Project Lead Improvement Science Australia

at  Institute for Healthcare Improvement

PORTFOLIO SPECIFIC SUMMARY

The IHI Asia Pacific team has a broad scope of work to further IHI’s mission to improve health and health care across the region. This includes overseeing a multi-year partnership with the Department of Health in Victoria (Australia). Through this partnership, IHI is supporting the Department of Health (DH) in its efforts to improve the timeliness of emergency care for patients in Victoria. This includes assisting DH to scale and spread improvements from the previous Timely Emergency Care Collaborative, build multi-level capability and deliver measurable results through the application of improvement science.
The Project Director/IA brings technical expertise in improvement science to the work of the program. The role will provide hands-on support to DH staff and participating teams by providing coaching in applying improvement science.. The role will also provide advice to DH to strengthen the program design and delivery and support the monitoring of project results.
In addition to this primary function, the role will also support the wider APAC portfolio of work recognising the need to best utilise the capabilities across the regional team.

POSITION KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

General Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of and experience with one or more of IHI’s content areas
• Project management skills, including being detail-focused and managing aggressive timelines
• Ability to manoeuvre through complex political situations to achieve desired outcomes
• Ability and skill to drive and achieve quality results within complex, time constrained goals
• Familiarity with grants and other complex funding arrangements a plus
• Excellent communication skills (both interpersonal and written), including superior presentation skills
• Ability to think about whole systems, rather than optimize for one part
• Create a compelling vision and build motivation with internal and external teams
• Negotiation, decision making, and delegation skills
• Ability to effectively coach and motivate customer teams and staff
• Ability to drive to effectively develop self and others
• Must be an approachable mentor, employee advocate, and team leader
• Able to actively support, communicate, and teach the unique culture and values of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• Commitment to IHI Values
• Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and the improvement of societal systems

Portfolio Specific

• Deep knowledge of improvement science and experience building quality improvement capability, within frameworks taught within recognised improvement science programs (e.g. an IHI Improvement Advisor or an equivalent qualification)
• Understanding of the IHI Breakthrough Series Collaborative Methodology (or a similar methodology)
• Ability to analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence from a range of sources
• Knowledge of the Victorian health care system and the systems that impact this specific portfolio of work
• Knowledge of and ability to design measurement systems for system-wide performance monitoring and improvement
• Knowledge of patient flow and experience in supporting acute care teams (hospital and ambulance) to improve timeliness of care delivery
• Strong negotiation, decision making and delegation skills

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in health or community services, or equivalent experience
• At least ten years’ experience working in a team within a complex, professional environment
• Prior health care improvement (or other relevant) focused project management at similar level
• Improvement Science training (Improvement Advisor or another recognized curriculum)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Preferred

• Post-Graduate degree in related field
• Three to five years of experience leading teams of professionals and/or in a consulting environment working

Portfolio Specific

• Work Experience Focus Areas
• Within a hospital / acute flow improvement
• With a broad range of senior public sector and clinical stakeholder
• Victorian health care system
• Utilising the Breakthrough Series Collaborative Methodology (or a similar methodology)
• Designing measurement systems / dashboards to enable system-wide understanding of performance and improvement
• Teaching, coaching and building capability in improvement science, including an understanding of adult learning principles
• Location and Travel:
• Live in or willing to travel to Victoria
• Ability to and interest in travel with main travel being within Victoria
• Current Australian driver’s licence

ROLE SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Project Director, Asia Pacific, the Project Director/IA is responsible for overseeing projects to improve health service delivery in Victoria. This includes working with the Senior Project Director to design projects, ensuring projects apply improvement science methods, coaching and advising teams in the application of improvement science and producing timely high quality project outputs (e.g. project reports, learning session materials).

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio Specific & Improvement Advisor Responsibilities

• Advise on the program design and utilise technical expertise to support capability development
• Design and lead the implementation of activities to advance the progress of participating teams to improve health service delivery
• Teach, coach, and support participating teams at learning sessions and during action periods
• Utilise improvement measurement principles to monitor and report program progress utilising a platform that supports data sharing, reporting on progress, dissemination of learning and resources (e.g., Power BI, Life QI and/or other similar reporting platform).
• Review and analyse individual and collective team data and reports and make recommendations in project content and coaching to achieve results
• Facilitate regular reflection on progress and support the development of strategies for addressing challenges as they arise, including escalating issues to the Senior Project Director as needed.

General Responsibilities

• Leadership and Relationship Management
• Lead effective teams to achieve desired results
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, partners, and faculty; negotiate difficult conversations to a desired end while maintaining trust and respect
• Optimise work and projects and programs for overall organisational success
• Project Direction and Design
• Support project design, including conversations with customers and funders, developing proposals, etc. (in conjunction with New Business)
• Establish clear project goals that can be tracked and summarised over time
• Lead the timely completion and adaptation of the IHI Five Core Design Components for results-focused projects
• Design and improve program/project activities, including modifying program/project structures, creating curricula, designing trainings and agendas, and testing new approaches to meet desired goals
• Teach and apply IHI’s core methodology (e.g., improvement science) to accelerate customer/partner results; coach individual teams to maintain pace
• Review and analyse individual and collective team data and reports and make recommendations in project content and coaching to achieve results
• Oversee knowledge and document management processes for projects, including connecting across the organisation.
• Content Development and Dissemination
• In coordination with PDT, Portfolios, and Regions, identify and develop new opportunities for IHI content, programs, or products
• Develop and execute dissemination plans, including writing blogs, publishing articles with faculty and presenting at conferences
• Act as a spokesperson and representative for the project/program; present at meetings, external visits, and IHI conferences