Project management in health and community services : getting good ideas to work

Previous edition: 2013.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

How to use this book -- What is a project? -- The project life cycle -- Projects in health and community services -- Research for this book -- Project management challenges -- Project success -- Model for success -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- The industry: complex, regulated-and still dynamic -- Project capability in organisations -- The Project Management Office -- Projects in government departments -- The project portfolio -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- The terminology of project management -- The project life cycle -- Differentiating projects and programs -- Project management methods -- Project management tools -- Project management resources -- Project management skills and careers -- Project management courses and professional development -- Summary -- Where do good ideas come from? -- Getting to project goals -- Goals, purposes, problem statements and benefits -- Project scope and strategies --

Contents note continued: Turning ideas into projects -- Planning and analysis methods -- In praise of opportunism -- Responding to grants and tenders -- Offering project tenders -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- Why plan at all? -- The project charter -- The project plan -- Planning for project assurance -- Project structures -- Planning for human resource needs -- Risk management -- Issue management -- The quality plan -- Communications planning -- Managing project change -- Organisational change management planning -- Planning project logistics -- The project information system -- Planning for evaluation -- Tips for conducting project planning -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- What is evaluation, and why do it? -- Types of evaluation -- Evaluation approaches and design -- Evaluation in practice-challenges and learning -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- Work breakdown structure: tasks, sequencing and timing -- Estimating time, and using scheduling tools --

Contents note continued: Budgeting -- The project business case -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- Getting started -- Leadership, motivation and teamwork -- Achieving sustainable change -- Summary -- Readings and resources -- Control and monitoring during implementation -- When things go wrong: getting back in control -- Project completion -- Sustaining project outcomes -- Conclusion -- Summary -- Readings and resources.

Project management is recognised as a core competency across health and community services environments, yet it can be challenging for new project staff and practitioners to balance the needs of stakeholders and ensure the best outcome for everyone involved. This wholly revised edition of Project Management in Health and Community Services presents the tools and techniques for effective practice, offering practical problem-solving strategies for managing projects based on real-life scenarios. The expert authors use case studies and examples from the field to illustrate topics such as the project life cycle, project planning, execution and evaluation, risk management, handling change and building effective teams. This edition also features a new chapter on the importance of incorporating evaluation into project design and implementation, and how evaluation can impact on future project design and development. Written by highly experienced authors and underpinned by the latest research, this is an essential resource for anyone studying or working in health and community services.