An Evaluation of Project Management

in Volunteer Organizations

The Case of HL7 InternationalBSc dissertation – Ateeb Chaudhry

Supervisor – Philip Scott

“Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done” (Peter Drucker).

Paucity of academic research into volunteer management.

HL7 International faces unique challenges in harnessing volunteer effort to produce national and global standards to satisfy multiple diverse stakeholders.

Background

How does the project management of volunteers differ from standard project management?

How is PSWG perceived by other WGs? How can HL7 project management become

more effective? Caveat: This is undergraduate not MSc or

PhD research and only just completed... Insufficient time today for full report; white

paper will follow.

Research questions

Literature review

Literature review

Need to understand volunteer motives for participation – the ‘psychological contract’.

Need to evaluate what feedback, training, supervision, mentoring is provided by HL7.

Need to consider balance between project management controls and volunteer autonomy.

Literature review

Launched at Phoenix WGM, January 2013, by announcement and email to members.

Available on SurveyMonkey from 14 February for 4 weeks with reminder message half way.

Survey

Results: demographics

Results: demographics

Results: demographics

Results: volunteer knowledge

Results: volunteer knowledge

Gain/increase knowledge Increase awareness about industry Involvement in standards development Maintain and improve quality of standards Improve healthcare processes in home

countries

Results: volunteer motivations

Results: volunteer perspectives

Results: volunteer perspectives

Demonstrate volunteer benefits of PM. Introduce PM to new volunteers early. Address GOM/ANSI lack of knowledge. Expand PM mentoring/constructive

feedback to volunteers. Highlight ‘customer’ (volunteer) satisfaction

as KPI for PSWG. Explicitly recognize ‘psychological contract’

and develop volunteer retention/development strategy.

Recommendations

Thank you!