Project Plans and Chartership

Contrary to what you might think, project plans don’t just have to be used for looking forward.

I used the project plan template on the MAP toolkit to reflect on two projects which I had been involved in; with an idea of using them in my chartership portfolio. And so they could be added to the MAP Toolkit wiki.

Eventually I hit the major chartership “bump in the road” that many face – too much evidence. So the fully formed project plans were omitted from my final portfolio. However their influence didn’t end there. The main headings used in the project plans informed the approach I took to the reflection in all my other pieces of evidence.

Instead of staring at the blank screen wondering where to start; the template gave me some pointers to think about (not necessarily using all of these for every piece of evidence):

• Project team – who was involved – did this expand my practice in anyway e.g. making new connections with colleagues or departments inside or outside of the library?
• Resources required – was there any training I undertook to be able to do the work and had this impacted on how I approached the task? Were there any new IT systems I needed to use, or any new library processes that had to be developed; and what as my part in this?
• Timeframe – how long did it take to do the work – are there any learning points to be gleaned from whether the deadline was met or missed? Could anything have been done differently so the work was done more quickly or efficiently?
• Description of project –
• What does the project entail?
• Outline the project process
• What are the expected outcomes?
  • Reflecting on what it was I or my work group: did or had planned to do, what our aim was, and what actually happened. Also what had I personally expected to get out of it? What skill or experience did I feel had been developed through the work?
• Alignment to local, regional and national drivers – In the terms of my chartership I mainly focused on the local drivers. What was there going on in our organisation, our customer organisations, or the wider library environment that meant the work I had undertaken was necessary or beneficial?
  • On the national driver front – what was going on in the professional literature that had inspired me to undertake the activity I was reflecting on?
• Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library – what was the outcome I or my team had been aiming at? Had this outcome been achieved? Were there other outcomes I hope will come about in the future?
• Next steps – did I feel that there were further actions that could have been taken? Could other things have been done if the time and/or resources had been available?

This approach hasn’t ended with my chartership. I keep a copy of the template for a project plan and I have used this to guide my thought process for planning out various projects. I have also used it to help me plan a presentation to colleagues about why a new service was being introduced and what it involved.

Don’t be daunted by the title ‘Project Plan’. The template can be used as much for looking back as it can for forward planning. It certainly made reflecting on my professional practice for my chartership much easier, and eased me into thinking reflectively.

Frances Griffiths

Health Library, University Hospitals of North Midlands

Renal Unit ‘Adopt a Librarian’ pilot project

Title of project: Renal Unit ‘Adopt a Librarian’ pilot project

Project team: Victoria Kirk, Clinical Librarian; Gwyneth Marshman, Clinical Librarian; Lauren Gould, Senior Staff Nurse; Jon Casey, Clinical Nurse Lead (Renal)

Resources required

Staffing: The Clinical Librarian will require dedicated time to:

• be available on the ward for 2 hours per week
• attend the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting to feed back on search results and progress
• conduct any searches or training that results from the library surgery
• record and collate the necessary data in order to evaluate the pilot

A pilot service will enable staff time requirements to be measured in more detail.

Library Assistant support may also be required for the additional administrative tasks that may be involved (e.g. processing search requests).

Electronic resources: The Clinical Librarian will need access to the evidence base via:

• Health related databases
• Evidence based resources

Timeframe: The pilot will be conducted between 1^st February 2011 and 30^th April 2011 [may be subject to change].

Description of product/service: The Renal Unit has been successful in attaining Level 2 Practice Development Unit status from the University of Leeds. In order to drive forward practice development, the Renal team would benefit from having regular access to a qualified health information professional at the point of need.

The information professional, as part of the multidisciplinary team, can encourage the consultation of research literature and provide a mechanism for getting research into practice, as well as stimulating a questioning and learning culture within healthcare teams.

A Clinical Librarian will be available on the Renal Unit (Ward 31) at Arrowe Park Hospital for 2 hours per week at a specified time to provide a ‘library surgery’ to staff and students on placement.Results from evidence searches and progress on the pilot will be reported back to the Renal Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting.

Services available to staff and students via the ‘library surgery’ will include:

• Individual assistance with searching for the latest evidence / literature searching
• Tailored ‘ad hoc’ training in accessing health information resources (e.g. NHS Evidence, Pubmed, Cochrane Library)
• Collecting literature searches on topics resulting from patient care on the ward (e.g. issues arising from ward round) and feeding back results to the team
• General enquiries and advice

The project will be conducted as a 3 month pilot.  An evaluation of the pilot will determine if it is feasible to launch this as a permanent service.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers: This service fulfils part of the ‘vision of the future’ identified in the ILS strategy, to ‘increase support offered to divisions by the Clinical Librarian service’. The ILS strategy states that one of the purposes of the ILS is to ‘provide support to clinical teams in the workplace and enable the evidence based decision making process.’

