Posted: March 31st, 2023
Project Charter— Search for topic
Use this template to develop your project charter, replacing the instructional text in the cells with the required information. Consider making a copy of this template should you require a second look at the instructions. For each part of the charter, review the step-by-step instruction, replacing the instructional text in the cells with your information. Submit the assessment template as one document for each of the assessments so we can evaluate the progression of the project.
Part 1
Project Overview
Project Name Make the title specific and distinct from other projects so the reader knows the goal and wants to learn more. Be creative.
Gap Analysis Identify a gap or change opportunity in measurable terms that you are interested in, are passionate about, are familiar or know about, or have experienced in your professional life. Select one specific area that can be quantified/measured. Describe what you are trying to accomplish:
• Describe the quantifiable current state, e.g., the existing condition.
• Describe the quantifiable desired condition: What should be happening?
• What is the quantifiable difference between the current state and what it should be? This is the gap! This should be something you can measure, e.g., the difference between the current state and the desired state.
• What methods were utilized to identify the gap?
• Why is improvement needed in this area? Why is this problem important/meaningful/relevant?
Current State Desired State Identified Gap Methods used to identify the Gap Implications/Relevance to Identified Population
Evidence to Support the Need Present evidence to support the need for improvement:
• Select, summarize, and analyze 2–3 timely sources that substantiate or explain the gap or problem that exists and why improvement is needed.
• Consider primary and secondary data sources, regulatory requirements, clinical practice guidelines, and benchmarking data.
• Cite all sources using the most current version of APA formatting inclusive of publications within the last five years.
Problem Statement Develop a problem statement that:
• Focuses on one specific problem.
• Can be realistically solved, e.g., organizationally, or local community.
• Identifies the effect on the population or process.
• Is clear and concise (1–2 sentences).
SMART Objectives Write SMART Objectives that define the population and the systems affected by your Project Charter, including:
• Specific: Who is the target population, persons, or process?
• Measurable: How will you measure the change you anticipate: An increase or decrease? This must be stated in measurable terms.
• Achievable: Is it realistic? Do you have the time, support, and resources?
• Relevant: Is it important or meaningful? Does it consider issues related to population health and the social determinants of health (health equity, inclusion)? Does it align with organizational mission and goals?
• Time: When will the project begin and when will it end? Be specific!
Project AIM An AIM statement is a summary of what you hope to accomplish over a specific amount of time, including the change you will achieve. It guides your work by describing what success might look like. Develop an AIM statement that articulates the overarching purpose of your Project Charter, including:
• The specific goals you intend to accomplish (use measurable terms, e.g., think about your SMART objective).
• Who will benefit from this?
• What will be done (evidence or experience to support the action)?
• Where the change will occur.
• When it will begin and end.
Think about this in terms of “what”, “for whom”, “by when”, and “how much.” Then put it all together!
National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. (2022). Insights: QI tips: A formula for developing a great AIM statement. https://www.nichq.org/insight/qi-tips-formula-developing-great-aim-statement
THE ABOVE IS WHAT YOUR FIRST PROJECT WILL BE ABOUT. PLEASE USE THE ABOVE TEMPLATE FOR YOUR WORK.
Use what you learned about quality improvement, identifying a measurable gap, creating SMART objectives, and drafting a project AIM Statement as you develop Part 1 of your Project Charter from a nursing perspective.
Introduction
In this assessment, you will develop your problem statement as well as your AIM statement for your Project Charter. It is critical to identify the “gap” or area for improvement with supporting evidence. The AIM statement represents the goals you are trying to accomplish, the impact on the population, system, or organization, the “why” (why are you undertaking this task), and relevant background information. One way to operationalize your AIM statement is by developing SMART Goals.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 2: Analyze a health care issue from a leadership perspective, applying quality improvement principles and evidence-based standards.
• Develop a problem statement that focuses on a specific problem and is solvable.
• Develop complete SMART objectives related to the proposed project.
• Develop an AIM statement that includes measurable goals the project is intended to accomplish and the anticipated impact on the population, systems, or organizations served.
• Competency 3: Develop a project charter that addresses a potential gap, problem, or opportunity within a health care system.
• Describe an existing change opportunity that focuses on one area, is measurable, and the desired state after improvement is in measurable terms.
• Discuss multiple timely sources to support the need for improvement.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, interprofessional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others.
• Address most components of the assessment prompt appropriately, using the assessment description to structure the text.
• Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
Note: The assessments in this course must be completed in the order presented; subsequent assessments should be built on both your earlier work and your instructor’s feedback on earlier assessments. If you choose to submit assessments prematurely, without considering and integrating your instructor’s feedback, your assessment may be returned ungraded, resulting in your loss of an assessment attempt.
Overview
In this course, you will use critical thinking, analytical capabilities, and creative insights to develop a Project Charter. A project charter provides an overview of a proposed project and is a working plan for how it will be executed. It contains key information including the who, what, when, and where of the project and how it will be conducted.
For your Project Charter, you will act as a 21st-century leader to identify and address a problem, gap, or change opportunity that improves health care delivery and/or systems. You will consider how leaders contribute to the profession by applying quality improvement principles and evidence-based standards within a culture of ethical practice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. After the completion of your three-part Project Charter, you will devise a poster presentation that disseminates what you’ve learned to a professional audience. The course assessment corresponds to Part 1 of the Project Charter:
• Assessment 1: Project Charter Part 1.
• Assessment 2: Project Charter Part 2.
• Assessment 3: Project Charter Part 3.
• Assessment 4: Project Charter Part 4: Poster Presentation.
