Posted: November 10th, 2014

An area requiring performance improvement OR A change management project or strategy

An area requiring performance improvement OR A change management project or strategy

Topic: An essay demonstrating critical analysis and synthesis of either An area requiring performance improvement OR A change management project or strategy

Order Description

An essay demonstrating critical analysis and synthesis of either
An area requiring performance improvement
OR
A change management project or strategy
()()()

Assessment 2 400778 2014

You need to choose ONE change management strategy OR one performance improvement initiative to help you to link the theory from the module readings and other relevant readings.

Both essay topics need an analysis, so it is not adequate to do a list of ideas/theories…I want to know how you or the organisation undertaking the change will (or might, or should have) applied these theories.

General guidelines for both change management strategy and performance improvement initiative.

Remember this is about change, the leadership and the management of the change, the way communication regarding the need for change can affect the planning, implementation and outcomes of the change and the potential for capacity building within the organisation (whether you are looking at the whole organisation or one part of the organisation, e.g. a ward or department) and the workplace culture and its effect on capacity to change.

Do not only describe the process and the organisation…discuss it, take a “position”…what do you think is important if you want to achieve the goals of the performance improvement or the change management strategy?

You don’t have to criticise but you must be analytical and you must have evidence for the things you say (the references).

Identify the pressure for change (the “trigger” or the circumstances leading to the identification of the need for change)….and explain this in terms of a model like Kotter’s(8 step plan) or Lewin’s (Force Field analysis/ 3 step plan) and identify the pressure as either internal or external and explain that pressure. Kotter describes the impetus for change as the development of a “sense of urgency”.

You need to read, understand and refer to, the readings in Modules 2 & 3 as they are specifically related to organisational capacity building and performance. Read 3.2 (Isouard et al. 2006). You can of course use other relevant literature to support your discussion.

Discuss the role of the leader in identifying the need for the change or performance improvement; working with the key stakeholders (everyone involved), planning, implementing and evaluating the performance improvement. Read module 3, readings 3.4 to 3.6.

Consider the importance of capacity building within the organisation and what that might mean in relation to the particular change/PI you are discussing and link it to the mission and objectives of the organisation in which the change/performance improvement is occurring

Remember to consider the type of leader that is best suited to planning and implementing a changing environment. Think about the leadership which best supports individuals and the team as it is faced with change.

Module 2 also defines and explains workplace culture and how it can support or contribute to resistance to change and think about what a leader can do to create an environment where people feel engaged in the process and their opinion sought and heard.

Most change management strategies or performance improvement initiatives, demonstrate that people cannot be forced into changing without there being some degree of resentment and often a change that is not sustainable…so good planning and excellent communication skills are the key to success.

This should be set out in a formal essay format (see Literacy guide on vUWS)

Performance improvement (P.I.) initiative
Choose a specific performance improvement (for performance improvement, it can be
• reduced waiting times in a clinic,
• improved infection rates (a reduction),
• reduced medication errors,
• more effective hand-washing technique,
• improved record keeping,
• improved handover/reporting/writing of reports
• …anything that you think might be relevant for you in your clinical area or administrative area within the health care industry.
Address:
* the area of organisational performance that is of concern and how it relates to the organisation’s mission, strategic goals and objectives.

This is what the change intended to achieve…then have a look at the vision/mission/ strategic goals and see if the intended outcome has any link to these …you can define vision/mission/strategic goals first

* the steps required to implement a process for improving this aspect of organisational performance and the approach best suited to improving performance in this instance

• This is how the issue targeted was identified as a performance improvement and why.
• Was the push for change internal (poor outcomes, new staff, high infection rates or was it external pressure from issues like reduced budgets or research which showed better ways to undertake procedures or benchmarks for best practice)?
• How would you set up the process…is there something in Lewin’s force field analysis or his three stage process (unfreezing, rearranging and refreezing) or any other model for change which helps to explain the steps taken or which might be taken for an optimum outcome? Is Kotter’s 8 step process able to better keep the change on track?

• How should you/the leader(s) engage the stakeholders and why is this important? You can describe how you might do it but you must link it to theory as part of the analysis (critique).

• Is the workplace culture flexible enough to be able to easily embrace change? How and why?

* the type of performance indicators or measures selected

What are your targets and how will you evaluate the performance improvement strategy? Why is this important to sustainability of the change in PI? Are you benchmarking against published best practice or are you aiming to improve from your current situation?

* strategies for motivating and engaging stakeholders in ongoing performance improvement . Consider how to provide engage people and support them through the change planning and implementation. It is part of the role of leadership.

• Identify any barriers /resistance to change if you do not consult appropriately.

• discuss leadership and the way in which leaders can engage the stakeholders (everyone involved)…talk about the type of leader (think transformational) and how that might act with the staff.

Change management strategy.
This can be any change management project associated with a health related area.
Many students work on areas of the health system where there are changes planned in the organisation where more than one area of performance is targeted. It is important to remember that this essay is focussed on the process and the application of the theory is to the particular change you are discussing. Please discuss this with me if you are unsure.

• Stated aim and how it relates to the organisation’s mission and strategic goals/objectives .This is what the change was intended to achieve… have a look at the vision/mission/ strategic goals and see if the intended outcome has any link to these …you can define vision/mission/strategic goals first

• change management strategies and processes used to plan and implement change
How was this change commenced…and why? Was the push for change internal (poor outcomes, new staff…whatever…or was it external pressure from reduced budgets or the demand for service changes because of demographic adjustments or demands from the community)? How was the change planned…is there something in Lewin’s force field analysis or his three stage process (unfreezing, rearranging and refreezing) or any other model for change which helps to explain the steps taken or which might have been taken with a better outcome? Can Kotter’s 8 step process for change help you to analyse the change?
Were the stakeholders consulted or was the plan a top down process with few people involved? You can describe how they did it but you must link it to theory as part of the analysis (critique). Is the workplace culture flexible enough to be able to easily embrace change?

• the barriers and facilitators to the success of the change management strategy
This is usually associated with poor communication and lack of planning to take account of the people who have to implement the change…this necessarily means that people should feel comfortable about having input into the process and can be a product of the type of leadership/management in the organisation and the workplace culture

• the recommended leadership interventions for the strategy
What leadership action do you think made (or might have made) the most impact on the change process (review transformational leadership).

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