This service fulfills the ILS objectives to support:

• Clinical effectiveness and governance
• Education and training, professional development and life-long learning
• High quality evidence-based health care

The service supports the clinical governance agenda in the Trust.
The service supports the four key purposes of health libraries as identified by the Peter Hill Review:

1. Clinical decision making by patients, their carers as appropriate, and health professional
2. Commissioning decision and health policy making
3. Research
4. Lifelong learning by health professionals.

The service also supports the vision of the 2010 white paper, Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS, which highlights the need for patient care quality standards to be based on the ‘best available evidence’ (p.23).

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: Outcomes measured will be the amount of activity generated as a result (e.g. literature searches).  Additionally, a very brief evaluation questionnaire will be completed by each person who utilises the ‘library surgery’.  The questionnaire results will provide some impact data as well as helping to identify any ‘critical incidents’ that require follow-up. 

Next steps: The project will be reviewed in May 2011

Providing Evidence for Supplies Group University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS FT

Title of project: Providing Evidence for Supplies Group

Project team: Head of Procurement and Supplies; Productive Ward lead/Senior Nurse;
Clinical Librarian; Nurse Practitioner; Accountant; Practice Educators; Ward Managers; Departmental representatives

Resources required: Clinical Librarian time, literature searching, Supplies account for document supply.

Intranet: Supplies Group rep will manage the Intranet content.

Intranet publishing: CL needs Cutepdf installing on computer – liaise with IT

Timeframe: Ongoing: 2010-2011 initially

Description of product/service: The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is committed to providing high quality research based care within the resources available. The purpose of the Trust Supplies Group is to consider the research around the clinical efficacy and safety of clinical items available for use and make recommendations based on clinical and cost effectiveness.

A Clinical Librarian will attend the Trust Supplies Group meetings and will provide a literature searching service to support decision-making around procurement. The CL will summarise the search results and recommendations in an evidence based summary which will be published on the Intranet.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers:

Trust Business Plan 2010-11: “To provide excellent value for money for tax payers and provide sustained long term financial viability”

National: Productive Ward; QIPP; Operating Framework 2010-2011

McKinsey Report page 37

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: Support evidence based practice in purchasing; Raise the library profile; Demonstrate contribution to organisational objectives. The aim of the Trust Supplies Group is to save money and streamline ordering for 2010-2011. The Library contribution promotes evidence based decision-making and demonstrates a contribution to achieving the Trusts savings.

Next steps: CL continued attendance at Trust Supplies Group Monthly meetings; CL present highlight report/update at each full team meeting

Milestones:

• Deliver evidence summaries when requested
• Create ‘Supplies’ account for document supply
• Manage content/update Intranet site
• Manage status of proposals on Intranet

Update: This project won the Sally Hernando Ward 2011 for Product Innovation and was presented at a Procurement Conference in 2013

Read the case study which has been added to the Toolkit

Clinical Librarian Systematic Review : North West Clinical Librarian Collaboration

Title of project: NW Clinical Librarian Systematic Review

Project team: Dr Alison Brettle: Research fellow (Salford University);Michelle Maden-Jenkins; Clinical information Specialist (Edge Hill); Lucy Anderson; Outreach Librarian (Bury PCT); Ros McNally; Librarian (University of Manchester); Anne Webb; Library Operations Manager (Christie); Tracey Pratchett; Clinical Librarian (Morecambe Bay); Jenny Tancock; Clinical Librarian (Morecambe Bay); Debra Thronton; Library manager (Blackpool)

Resources required:

Staff involved: 8 librarians from different organisation throughout the NW. Possible use of library assistants for document supply.

Time: Contributors will be expected to travel to meetings (approx 1 per month), meet with colleagues for small group work and allocate time accordingly. Each member will maintain a diary of time dedicated to the project.

Costs: Refworks; Travel costs; Refreshments; Conference costs

Resources: Grouploop to manage documentation and communicate; Refworks to manage References and share with group; PbWiki – used to supplement Grouploop; Databases – to undertake a comprehensive literature search

Training required: Refworks; Statistics training

Timeframe: Start date: April 2008 – Publication date: 2010
*May continue after publication date in terms of presenting process, reflection etc

Description of product/service: This is a collaborative project involving 8 Librarians from the North West. The project will contribute to the professional body of work relating to Clinical Librarianship by delivering a Systematic review. In addition, the contributors also want to develop their own skills base and understanding of the processes involved and this learning will be shared through a reflective process model.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers:

Local drivers
UHMBT Strategic Direction Document 2003-8 “We are here to provide … A resource for teaching and research and development, generating new knowledge leading to improvements in population health and in health care delivery”

By learning valuable skills in the systematic review process, this can be translated librarian support and advice for Trust staff undertaking this type of research.

