Enhancing Efficiency and Increasing Productivity of the Public Health Workforce Despite Funding Shortfalls: Incorporating project management instruction and skills practice into a comprehensive training program for new supervisors

Background/Purpose: In the United States, statistics show that public and private organizations spend approximately $145 billion on failed and mismanaged projects each year. Research also suggests that of the $62.5 billion these agencies are spending to train and develop employees, only about $10 billion is spent on project management training. As Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's funding sources continue to decline, we must train our workforce to do more with less. This presentation will highlight the organizational and workforce impacts of implementing a project management training program. The purpose of this training is to educate the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health workforce on project management practices. Methods: Key methods include: internal project planning; stakeholder interviews; target audience identification; curricula research and development; content development; course processes design; course pilot group testing; marketing; tracking; and evaluation. Results/Outcome: The course compliance goal is to train a minimum of 75 supervisors with a posttest completion score of 80 percent or higher by August 30th, 2009. Course evaluation analysis is used to assess the overall course impact and process. Course modifications are made accordingly through participant feedback and evaluation analysis. Conclusion: In times when funding sources are dwindling yet the demand for services is soaring, the public health workforce must adapt and develop ways to become more efficient and effective. Providing staff with training on project management fundamentals is a cost-effective foundation to increased organizational effectiveness.