manager, providing advice and guidance.
• Team Members: Working members will be involved to ensure the success of the project during its life cycle.
• Stakeholders: Key providers of requirements and recipients of project deliverables and benefits.
• Project Sponsor: The project sponsor will serve as the interface manager and will relay information from the board to the project manager and vice versa.
• Steering Committee: Key representative from the different business units that will be involved in information and communication.
Gantt chart
Prince2
Adopting the PRINCE2 project methodology ensures a controlled start, controlled progress and a controlled end. This will help the project to have regular reviews against the project plan, business case and the risk assessments in place. Also will consider the involvement of key stakeholders in decision making and project progress, by specifying flexible decision points.
The nature of any project is different, therefore it is necessary to allow an element of flexibility. The principles, processes and themes within PRINCE2 can be easily tailored to suit this project environment. Also following this methodology will easily integrate the business model allowing the project to focus on a justified business case.
Using this method will empower and give the project manager the confidence and ability to influence the project. The Prince2 principles to follow are:
• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Manage by stage
• Manage by exception
• Focus on products
• Tailor to suit the project environment
Continued business justification. This is a requirement and it will help to drive decision making to guarantee that the project follows the business objectives. The business justification document must include: a justifiable reason to start; this justification should be valid during the whole project; and this justification must be approved.
Learn from experience. An evaluation report will be authorize and it will be develop by stakeholders. This evaluation and report will assess whether the objectives were delivered and the criteria met. Lessons learned will be part of this report.
Defined roles and responsibilities. All roles and responsibilities must be defined ensuring that engages the business and its stakeholders. This roles and responsibilities follows a project management team structure, helping people to communicate effective. Every project must include at least this stakeholders: Executive, Users and Suppliers.
Manage by stage. This project to relocate the office will be planned, monitored and control by stages. This will provide control through the project, helping to follow the business case to ensure that the project still viable.
Manage by exception. By defining tolerances for the office relocation project, the board and the project manager will establish limits of delegated authority, enabling appropriate governance for managing directing and delivering the project. Some of this tolerances may be time, cost, quality, scope and/or risk.
Focus on products. For this project to be successful the output must be defined and focus on the delivery, in particular the quality requirements. To fulfil the expectation there should be a common understanding of the end result and the quality expected.
Quality is key and the project manager will ensure that a total quality management is carried out throughout the entire project life cycle in accordance with the business objectives. Setting quality guidelines will help to make decisions when they can have a big impact on other decision such us scope, cost risk and time. To guarantee quality throughout the office relocation project the team will follow the next guidelines:
• Carry out activities according to the quality policy and objectives specify in the project.
• Encourage communication
• Ensure adequate staff training
• Encourage team building activities
• Create a common purpose among all members of staff
• Establish preventive actions and continues reviews of all activities
• Feedback is key
• Ownership and responsibility of quality issues will be establish
• Quality acceptance criteria must be sign of by the project manager and the board.
• Timely inspections of installations
• Access to the appropriate resources.
Risk shall be identified and address properly. The project manager should identify the nature of the risks and the possible risk triggers, the impact and the probability as well as the impact to the quality, cost, time and scope