National drivers
Hill review 2008 highlights that health libraries are essential for supporting clinical decision making, commissioning & policy making, life-long learning and research.

By developing skills in this aspect of research, CLs at Morecambe Bay can help to deliver Hill’s view of contributing to these areas.

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: By contributing to this regional project, I will further understand research processes and pitfalls involved in undertaking a systematic review. This will enable me to support and collaborate with researchers within my Trust who are interested in undertaking a systematic review.

Next steps: This project was completed and published online in late 2010 and was presented at Health Libraries Group Conference in 2010; winner at DREaM Conference (2012) North West Clinical Librarian Systematic Review and Evaluation Group wins Practitioner Researcher Excellence Award

Publication:
Brettle et al (2010) Evaluating clinical librarian services: a systematic review Health Information & Libraries Journal Volume 28, Issue 1, pages 3–22, March 2011

Linked Case Study “Systematic Review”

HCLU Consumer Health Information Website (Health Care Libraries Unit NW)

Title of project: HCLU Consumer Health Information Website

Project Team:

• Health2Works (web designers)
• Director of Health Libraries NW
• CPD & Partnerships Manager

Stakeholders:

• General Public
• Health Providers
• NHS North West CHI Providers

Resources Required: The project will be managed by the HCLU CPD and Partnerships Manager, Gil Young; under the direction of the Director of the Unit, David Stewart. A sum has been allocated by HCLU to develop the website. All other work will be undertaken by the unit and, at this stage of the project, will not require additional funding.

Timeframe: February 2011 – September 2011

Description of product/service: To create a single point of contact for high quality web based health information for the general public with the emphasis on services located in the North West.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers: 

Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare workforce (white paper) Public Health white paper Nov 2010 Department of Health Information Strategy HCLU strategy

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: The main outputs of this project will be: A newly developed website providing access to quality consumer health information for the North West public particularly patients and carers. Marketing materials to aid the advocacy of the services Stronger links between the NHS Libraries and the providers of consumer health information in the North West. A raised profile for HCLU

Next steps: The project will share outcomes and learning with stakeholders and the NHS Library community via the HCLU Web Site, the LIHNN newsletter, briefing meetings and the use of e-mail lists. Contacts across the North West will be encouraged to share information with colleagues in order to raise awareness of the project. The project manager will actively seek out opportunities to share project outcomes, for example sharing knowledge with other libraries and health providers, publications and conferences.

At the end of the project period (September 2011), the website will be handed over to HCLU. A brief end of project report will be compiled, together with recommendations on how the project can be developed further.

Mystery Shopper Exercise (Health Library – Keele University & University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust)

Title of project: Mystery Shopper Exercise 

Project team: Customer services Manager – University Campus Library; Senior Library Assistant – University Campus Library; Deputy Health Library Manager

Resources required:

• Involvement of library customers – specifically students.
• Staff time and mystery shopper’s time.
• Mystery shopper guidance packs – instructions, scenarios, guidance on expected service levels.
• Template of the previous University Campus Library’s mystery shopper exercise report and mystery shopper packs as guidance on how the method should work.
• Knowledge of the services available at the Health Library and the library’s customer mix to ensure the scenarios tested are suitable to the library.
• Vouchers as mystery shopper participation incentive.
• Technology – Microsoft Excel for results analysis.

Timeframe: January 2013 – ideal completion by Easter 2013

Description of product/service: Customer service survey using the Mystery Shopper method. The Health Library’s survey will focus on the medical, midwifery and nursing University students. Health Library’s exercise needs to be comparable with the exercise conducted at the University Campus Library in winter 2012. The report produced needs to be able to stand alone on its own as NHS Library report; but also to be able to be read conjunctively with the University Campus Library’s report as a cross-libraries survey.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers

Local drivers: Unwritten library aims from the NHS and the University to provide good customer service to all customers.

National drivers: Library Quality and Assurance Framework – criteria that ‘Library/knowledge service development/improvement is informed by relevant information’ – which could include the results of a customer survey.

Published literature: numerous journals articles have been published demonstrating how libraries/information services in other sectors have used mystery shopper exercises successfully to test certain aspects of the library service and gain insight into how their services are really being delivered. The public sector and higher education in particular have documented using this method.

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: To produce a report that can be read on its own as an assessment of the Health Library’s service, and which can be read conjunctively with the University’s Library report as a cross-libraries survey.

• To identify any improvements needed to the library‘s customer service.
• To provide a benchmark which future repeat surveys can be judged against to ensure standards are being maintained or improved.

