The Six Stage Project Management Approach 

What is a Project?

Projects are the way that organizations accomplish change and specific objectives. Projects differ from day-to-day activities in that they are directed to a clear and planned ending (with specific outcomes and definite start and end dates), not at maintaining a continuous activity Projects are one-off and unique

For example, building a factory is a project, while running it, once it is built, is a day-to-day process Project management and its associated tools and techniques should be uppermost in your thoughts from the initiation to the completion of a project.

Regardless of the project management approach you use, e.g. the six-stage project management approach outlined below or PRINCE2, it can be enhanced with the use of the tools detailed and referenced within this set of Projex Academy blogs

NHS Service Improvement Project Tools

The six-stage project management approach provides a project delivery framework

Regardless of the project management approach you use, e.g., the six-stage approach or PRINCE2, it can be enhanced with the use of the improvement tools, theories and techniques within each stage

Stage 1: Start out – what is the opportunity or problem?
Stage 2: Define and scope – what is the current situation?
Stage 3: Measure and understand – what are the benefits and impacts?
Stage 4: Design and plan – what does the future look like?
Stage 5: Implement – action planning and reporting
Stage 6: Handover and sustain – deployment and ‘business as usual’

The Six Stage Project Management Approach

The six-stage project management approach shown below provides a framework for managing improvement projects in the NHS.

It is important to realise that this guide is a suggested approach as each project is unique

Stage 1: Start out – what is the opportunity or problem?

Your desired output at this stage is for the clear scope of the problem you wish to solve and support for the improvement activity.

The first step is to identify the service, area, pathway or process that needs to be improved.

This may be identified by NHS national initiatives, an individual or team, data demonstrating a process not consistently delivering to required levels, or a quality improvement enhancing the patient experience

NHS Improvement Project Stages

Stage 1: Start out – what is the opportunity or problem?

Your desired output at this stage is for clear scope of the problem you wish to solve and support for the improvement activity

Stage 2: Define and scope – what is the current situation?

Your desired output at this stage is that the current situation is understood and shared in a format appropriate to the size of the project  (eg project charter or full project initiation document, PID)

Stage 3: Measure and understand – what are the benefits and impacts?

Your desired output at this stage is for your measures to be identified to determine whether the change that you make is an improvement

Stage 4: Design and plan – what does the future look like?

Your desired output at this stage is for clear and shared understanding of the future and an agreed action plan

Stage 5: Implement – action planning and reporting

Your desired output at this stage is a fully implemented improvement plan

Stage 6: Handover and sustain – deployment and ‘business as usual’

Your desired output at this stage is that the improvement has become ‘business as usual’ with benefits realised, learning shared and a plan for sustainability in place