Capability building for large-scale transformational change: learning from an evaluation of a national programme

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Organizational Psychology
• Change Management

Background:

• England's National Health Service Long Term Plan requires significant transformational change.
• The Virtual Academy of Large-Scale Change (VALSC) was established to build capacity within health and care teams undertaking transformation or redesign projects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Virtual Academy of Large-Scale Change (VALSC) program.
• Assess the impact of VALSC on building capability for large-scale change in health and care systems.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods approach using quantitative and qualitative data.
• Quantitative data collected via pre- and post-intervention surveys to measure knowledge change.
• Qualitative data gathered through post-intervention surveys and interviews, analyzed inductively.

Main Results:

• VALSC significantly improved participant knowledge (p<0.001) and demonstrated impact on learning, behavior, and application.
• Key themes identified: empowerment with transformation skills, strengthened inter-team connections, and improved stakeholder engagement.
• Participants applied learned skills to local health and care challenges.

Conclusions:

• The VALSC program successfully enhanced individual and team capabilities for large-scale change.
• Recommendations include continued development of capability-building initiatives to empower frontline staff.
• Equipping staff with effective methods and tools is crucial for successful service transformation.