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Lecture 11 : SSM case creating an information strategy

Lecture 11 : SSM case creating an information strategy. Merging an acute and a small hospital in NHS The situation and insights for the SSM process Organization of the SSM implementation Finding out and modeling Information needs analysis Lessons for SSM.

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Lecture 11 : SSM case creating an information strategy

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  1. Lecture 11 : SSM case creating an information strategy • Merging an acute and a small hospital in NHS • The situation and insights for the SSM process • Organization of the SSM implementation • Finding out and modeling • Information needs analysis • Lessons for SSM IE 398 - Lecture 11

  2. Merging an acute and a small hospital in NHS • NHS : provides health care nationally • “from cradle to grave”, hence a large organization, very wide spectrum and heavily involved in expertise and variety of services • attempts to improve efficiency and effectiveness by introducing the “internal market” concept in 90’s • District authorities as purchasers of health services from autonomous Trusts • Contracts for an agreed sum of money IE 398 - Lecture 11

  3. Merging an acute and a small hospital in NHS • Trusts had to think more seriously about their information systems – as quality, timeliness and costs matter • Acute hospital : large teaching organization to deliver a range of services to patients • referred to it by GP’s or • entering to it as result of accidents and emergencies • developes services and match them to its capabilities in time IE 398 - Lecture 11

  4. Merging an acute and a small hospital in NHS • An acute hospital, The Royal Victoria Infirmary and, the rather small Hexham General Hospital • A new big hospital at two distant sites to negotiate for a “contract” and commit to it • IS needs were initially intended to be met simply by computer system purchases without much consideration given to analyzing and scoping the use IE 398 - Lecture 11

  5. The situation and insights for the SSM process • The new Information Officer saw the need for a new IS strategy • Purposeful activities had to play the key role in developing such a strategy • Not to be directly undertaken by IT specialists • SSM was seen very suitable to this end • Six months period to develop a proposal for the strategy IE 398 - Lecture 11

  6. IE 398 - Lecture 11

  7. The situation and insights for the SSM process • Facilitators : The Information Officer, a senior management consultant, and P.Checkland • The first two were (according to Checkland) natural systems thinkers • P. Checkland’s ideas at the outset: • Activity models only for major hospital activities • Discuss information needs based upon these models • Compare present information support with the needs elicited in the above • Re-formulate strategy • Needed only “primary task” models, as thinking in-depth would go beyond the IS functionality and would not find much chance of application within reasonable time IE 398 - Lecture 11

  8. Organization of the SSM implementation • Staff to be arranged in a number of small sized teams in each of the two hospitals • Examine core purpose, activities and info needs of several functions (surgery, medicine, nursing, theathres, business,..) • A joint workshop every month of team representatives with the three facilitators • Project team members would keep on carrying their routine tasks as usual with no exception IE 398 - Lecture 11

  9. IE 398 - Lecture 11

  10. Organization of the SSM implementation • project was to be slipped quietly into the day-to-day activity of the two hospitals • Launched by the CEO of the acute hospital in a meeting of about 100 people • strategy was emphasized to emerge from the group and not from the management • CEO’s involvement demonstrated that the study was taken seriously by the Trust • three facilitators explained the work to do IE 398 - Lecture 11

  11. Organization of the SSM implementation • Checkland prepared, at several levels, generic models relevant to acute hospital operation • This was a choice made specific to this situation • IS would be shaped to serve taking the current hospital organization as given • Analysis two and three were skipped, since the study addressed an explicit question in this particular situation • Generic activity models would be enriched by considering and engaging in debates over the accounts of CATWOE and 3E’s IE 398 - Lecture 11

  12. Finding out and modeling A generic model that would be relevant to any acute hospital, was initially constructed. Its Root Definitionwas: A system, operating under a range of external influences, which, in the light of a strategy based on its capabilities and costs, delivers services defined in 'contracts' with purchasers within the context of NHS norms and policies, that service delivery itself contributing to the ongoing development of its strategy for service provision. IE 398 - Lecture 11

  13. IE 398 - Lecture 11

  14. Finding out and modeling • a low resolution activity diagram for a generic acute hospital • activities 2-5 are expanded are collectively under the external influences in activity 1 • monitoring against plans and “contracts” versus monitorthe overall activity system from 3E’s perspective • A higher resolution model of each activity essentially needed to assess information needs IE 398 - Lecture 11

  15. IE 398 - Lecture 11

  16. Finding out and modeling • primary task form preserved in the diagram of higher resolution • CATWOE for a generic service S in the detailed diagram IE 398 - Lecture 11

  17. Finding out and modeling • Detailed diagramming was taken further only by one more step for some of the activities • experience indicates, beyond three levels of detail -starting from the overall organization at the topmost level- is useless • Stop at the level where most problematical features lie IE 398 - Lecture 11

  18. Information needs analysis • activity models helped structuring discussions and not taken as would-be descriptions • Rather than the usual inquiry for the activities and their linkages, they took • what information should be available to someone doing this activity? • what is available at present? • what information is generated by doing this activity? • to whom should it go? • Gaps and opportunities not revealed directly by models, but emerged from discussion and debate IE 398 - Lecture 11

  19. Table 4.1 An illustration of the kind of chart used for information analysis IE 398 - Lecture 11

  20. Table 4.1 An illustration of the kind of chart used for information analysis (cont.d) IE 398 - Lecture 11

  21. Table 4.1 An illustration of the kind of chart used for information analysis (cont.d) IE 398 - Lecture 11

  22. Table 4.1 An illustration of the kind of chart used for information analysis (cont.d) IE 398 - Lecture 11

  23. Lessons for SSM • “..grasping of SSM is much easier in a live situation than in a classroom.” • such a methodology which feels natural can help to counter the feeling among the members of a large complex organization, of no definite course to follow and no knowledge of direction • group working on nursing services appreciated CATWOE as they considered “hospital contract manager” in addition to the “patients” in C, among the victims or beneficiaries IE 398 - Lecture 11

  24. IE 398 - Lecture 11

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