Next steps:

• Discuss and write the scenarios to be tested at the Health Library – for inclusion in the Mystery Shopper packs.
• Recruit mystery shoppers from the Health Faculty Schools.
• Brief mystery shoppers.
• Run the mystery shopper exercise.
• Results analysis and report production.
• Act on any identified improvements needed.

Copies from stock (Health Library – Keele University & University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust)

Title of project: Copies from Stock Service to on-site customers

Project team: Deputy Health Library Manager; Library Manager; NHS Library Lead;
Library Assistants – especially the Inter-Library Loans team.

Resources required:

• Journal publications
• Staff time to plan service and deal with requests
• Time for service pilot
• Office supplies for production of request forms and actual copies needed.
• Access to the library scanner and MFD device to produce copies
• Software for production of pdfs where needed
• CLA website to check copying permissions.

Finance: Payment from library customers for the copies produced at the normal in person photocopying rate. Set up of departmental library accounts for customers to charge their requests to.

Timeframe: Planning September – December 2013; Implementation anticipated for January 2014 and then ongoing.

Description of product/service: Service where the library staff will, upon request, routinely provide copies from stock to on-site hospital staff/ students on placement customers who do not want to or have not got time to come to the library to make copies themselves. This means staff and students will get the information they need for their continued education and training, at the time they need it.

This service will provide greater parity with the service provided to off-site customers who are sent copies of articles that they are not able to access because they work off-site. We feel there should be the option for on-site customers to have items sent to them, though at the cost of what they would pay if they came in and copied the items themselves.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers

Local drivers: Trust Learning and Education policy – the trust will support the continuing education of staff and the education of students on placement in the Trust by providing appropriate resources.

Trust strategy priorities – includes several goals relating to the delivery of education and training to staff and students – this library service will support these aims.

Library aim – to provide parity of service levels between on-site customers and offsite customers. Off-site customers will have copies sent to them because they are unable to access the library. This option currently is not routinely available to on-site customers.

Regional drivers: West Midlands Workforce Skills and Development Strategy 2013 – 2018 – by West Midlands Health Education LETB . Education development will not be a limiting factor to the creation of a skilled and flexible workforce. This service would support this aim by making resources available to the Trust workforce when they need it for their learning and development.

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library: We will have an established and publicised copies from stock service for on-site customers. Copies would be supplied at same cost which they would have to pay if they came in and copied the items themselves.

Trust staff and students on placement will get the information they need for their continued education and training, at the time they need it.

This service will provide greater parity with the service provided to off-site customers (who are sent copies of articles that they are not able to access because they work off-site) and that provided to on-site customers.

Next steps:

• Develop request form and processes for the service – in consultation with library colleagues.
• Pilot/test the service.
• Roll out of service and creation of departmental accounts as needed.
• Marketing of the service as a standard service offering.

Supporting health and well-being at work (University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust)

Title of project : Library Services supporting health and wellbeing at work Project

Team Project Lead: Library Manager (1wte)
Project team: Library Team (2.71wte)

Resources Required : Staff time for e.g. selection, acquisition, and processing of resources, trust meetings, marketing, and promotion. (estimate one day per month) Funding via external and/or internal bidding processes Occupational Health Department – recommendations resources, fitness DVDs etc

Timeframe : April 2011 – March 2012 initially but expect it to be ongoing

Description of product/service:

• Build a collection of books and DVDs to support the wellbeing of hospital staff and students
• Broaden collection e.g. Wii Fitness loan (through trust Health & Wellbeing Group)
• Refurbish a section of the library to be a relaxed environment for people to sit in away
• from their workplace e.g. “comfort zone” or “library breakout” etc.

Alignment to local, regional and national drivers:

• Trust Health & Wellbeing strategy
• Healthy lives, healthy people: our strategy for public health in England – provision of reading for leisure supports the health of staff
• Investors in People – health and well-being is a large component of the IiP gold standard for which this trust is required to provide evidence by March 2012
• London Olympics – the trust is involved in bringing the Olympics to the Wythenshawe community – fitness DVDs and books and the trust “Fit for Life” initiative support this
• Working for a healthier tomorrow – Dame Carol Black’s Review of the health of Britain’s working age population

Intended outcome for customer / organisation / library :

• increase library usage
• improve the health of workers through reading for leisure
• improve the health of workers through loan of health books aimed at non-clinicians create an environment conducive to relaxation away from the work place
• library service to be an essential player within the trust health and wellbeing strategy

Next steps :

• Utilise bid opportunities and investigate trust lottery funding – ongoing
• Continue to engage with the designers regarding refurbishment of the “breakout” room
• Organise additional library space for the collections
• Add to marketing plan
• Train staff on new policies and procedures relating to the collection
• Measure library usage increase, reflect on loan of Wii Fitness and DVDs

Aim is to implemented above by March 2012