Northland Health Services Plan
Project Management Guide
Procedure and Templates
Notes about this document at 29th April 2014.
Coverage
This guide covers getting an NHSP Project approved (stage 1) and subsequent project
phases, processes and templates (stage 2).
Stage 1:
Covers in detail Starting up a Project phase using the following documents:
 Project Brief
 Project Initiation Document
Stage 2:
NHSP projects that have had both their Project Brief and Project Initiation Document approved
then complete the following mandatory documents over the life of a project:
 Project Status Report
 Risk and Issue Register
 Completion Report
The guide also provides further documentation which is not a requirement, but is extremely
useful when forming, managing and delivering a project. Experience shows that the use of
templates and standard processes greatly increases the successful outcome of a project.
These templates are provided in the NHSP Office folder within the NHSP folder on M drive.
Usage of the document
While the guide has been developed as part of the NHSP implementation process, it has
drawn upon material from various sources and is freely available for anyone in the Northland
health sector to use. The NHSP staff would be interested to hear of anyone’s experience with
using the guide.
Contact details
Liane Penney
NHSP Portfolio Manager
Northland DHB
M: 021 863258
Liane.Penney@northlanddhb.org.nz
Jamie Leaf
NHSP Project Manager
Northland DHB
M: 021 2214024
Jamie.Leaf@northlanddhb.org.nz
Stephen Jackson
Health Planner
Northland DHB
09 4700000 ext 3309
stephen.jackson@northlanddhb.org.nz
Version
Date
Summary of changes
V3
13/01/14
Kathy De Luc’s details removed; 6.1 stakeholder matrix included in communications plan
V4
26/03/14
Liane Penney’s details added.
V5
29/04/14
Updated to reflect NHSP structural changes
V6
08/05/14
Peer review feedback included
Contents
1
About this guide .................................................................................................................... 4
2
Storing Project Documentation on the NHSP Computer Drive ............................................ 5
Stage 1 - Getting an NHSP Project Approved ................................................................................ 6
3
The flowchart ........................................................................................................................ 6
4
Planning a Project................................................................................................................. 8
Stage 2 – Project Documentation .................................................................................................. 10
5
Mandatory Reports ............................................................................................................. 10
6
5.1 Project Status Report ................................................................................................... 10
5.2 Sponsor Status Report ................................................................................................. 10
5.3 Project Risk & Issues Register ..................................................................................... 11
5.4 Project Completion Report ........................................................................................... 11
Additional Project Templates .............................................................................................. 12
6.1 Communications Plan................................................................................................... 12
6.2 Project Schedule .......................................................................................................... 12
6.3 Project Costs ................................................................................................................ 13
6.4 Project Change ............................................................................................................. 13
6.5 Project Escalation ......................................................................................................... 13
6.6 Project Meetings ........................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 1: Copy of criteria from Service Priority Assessment Tool (SPAT) ........................... 14
1
About this guide
The long-term goal is to introduce consistent project management documentation and processes for all projects.
However, the first phase of implementation is to introduce project management documentation and processes to
those projects that would have previously had either minimal or no project management documentation.
Note: If your project is managed by and already using any of the following project
management documentation:
 Health Alliance IT projects
 Projects under the management of the Strategic Projects Office - NDHB
 NDHB Quality and Improvement Directorate - IHI Model for Improvement
methodology
……...You do not need to use the documentation templates contained
within this guide.
This guide has been developed as part of the Programme and Project framework for the implementation of the
Northland Health Services Plan (NHSP).
Stage 1 – Getting an NHSP Project Approved. This section provides templates for a Project Brief and Project
