Back to Basics - Successful Project Management in Social Care

The management of change is an increasingly vital part of any successful social care business, whether in the public, voluntary or independent sectors. The changes may not always be what you choose, but you can certainly choose how to implement them in ways which benefit rather than undermine your services. So whether you're introducing a new service or new policies and procedures, moving premises, organising an event or a marketing campaign, these are situations where project planning and project management skills come to the fore to make a real difference in practice.

So what is project management? Traditionally associated with industries such as construction and engineering, space exploration, or defence, project management methodologies have been applied to developing IT software, publishing and marketing campaigns.

Human Resource Software

Over the last 10 years, the UK government has developed an internationally recognised project management framework known as PRINCE 2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments). This framework is now widely applied in the public sector in the complex contract management culture required to implement new service development initiatives.

So what defines a project? Put simply, a project is a human activity that seeks to achieve a clear objective against a timescale. Common characteristics of a project are:
One clear objective A fixed timescale A team of people No practice or rehearsal Change

How can project management skills help managers in social care services? Any activity with the goal of bringing about change and development of your service within an agreed timescale is relevant - for example:
Developing a staff training needs analysis to ensure National Minimum Standards are being met, Preparing for a Quality Mark such as Investors in People, Implementing systems which promote service user involvement for the most vulnerable and challenging people in our society.

Like most things that often seem hugely complicated, the basic concepts are very simple and make a lot of sense. Many of the classic principles and tools used in project management can be applied in other everyday management situations.

The essential ingredients to get you started

The tools and techniques of project management are essentially about getting something done in the most effective and efficient way, given your particular circumstances. So at the risk of sounding obvious, first you must spot what needs to be done, or look at your current position and decide you want to improve it. Then secondly you need to spend some time clarifying the aim of your project so that it's clear and sharp in your mind.

These are some questions to ask yourself about your aim:
What do I want the future to be?
What benefit do I want for my service users?
What returns do I seek?
What standards am I aiming at?
What values do I, and my organisation, believe in?

Once you've clarified your aim (and written it down ideally in one sentence) you should know where you are now and what you want to achieve. The next thing is to work out how to do it. At this stage you need to be creative - generate and explore as many options as possible. There are a wide range of tools and techniques to help you. In other articles I look at examples to get you started, and some other useful project management concepts to help you in practice.

Useful reading:
Armstrong M. (2006), A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (10th Edition), Kogan Page, London
Briner, W. et al (1996), Project Leadership, Gower
Buzan, T. (2005), The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps, Imago, Thailand
Lewis, James P., (2007) Fundamentals of Project Management, American Management Association
Office of Government Commerce (2007), For Successful Project Management: Think PRINCE 2, The Stationary Office
Reiss, G., (2007) Project Management Demystified, Routledge

Back to Basics - Successful Project Management in Social Care