CQI approaches for evaluating management development programs: A case study with health service managers from...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Management
• Organizational Development
• Quality Improvement Science

Background:

• Health systems are inherently complex, posing challenges for frontline managers.
• Limited evidence exists on effective management development programs, particularly in remote and isolated health services.
• Developing competent managers is crucial for navigating complex healthcare environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a customized management development program using continuous quality improvement (CQI) approaches.
• To explore the potential of CQI to provide data for multi-level program impact evaluation.
• To address the scarcity of empirical research on developing frontline managers in complex settings.

Main Methods:

• A customized management development program incorporating continuous quality improvement (CQI) strategies was implemented.
• Action learning and workplace-based CQI projects were utilized for real-world application of management learning.
• The study employed a case study approach to investigate program impact.

Main Results:

• Continuous improvement approaches, like action learning CQI projects, facilitated practical application of management skills.
• CQI projects generated data suitable for evaluating organizational impact and cost-benefits.
• The findings suggest CQI can enhance the evaluation of management development programs.

Conclusions:

• Management development programs integrating CQI can equip frontline managers to navigate complex health systems.
• CQI approaches offer a pragmatic method for generating robust evaluation data in healthcare management.
• Further research is needed to confirm generalizability, given the small sample size.