Initiation Document along with a flow chart describing the process to get an NHSP project approved.
Stage 2 – Project Documentation. This section provides an explanation on completing a Project Status Report;
Risk and Issue Register and Completion Report. These 3 documents are mandatory when managing an NHSP
Project. It also provides further project documentation which is not a requirement, but is extremely useful when
managing and delivering a project.
Assistance is available from Liane, Stephen or Jamie (contact details are inside the front cover).
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2
Storing Project Documentation on the NHSP Computer Drive
Once the Project Initiation Document has been approved by the NHSP Oversight Group and the Project
Sponsor, the project can be initiated.
The NHSP Office will send you a link to a project folder on M drive-NHSP which will contain all the templates you
will require to manage your project.
Storing the latest version of your project management documentation and reports on the M drive will facilitate
easy access and visibility for those working on the project with you. Using the M drive is a short term solution;
we will transition to Sharepoint once the new version is available.
The NHSP Office will provide as standard the following people access to your project folder on M drive-NHSP.
Project Manager – read and write
Project Sponsor – read and write
Project Steering Group – read and write
Liane, Stephen and Jamie from the NHSP Office – read and write
If you require these access arrangements to be amended please contact Stephen or Jamie.
Note: It is possible to give access to M drive to individual members of a
project who belong to organisations outside of the NDHB. Please contact
Liane, Stephen or Jamie for more information.
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Stage 1 - Getting an NHSP Project Approved
3
The flowchart
The following flowchart provides a guide to the process of getting an NHSP project initiated and funded (that is, it
does not deal with any subsequent phases beyond getting your project approved). It identifies the potential
sources of projects and describes the process of approval for an NHSP project.
The following abbreviations have been used in the flowchart:
OG Oversight Group
PID Project Initiation Document
SIF Strategic Investment Fund
PG Prioritisation Group
The prioritisation proposal form must be completed for any project that requires funding from the Strategic
Investment Fund. The Service Priority Assessment tool will be used to assess the relative merits of projects
competing for the fund. The criteria provide a useful checklist of factors that should be considered in any
project’s development, these can be located in Appendix 1 of this document.
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NHSP Project Initiation and Funding Prioritisation Flowchart
Project concept is developed as part of
the NHSP planning process.
Project concept is developed outside
NHSP planning process.
NHSP Sponsor and
NHSP Portfolio
Manager agree the
project does not fit
within NHSP.
Project Brief written and submitted to NHSP
Sponsor for approval.
NHSP Sponsor & NHSP
Portfolio Manager agree the
project may fit within NHSP.
NHSP Sponsor presents Project Brief to
NHSPOG for approval
Project is logged with the
NHSP Office.
Project is logged with
the NHSP Office.
Project approved for development of a
PID and completion of SIF Prioritisation
Proposal if SI Funding required.
No further NHSP
action
Project not recommended to
proceed as an NHSP Project.
NHSPOG notified of decision to
decline project.
SIF
allocation
required.
No SIF
allocation
required.
No further NHSP action
NHSPOG decline SIF allocation.
Either:
No further NHSP action or
Recommendation to resubmit to
next SIF round.
NHSPOG decline the
project.
PID and SIF Prioritisation
Proposal submitted to SIF
PG for assessment and
recommendation made to
NHSPOG.
PID submitted to
NHSPOG for
approval.
NHSPOG approve
the project and SIF
allocation in full or
with conditions.
NHSPOG approve
the Project in full or
with conditions.
Project launches
Project launches
No further NHSP
action
COLOUR KEY:
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NHSP Sponsor decision point
NHSP Project Management Guide
SIF PG decision point
Page 7
NHSPOG decision point
4
Planning a Project
4.1 The Project Brief
The purpose of the Project Brief is to provide a high-level description of a proposed project before it
has started. It needs to be solid and informative enough to enable the approval decision to be
made but, because it is essentially a screening tool, it is not meant to take much time to assemble.
It should be the product of concise but thorough discussions between people who know about or
will be involved in the project – that is, key stakeholders.
A project concept can be developed as part of the NHSP planning process, or outside the NHSP
planning process. If the intention is that the project will form one of the projects within the NHSP
then the Project Brief should be sent to the NHSP Office at: jamie.leaf@northlanddhb.org.nz.
Once the Project Sponsor has approved the Project Brief, a full Project Initiation Document will
need to be developed.
Following is the link to the Project Brief template;

