Organizational practices of knowledge mobilization by top NHS managers

1. Organizational practices of knowledge mobilization by top NHS managers Davide Nicolini and Maja Korica IKON, Warwick Business School Southampton, March 11, 2011

2. Project overview • Q: What are the material practices and organisational arrangements through which executive managers source and use knowledge and ‘evidence’? • What does it mean to be a top manager in today’s NHS in practice? • Method: In-depth close observation of daily activity and interviewing over a period of approx. 3 months each • Sample: 6 (maximum 8) Chief Executives of NHS trusts • Proposed contribution: Understanding knowledge mobilization as it happens to comprehend what managerial ‘evidence-based’ decision-making might mean

3. The team Maja Korica Warwick Business School Davide Nicolini Warwick Business School John Powell Warwick Medical school

4. Project activity outline

5. Project timeline

6. Project governance • Informal interaction through co-location • Fortnightly scheduled progress meetings, or Skype meetings (when in the field), between principal investigator and research associate • During analysis: Fortnightly analytical reports • Formal monthly meetings of the entire team • Meetings of the Scientific Advisory Panel

7. Advisory Panel • Advisory Panel: • Prof. Carole Estabrooks (Alberta, Canada) • Lynda Cox (Knowledge Management Lead NHS North East and NHS Institute of Improvement and Innovation) • Prof. Jackie Swan (Warwick Business School) • Philip da Silva (National QIPP lead, Department of Health) • Dr. Jeanne Mengis (Lugano, Switzerland) • Prof. Graeme Currie (Warwick Business School) • Dr. Keith Ruddle (Said Business School) • One further chief executive and one user representative UNTRAP • 3 in-person meetings and 1 telephone conference; initial findings, guidance, dissemination

8. Key dissemination events • Periodic presentations to Chief Executives’ Forum of the NHS Confederation (initial events: May/October 2011) • Individual feedback to managers • 2 focus groups (N=12-15, facilitated by NHS Confederation) in Warwick and London with chief and other sector executives • Public national conference in Warwick: chief executives, policy makers, academics, Advisory Panel • Other public events (SDO conference, etc.) as advised by members of the SAP

9. Current status • Ethical clearance meeting February 25 • Suggested minor changes currently being prepared • Conducting meetings with potential participants • 7 Chief Executives in first-round of access negotiations • Planning meetings with other potential stakeholders, including NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, National Leadership Council, and Oxford-based quarterly seminars to group of NHS chairs