2.3 The life sciences sector in perspective Before leaving the ‘big picture’ of the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry, it is important not to give the impression that it is the sole, or necessarily even the central, player in health provision. As in any other industry, it can contribute only because it operates in a wider sphere populated not only by other institutions and organisations but also by more amorphous socio-political ambitions, values and beliefs. For example, the medical technology industry facilitates health by
Learning outcomes After studying this unit you should: understand the scope of the study of Life Sciences and its history for managers.
7 Designing evaluation So far in this unit we have considered information used in making a selection. What about information about consultants thereafter? Evaluating consultants’ work was highlighted as one of the difficulties in this area, yet such information is important. You may need to evaluate a small initiative (perhaps a limited diagnosis, feedback and initial planning contract) with a view to deciding whether to work more extensively with the consultant. You may need performance measures to contribute to
2 Identifying potential consultants Once you have decided on the sort of consultancy needed, the first problem, mentioned by Clark (1995), is identifying potential consultants. I asked an associate with considerable experience in this how she went about identifying potential consultants. Her initial, and unhelpful, response was ‘you just know’. Tacit knowledge is clearly important here. Probing elicited the following: Firstly my organisation was References 2.2 Regulatory initiatives ‘We know the solution: sustainable development. The issue is political will.’ Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2 September 2002 References 5 Summary In this unit, the issues that arise in bringing a project to a close have been examined, and ways of evaluating a project have been discussed. The key components of project closure have been identified and discussed and their importance in ensuring that the aims and objectives of a project have been successfully attained, have been explored. You should now be able to plan an effective project closure. Problems often need to be resolved at the closure stage, and those managing projects need to 3.7 Analysing and reporting the results When planning what data to use in the evaluation it is helpful to consider how the data will be analysed. Usually, there are a lot of data, perhaps in several different forms. If you have set clear objectives, it should be possible to identify the data that are relevant to each issue. It is usual to follow the steps below: consider numbers, for example how much has been achieved at what cost; consider quality, whether appropriate and Planning an evaluation The evaluation should have clear aims and objectives. It is also helpful to decide where its boundaries should lie – how much or how little is to be evaluated? Project debriefing Individual interviews with key members of the project team, for example the managers of key stages, can encourage them to evaluate their performance and identify what they have learned. A structured debriefing process can be helpful, to include stakeholders as well as all the project team. This may take the form of a series of meetings, which draw conclusions about overall project performance and constraints, identify and review any new ways of working that were developed, and consider what c 2.3 Closing the project Closing a project can be quite an emotional experience for team members who have worked together for some time, particularly if close bonds have developed. The manager of a project has some obligations to staff who have worked for some time on it. Build into the plan a closure interview with each member of staff, so that their contribution can be formally recognised and recorded. Staff may need help to recognise the skills and experience that they have gained and how these have been evidenced 2.2 Closure tasks The closing stages of a project need as much, if not more, attention as the early stages. Many of the final tasks in a project may seem rather tedious ‘housekeeping’ once the project's main purpose has been achieved. Nevertheless, there are a number of actions that must be taken to close the project and ensure that any necessary maintenance arrangements have been made. Make sure that all project staff actually stop work on the project. 1.3 Delivering with style You can deliver the outcomes agreed with the minimum of fuss or celebration – or you can deliver with style. A project that is delivered so that it meets the outcome requirements exactly and is on time and within the budget allowed will usually be well received. In many projects the moment of final delivery may not be clearly defined, as different elements may have different times and modes of delivery. However, each delivery offers an opportunity to please the client by making the pr 1.2 What is handed over, and when? Not all handovers are at the completion of a project. In some projects there might be several different types of handover, which happen at different stages. For example, the Tate Modern was built within the shell of a disused power station, and an early handover point was when the building was purchased and became the property of the Tate Trustees. Such a handover is significant when a building may present long-term problems (in this case, contamination from its previous uses). 1.1 Formal handover The outputs of a project should be defined at the planning stage, including any conditions that will be required for a smooth transfer. Each outcome should be formally handed over to the sponsor who should confirm their delivery (‘sign them off’) so that there is no dispute about whether outcomes have been completed. A closure list is likely to have sections to include the following groups of tasks, but each project will have different features to consider. A list of suggested areas References 9 Summary This unit has focused on managing projects through people and how important this is in relation to: managing the relationship with stakeholders; motivating the project team to get results; dealing with senior management; building relationships across the organisation in order to encourage co-operation; satisfying the client and end user. Recapping on the learning obje 7.2 Negotiation skills Negotiation skills are essential for the project manager to get individuals and groups to agree on a common approach to a project, despite their potentially conflicting interests and priorities. The project manager needs to be able to negotiate with suppliers and customers and individuals to adopt a particular course of action. It is also important that negotiation is conducted in a way that will build long-term relationships, rather than simply secure short-term gains. Effective negoti 5.2 Using political skills In particular, a project manager needs to employ good political skills in order to maintain the support of senior management, without allowing them to undermine or take over the project. However, this can raise questions about the ethics of their behaviour. Read the following account that was given by a member of an external consulting team working on a project for a local authority in Scotland. The project's objective was to revamp the structure of the council which had operated in much the
Box 2 Political will
Activity 4