Your Project Charter will be a foundational plan, so you will not actually implement the project, collect or analyze data, et cetera. You may use fictitious information as needed; however, you also need to obtain data from scholarly literature (cited using the most recent edition of APA style) to support your Project Charter. Try to make it as realistic as you can!
Prepare
Access, download, and review the Project Charter Template [DOCX] file that you will use to complete your Project Charter. The template is divided into sections that correspond to one of the first three assessments for this course: Project Charter Parts 1–3. Complete each of these sections when the corresponding assessment is due. The template also includes detailed instructions for completing each section. Study these instructions and then delete and replace them with your own responses before submitting the document to be graded.
For an example of the completed assessment, access and review the Project Charter Exemplar [PDF] resource.
Instructions
For this assessment, use what you learned about quality improvement, identifying a measurable gap, creating SMART objectives, and drafting a project AIM Statement as you develop Part 1 of your Project Charter from a nursing perspective.
Use the Project Charter Template [DOCX] to complete the following items found in Part 1:
1. Project Name: Create a title for your Project Charter.
• Make the title specific and distinct from other projects so the reader knows the goal and wants to learn more.
• Be creative in developing your title.
2. Gap Analysis: In this section, identify a gap or change opportunity in measurable terms. Select one specific area than can be quantified/measured: What are you trying to accomplish?
• Describe the quantifiable current state, e.g., the existing condition.
• Describe the quantifiable desired condition: What should be happening?
• What is the quantifiable difference between the current status and what it should be, e.g., the gap?
• What methods were used to identify the gap?
• Why is improvement needed in this area? Why is this problem important/meaningful/relevant?
3. Evidence to Support the Need: In this section, select, summarize, and analyze timely (published within the last five years) sources that substantiate or explain the gap and the need for improvement.
• Include 2–3 sources that substantiate the gap or problem that exists and why improvement is needed.
• Consider primary and secondary data sources, regulatory requirements, clinical practice guidelines, and benchmarking data.
• Cite all sources using the most current version of APA formatting inclusive of publications within the last five years.
4. Problem Statement: After performing the Gap Analysis, develop a problem statement that:
• Focuses on one specific problem.
• Can be realistically solved, e.g., organizationally or local community.
• Identifies the effect on the population or process.
• Is clear and concise (1–2 sentences).
5. SMART Objectives: Write SMART Objectives that define the population and the systems affected for your Project Charter. Complete SMART objectives address all of the following:
• Specific: Who is the target population, persons, or process?
• Measurable: How will you measure the change you anticipate: An increase or decrease? This must be stated in measurable terms.
• Achievable: Is it realistic? Do you have the time, support, and resources?
• Relevant: Is it important or meaningful? Does it consider issues related to population health and the social determinants of health (health equity, inclusion)? Does it align with organizational mission and goals?
• Time: When will the project begin and when will it end? Be specific!
6. Project AIM: Develop an AIM statement that articulates the overarching purpose of your Project Charter, including:
• The goals you intend to accomplish (use measurable terms, e.g., think about your SMART objective).
• Who will benefit from this?
• What will be done (evidence to support the action).
• Where the change will occur.
• When it will begin and end.
RUBRIC FOR SCORING GUIDE
Project Charter Part 1 Scoring Guide
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED
Describe an existing change opportunity that focuses on one area, is measurable, and the desired state after improvement is in measurable terms. Does not identify an existing change opportunity. Identifies an existing change opportunity that focuses on one area and is measurable. Describes an existing change opportunity that focuses on one area, is measurable, and the desired state after improvement is in measurable terms. Describes an existing change opportunity that focuses on one area, is measurable, the desired state after improvement is in measurable terms, and explains why improvement is needed and meaningful in this area.
Discuss multiple timely sources to support the need for improvement. Does not present evidence to support the need for improvement. Identifies evidence to support the need for improvement. Discusses multiple timely sources to support the need for improvement. Analyzes multiple relevant and timely sources to support the need for improvement.
Develop a problem statement that focuses on a specific problem and is solvable. Does not develop a problem statement. Develops a problem statement that is not specific to one area or solvable. Develops a problem statement that focuses on a specific area and is solvable. Develops a problem statement that is specific to one area, is solvable, is clear and concise, and identifies its effect on the population/process.
Develop complete SMART objectives related to the proposed project. Does not develop SMART objectives related to the proposed project. Develops objectives related to the proposed project that address some but not all of the SMART objectives. Develops complete SMART objectives related to the proposed project. Develops complete SMART objectives related to the proposed project and illustrates how the project addresses the social determinants of health and alignment with organizational mission and goals.
Develop an AIM statement that includes measurable goals the project is intended to accomplish and the anticipated impact on the population, systems, or organizations served. Does not develop an AIM statement that includes the goals the project is intended to accomplish. Develops an AIM statement that includes the goals; however, the connection of the goals to the intended project is unclear. Develops an AIM statement that includes measurable goals the project is intended to accomplish and the anticipated impact on the population, systems, or organizations served. Develops an AIM statement that includes measurable goals the project is intended to accomplish including who will benefit, what will be done, where the change will occur, and a timeline with supporting evidence.
Address most components of the assessment prompt appropriately, using the assessment description to structure text. Does not address the assessment prompt. Writing lacks a clear purpose or message that inhibits effective communication with the intended audience. Addresses most components of the assessment prompt appropriately, using the assessment description to structure text. Addresses all components of the assessment prompt appropriately and uses the prompt to guide organization. Additionally, shares information relevant to all assessment components at a level that communicates clear meaning.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Does not apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing incorrectly and/or inconsistently, detracting noticeably from good scholarship. Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to stylistic conventions, document structure, and source attributions.