NHSP Project Brief Template
Note: completion of this document is mandatory for all NHSP Projects.
4.2 The Project Initiation Document
The purpose of the Project Initiation Document is to provide a comprehensive plan of a proposed
project before it has started. It needs to show that the relevant key success factors for managing
projects have been considered including stakeholder analysis, communications plan, identification
of risks and issues etc.
If a project falls under the NHSP, then the Project Initiation Document must be completed and sent
to jamie.leaf@northlanddhb.org.nz
Once a Project Initiation Document has been approved by the relevant Project Sponsor and the
NHSP Oversight Group, the NHSP Office will set up a new folder under the shared computer drive
M:\NHSP and send the link to the Project Manager. This will contain all the templates associated
with managing a project that is referred to in Stage 2.
If the project requires funding from the Strategic Investment Fund then the Service Prioritisation
Assessment Tool (SPAT) Proposal Form will need to be completed. The Project Initiation
Document will accompany the SPAT Proposal Form when seeking funding from the Prioritisation
Advisory Group. (see Appendix 1 of this document).
Following is the link to the Project Initiation Document template;

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NHSP Project Initiation Document
NHSP Project Management Guide
Page 8
Note: completion of this document is mandatory for all NHSP Projects.
4.3 Non-NHSP Projects
The Project Brief and Project Initiation Document templates have been developed for NHSP
projects, but because their terminology is generic they can be used for projects which sit outside
the NHSP Programmes.
If non-NHSP project managers wish to use the templates referred to above, please contact either
Liane, Stephen or Jamie and we will forward them to you.
4.4 Information about all Projects
Regardless of whether a project is part of the NHSP or not the NHSP Office will want copies of all
Project Briefs. They require these to understand what projects are about, the demands they place
on project management resources and how projects collectively address identified priorities.
All Project Briefs and Project Initiation Documents (as required) should be sent to
jamie.leaf@northlanddhb.org.nz
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Stage 2 – Project Documentation
5
Mandatory Reports
5.1 Project Status Report
The purpose of a project status report is to provide a snapshot of a project at any given point in
time. The status report should be used as a primary means of communicating to all stakeholders,
providing an overview of the project summary, key risks & issues, key milestones, and budget
overview (if applicable).
The frequency of the status report should be discussed and agreed to with your Project Sponsor.
The principle audience for these reports will be the Project Steering Group.

NHSP Project Status Report Template
Note: completion of this report is mandatory for all NHSP Projects.
5.2 Sponsor Status Report
The purpose of a Sponsor Status Report is to provide a snapshot of all projects that contribute
toward the Sponsor’s NHSP Headline Actions. It provides an executive summary and dashboard
update on the status of each project.
The Sponsor Status Report should be completed by all NHSP Headline Action Sponsors (or
delegates) and sent to the NHSP Office. The NHSP Manager will collate and distribute all reports
for tabling at each NHSP Oversight Group Meeting.

NHSP Sponsor Status Report
Note: completion of this report is mandatory for all NHSP Headline Action
Sponsors.
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5.3 Project Risk & Issues Register
A Risk Register provides a record of identified risks relating to the project, including their status and
a mitigation plan. It is used to capture and maintain information on all of the identified risks so they
can be managed in a controlled way.
The Risk & Issues Register should be updated regularly as new risks will emerge during the
lifecycle of the project, existing risks and issues will also need to be managed and updated.
An issue is a realised risk (a risk that has occurred) or an event that has happened. The Risks &
Issues Register is a live document and should be updated regularly to reflect the current status.

Project Risk and Issue Register Template
Note: completion of this report is mandatory for all NHSP Projects.
5.4 Project Completion Report
The purpose of closing a project provides a point in time when the acceptance for the project’s
product or service is confirmed and recognition that the Project Initiation documentation objectives
have been achieved.
A project completion report is completed primarily to ensure there is a clear handover of remaining
responsibilities in the Business As Usual (BAU) environment. It provides a record of how the
project performed against the original scope, and of any outstanding tasks, issues and risks that
are outstanding at the time of handover. It allows any lessons learnt to be recorded for future
projects and is accompanied by formal approval to close the project by the Project Sponsor. Any
open risks, issues and outstanding tasks should be captured and prepared for handover and
management in the BAU environment.
Closing a project should also be used at any point during the project should it be necessary to
prematurely close the project.

NHSP Project Completion Report
Note: completion of this report is mandatory for all NHSP Projects.
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6
Additional Project Templates
Following you will find further templates and processes that will assist in managing a project.
These are based on best practice project management techniques. You will find an explanation of
each template, including the purpose and the associated process.
Assistance on which templates to use is available from Liane, Stephen or Jamie.
The templates below are not a requirement, they are made available to support
and assist you in managing a project successfully. If your project is complex or
one which runs over a long period of time we would recommend you utilise some
of these templates.
6.1 Communications Plan
The Communications Plan is a guide to communicating with project stakeholders, both internal and
external to the organisation. It provides an explanation on how information will be disseminated
and outlines strategies for communication with the identified groups.

NHSP Communications Plan Template
6.2 Project Schedule
A project schedule illustrates the project activities and defines when each activity will be carried
out. It shows the feasibility of the project achieving its objectives. Scheduling can be done
manually or by using a computer based planning tool. Following are two templates that will assist
you in producing and displaying your project schedule.
A simple project checklist / action register can provide you with a list of the main project tasks, who
will be delivering each task, and the expected delivery dates.

NHSP Project Action Register
A Gantt Chart is a graphical representation of the duration of tasks against the progression of time.
It allows you to assess how long a project will take, layout in order which tasks need to be carried
out and see what should be achieved at a certain point in time. The following Gantt Chart template
is available for your use.

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Gantt Chart Template
NHSP Project Management Guide
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6.3 Project Costs
Not all NHSP Projects will be allocated a project budget. If your project has not been allocated a
budget there will not be any NHSP budget tracking requirements. If the project has been allocated
an NHSP project budget a cost code will be allocated to the project for all associated costs to be
tracked against. Please contact the NHSP Office who will assist.
6.4 Project Change
If there is an addition or alteration to the agreed upon deliverables for the project, the change would
normally be formally logged and approved. Without the change being captured and managed there
is no way of controlling the scope of the project and the risk of ‘project creep’ increases. If there
are any changes anticipated on your project, at any time, please contact the NHSP Office who will
assist you through this process.

