Understanding Project Lifecycles in Healthcare Management
As a healthcare manager, it is important to effectively manage diverse projects within your organization. Projects have lifecycles that fundamentally affect their structure dynamic and operations and, as a result, their management. It is important for health care managers to understand the lifecycle of a project to effectively execute it.
Initiation
Definition
The initiation stage concerns an overview of the entire project and the strategies required to attain the expected outcomes. Feasibility and business value are determined. There is a kickoff meeting to understand the client and stakeholders’ requirements, objectives, and goals.
The Role of the Health Care Manager
The health care manager (HCM) determines the purpose and extent of the project, performs cost estimation to predict the financial resources required, anticipates challenges, and prepares appropriate solutions. Then, HCM sends the strategies to organizational leaders for approval.
Planning
Definition
The planning stage regards the project’s organization at different levels. The broadest level includes outlining the project’s basic organizational structure, responsibilities structure, and major work phases. The lowest level considers breaking down project-relevant deliverables into specific tasks for individual project members.
The Role of the Health Care Manager
HCM assigns professionals responsible for each task and establishes deadlines required for their completion. In addition, HCM finalizes the budget to dictate the needed equipment and the time necessary to complete the goals without wasting or requiring additional resources.
Launch
Definition
This is the starting point of the project where the team is oriented to the main work in the tasks. The missions, vision, objectives, and deliverables are presented as the work begins.
The Role of the Health Care Manager
HCM summarizes the outcomes of the initiation and planning stages. He translates the client’s and the stakeholders’ vision, mission, and objectives to team members, conveys the overall picture of the project to the team, and provides more details to every person involved.
Execution
Definition
This stage concerns the project-related processes’ implementation, teams’ and individuals’ task assignments, and resource allocation.
Deliverables are built to satisfy customer requirements: they involve creating the deliverables and seeking to achieve the goals and objectives according to the initial plan.
The Role of the Health Care Manager
HCM conducts project monitoring and control, measures its performance, and addresses the problems involved. In addition, HCM holds regular meetings to clarify the agendas and make the teams aware of the progress, issues, and challenges they face, frequently reporting the project’s progress.
Closing
Definition
This phase represents the final stage of the project’s life cycle and is about following up on the process. The project is ready to be delivered, and the focus is on releasing the product to the client and the stakeholders.
The Role of the Health Care Manager
HCM highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the project and list the takeaways from the process. He identifies the ambiguities and suggests how they can be rectified in future projects. Managers document the project and disband the team, effectively closing the entire process.
Reference
Cobb, A.T. (2006). Leading project teams: An introduction to the basics of project management and project team leadership. SAGE.
