Successful Project Management in Social Work and Social Care
Managing Resources, Assessing Risks and Measuring Outcomes
Gary Spolander and Linda Martin
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
Table 5.4 on p.92 from European Commission 2004 is adapted with permission from the European Commission
First published in 2012
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
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London N1 9JB, UK
and
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Copyright Gary Spolander and Linda Martin 2012
Foreword copyright Trish Hafford-Letchfield 2012
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84905 219 1
eISBN 978 0 85700 460 4
Converted to eBook by EasyEPUB
This book is dedicated to our families who have encouraged, supported and coped with the long hours, angst and writing. Thank you, Gail, Terry, Keelan and Luke.
Series Editors Foreword
This book acknowledges the specific need for social work and social care managers to develop essential knowledge and skills required to manage a wide portfolio of projects in a very demanding context. In the UK and internationally, the face of public services has changed dramatically in the last three decades, not only as a result of political ideologies and the fast-moving government policies that impact on provision, but also in the wake of a severe financial crisis and two major world recessions.
The introduction of market-like mechanisms to the provision of services and broad policy themes such as affordability, fairness, intergenerational justice, social mobility, increased choice and personalization of care have inevitably influenced the way in which managers in social work and social care organizations conduct their everyday business. Managers need to develop a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing them, alongside creativity and the willingness to consider more radical approaches and solutions.
For some time now, the abilities and requirements of managers to be able to work in partnership with other agencies across sectors and disciplines, in a competitive and complex environment, have been our bread and butter, but there is still a long way to go. In many of these scenarios, social work and social care have taken a leadership role in establishing shared approaches and in developing the capacity for achieving sustainable change to address a range of complex social problems. Adopting project approaches and managing a more outcome-based approach to the development of services have demanded that we develop some new and unfamiliar skills, but the core values of social work and social care remain unchanged and continue to have enduring relevance within project management. Principles of promoting participation and adopting a more distributory style of leadership, and focus on citizenship and identifying and building on the strengths of individuals and their communities alongside promotion of equality and diversity, have underpinned the authors approach to this book.
There are a number of quality texts on project management, but within this particular text Spolander and Martin have sought to make these more accessible and relevant to the specific needs of social work and social care. For example, the book is underpinned by real-life case studies of project management at different levels and in different settings which are used as a basis to explore the different issues involved. Likewise, the topics addressed in each chapter document the unfolding journey of a project and how this is typically managed by highlighting good practice and providing pointers for adopting a range of techniques and skills relevant to everyday practice.
This book is the second in the series Essential Skills for Managing Care which is aimed at front-line or aspiring managers and seeks to provide a practical quality guide to project management skills. Books in the series have been particularly tailored for those working in social work and social care environments or any environment which has care at the core of its business.
The style of the book aims to be informal but draws on a sound knowledge base. Common features include:
Setting out the broader context for the skill being considered, including a summary of the knowledge base and any relevant research findings.
On the Spot activities which encourage reflection on the skill being discussed.
Explaining practical tools that can be used in project management, demonstrated through direct application to a familiar case study.
A summary and action checklist for each area of skills discussed.
Each chapter is underpinned by the values and ethics of good management in social work and social care, drawing on the principles of distributed and participatory leadership. Project management is a practical activity and involves a continuous process of adaptation to changing pressures and opportunities in a complex political environment. There is a danger of overemphasizing technical knowledge and skills and dependency on which specialist areas of practice and knowledge are prioritized. We also need to keep our eye on the broader structural issues, and this book aims to make sense of these through its frequent references to the personal and democratic elements of project management. These are essential to retain the professional nature of the work in social work and social care and the values inherent in practice. Individual chapter topics include:
An introduction to project management, what it is and what it isnt, defining how project management differs from other strategic and operational management roles.
Examples of three real-life projects in action which illustrate some of the different forms projects can take in terms of their subject, purpose, scale and approach. These demonstrate that project management can be useful across a wide spectrum of work and also provide an illustrative basis for discussing the different stages in the following chapters.
The context for project management in relation to managing change, discussing some of the issues around selecting projects and setting out the frameworks for successful management.
