Nursing and midwifery innovation scholarships project guide

Planning your project

When planning your project, consider:

• idea generation: What form of innovation could solve the problem?
• feasibility: Is this innovation practical to implement and accurate?
• efficacy: Can the innovation deliver expected outcomes under best possible circumstances?
• replicability and adaptability: Can the innovation reproduce the same outcomes under different conditions?
• effectiveness: Does the innovation deliver expected outcomes under operational conditions in the health system?
• scalability: How can the innovation achieve sustained outcomes once integrated into the health system?

Develop a project plan

Developing a project plan is the beginning of any project. Take time in the early stages to define exactly what you want to do and how to do it.

Remember:

• be specific and keep it simple
• work in a team
• allocate tasks
• gain support from your local health district/specialty network Director of Nursing and Midwifery for your application
• be clear about your intention
• the project may have many parts, ask yourself what is the overall aim
• what are the specific actions that you want to achieve? What will be the results of the projects activities? What will change? Who will benefit?
• consider how you will go about achieving what it is that you want to do
• you must be able to identify the result or outcome of the project.

Step 1 - Why?

• What do you want this project to do?
• What is your aim?

The aim should be an overall statement of what you want the project to do.

Tips

• Be specific - one aim is best. It will help focus your ideas.
• Identify the improvements.
• Will new ways of doing things continue after the project?
• Can it be used across the health system?

Step 2 - What?

Ask yourself what are the project's objectives and expected outcome? An objective is specific and should have measurable outcomes and time lines. It will define exactly what it is you want to achieve and what change the project will make.

Tips

• What is the specific change you and your team want to accomplish?
• Set your objectives.
• Include the process for evaluation in your plan. This way you can gather information as you go along rather than waiting until the end.
• Meet on a regular basis with team members as new issues may arise.

Step 3 - How?

Establish the outline of the project. Think about the different parts of the project and how they will take shape. From this you can develop a detailed work plan.

Tips

• Identify the resources you will need, e.g. funding, people, materials etc.
• How will you measure success?

Step 4 - Who?

Think about who should be involved in the project. Decide who will manage the project and how it will be managed. Ensure that your local health district/specialty network will support the project.

Tips

• You may like to find a mentor who you can bounce ideas off.
• Make sure people involved in the project are committed.
• To ensure that people are supportive of the project involve them in the planning stage.

Step 5 - When?

Make decisions about the time frame for the project. Once you have decided what the activities are you can prepare a timetable and chart for them.

Tips

Identify important dates on the calendar. These will include:

• significant activities
• important dates, for example, progress report and deadlines
• set aside enough time for each activity
• plan time to review progress
• if the project can be used throughout the health system plan how to communicate and implement the innovation to other local health districts/specialty networks.

Further information

Please contact the Nursing and Midwifery Office by email or phone (02) 9391 9528 if you require more information.