NHSP Change Control Template
NHSP Change Control Register
6.5 Project Escalation
During the course of a project at times it is necessary to escalate issues to the next level of
management, if an issue is unable to be resolved at a project management level.
As the project manager, if you at any time encounter an issue that you are unable to resolve or
effectively manage please escalate this to your Project Sponsor.
6.6 Project Meetings
A Terms of Reference (TOR) establishes the intent of a meeting, documenting responsibilities and
wrapping governance around the meeting.
Producing a meeting agenda outlines the topics to be discussed in a meeting, providing direction
and allowing participants to prepare for the meeting. Meeting minutes provide common
documented record of the meeting, ensuring information is captured including action items and who
is responsible for their delivery.

NHSP Agenda Template
NHSP Meeting Minutes Template
NHSP Project Terms of Reference Template
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Appendix 1: Copy of criteria from Service Priority Assessment Tool
(SPAT)
The full SPAT proposal and guide can be found here and must be completed for any project
requiring funding from NDHB’s Strategic Investment Fund, and the SPAT criteria will be used to
assess the relative merits of projects competing for the fund. However the criteria provide a useful
checklist of factors that should be considered in any project’s development, so they have been
reproduced here.
Population Health
Criteria
Reducing
inequities –
Maori
All else being equal, a proposal that is targeted to and delivered by Maori is
given a higher score. A mainstream service that serves many Maori patients or
clients but doesn’t specifically target the service to their needs will not score as
highly.
Reducing
inequities –
other vulnerable
populations
All else being equal, a proposal that is targeted to other vulnerable groups and
delivered by the other vulnerable group is given a higher score. A mainstream
service that serves many other vulnerable patients or clients but doesn’t
specifically target the service to their needs will not score as highly.
Volume
The number of users or patients expected to benefit from the proposal annually.
A service which benefits more people is given a higher score.
Early
intervention
Likelihood the proposal will promote a wellness model and achieve ‘upstream’
changes. These might be:
Primary prevention e.g. in the context of rheumatic fever: throat swabbing to
avoid/detect disease
Secondary prevention e.g. in the context of rheumatic fever: penicillin injections
to prevent recurrences
Tertiary prevention e.g. in the context of rheumatic fever: heart valve
replacements, lifestyle changes.
Benefit/
individuals and
groups
This assesses health benefits or outcomes identified in the proposal accrued by
individuals and their family and carers due to the intervention. Benefits should be
quantified if possible including evidence of quantifiable benefits.
Effects on health
service demand
Proposals should identify any effects on demand on other health services. A
proposal which impacts on other health services positively is given a higher
score.
Intersectoral
Collaboration
Patient Experience
Requirements (address any or all as appropriate)
The proposal should identify any collaboration with services provided in other
sectors (non-health). A proposal which demonstrates collaboration with other
sectors to achieve better outcomes is given a higher score.
Service design
How the proposed initiative will improve:
integration
models of care
scope of practice
clinical pathways.
Acceptability to
stakeholders
Demonstrates, at this initial stage, acceptability to (not just engagement with)
stakeholders, including consumers, providers and other agencies (health and
intersectoral).
Evidence of
effectiveness
All else being equal, a proposal for a service with strong evidence of
effectiveness will be given a higher score.
Access –
geographical
A proposal that improves geographical access (that is, provide services closer to
home) is given a higher score.
Access – cost
for patient/ user
A proposal that reduces costs to the patient or user is given a higher score.
Access –
timeliness
A proposal which makes interventions more timely is given a higher score.
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Cost & productivity
Cultural safety
A proposal which demonstrates cultural safety in the provision of services is
given a higher score.
Timing of benefit
A proposal identifying that health benefits or outcomes will occur more quickly
will receive a higher score.
Quality, safety
improvements
A proposal which achieves significant quality and/or safety improvements is
given a higher score.
Cost savings
Interventions with larger cost savings or offsets are scored higher than those with
low cost savings or offsets.
Timing of cost
savings
A proposal whose savings occur more quickly will receive a higher score.
Cost/ person
Lower-cost interventions are scored more highly than costly interventions.
Efficiency,
productivity
A proposal that identifies larger cost efficiencies or productivity gains will score
more highly.
Project Initiation
Document
A Project Initiation Document must accompany the proposal. This criteria
assesses how complete and robust it is. It is either considered adequate or
inadequate.
Other critical criteria
Other factors that have not been captured in the standard set of criteria above,
but are considered by the SIF PG to be critical in judging the merits of the
proposal. The SIF PG will describe these.
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