Champika Lasanthi Liyanage

Knowledge communication and translation - a knowledge transfer model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a process model for knowledge transfer in using theories relating knowledge communication and knowledge translation.Design/methodology/approach – Most of what is put forward in this paper is based on a research project titled “Procurement for innovation and knowledge transfer (ProFIK)”. The project is funded by a UK government research council – The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The discussions are mainly grounded on a thorough review of literature accomplished as part of the research project.Findings – The process model developed in this paper has built upon the theory of knowledge transfer and the theory of communication. Knowledge transfer, per se, is not a mere transfer of knowledge. It involves different stages of knowledge transformation. Depending on the context of knowledge transfer, it can also be influenced by many factors; some positive and some negative. The developed model of knowledge transfer attempts to encapsu...

A performance management framework for healthcare facilities management

Purpose – To propose a framework for performance management in facilities management (FM) services in hospitals. Herein, particular attention has been given to domestic services under the area of FM.Design/methodology/approach – The discussions of the paper are based on findings of a mixed methodology approach, i.e. combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The data sets obtained from mixed methods were subjected to rigorous qualitative and statistical analyses.Findings – A comprehensive performance management framework (PMF) is presented in this paper. The developed PMF is clear, cohesive and can be well understood by all levels of managers and staff. It is well supported by the overall goals of control of healthcare associated infections in domestic services and uses a balanced set of key performance indicators and measures to benchmark the results with one another. The PMF developed gives due cognisance to FM (specifically to domestic services). The successful implementation of this PMF, how...

Measuring Success of PPP Transport Projects: A Cross-Case Analysis of Toll Roads

Abstract The aim of this paper is to measure ‘overall’ success of a public private partnership (PPP) transport projects using four case studies. All four case studies are PPP toll roads from four different EU countries (UK, Spain, Portugal and Greece). The case studies have been analysed using a manual Qualitative Comparative Analysis approach. According to the paper, three different perspectives have been used to measure the success of a project, that is, project management perspective, stakeholder perspective and contract management perspective. The ‘overall’ success has then been deduced by bringing these three perspectives together as a holistic approach. The findings are presented in the form of a matrix and the final outcome of the paper shows a simple methodological approach that can be used to measure success of a PPP transport project. Since the study takes more of a qualitative approach, researcher bias and perceptions have a major role to play in the final outcome. However, to reduce ‘biasness’, quantitative measures have also been used to quantify the Key Performance Indicators and performance measures in the case studies. It is hoped that the study makes a valid contribution to the areas of transport PPPs and performance measurement.

Implications of the use of different payment models: The context of PPP Road Projects in the UK

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the payment models and financing structures used for road Infrastructure projects under public private partnerships (PPPs) in the UK. Comparison of funding and financial structures in the selected case studies exposes the risks and values of the models of payment utilised. This research also aims to identify relationships with payment certainty and financing debt restructuring. Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares several case studies representing the evolution of private finance initiative road infrastructure in the UK context. Templates were completed using semi- structured interviews during data collection; and a qualitative content analysis approach was employed for case study analysis. Findings – Lessons learned from using different payment methods show the benefit and limitations of adopting different forms of PPP in road development. Refinancing of projects presents substantial risks to the viability of a project, and benefits gained ...

Performance measurement tool (PMT) to control maintenance-associated infections

Purpose Healthcare maintenance (HM) services have an important role in the control of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Notwithstanding, many HM managers still do not measure the performance of HM services in infection control (IC). This research, therefore, aims to establish the level of importance of critical success factors (CSFs) and performance measures in HM IC. A performance measurement tool (PMT) was also developed to improve the performance of the HM unit in IC. Design/methodology/approach The CSFs and performance measures identified in the literature were categorised into the four perspectives of balanced scorecard and analysed through Delphi. The Delphi participants were presented with 67 performance measures and asked to rate their level of importance in HM in IC. In total, they identified 53 important performance measures to control maintenance-associated HAIs. The results obtained from the Delphi study were used to categorise the performance measures into four means zones. The mean zones were assigned weights (1-4), and the level of importance of the CSFs was established through weighted average. Liaison and communication, IC practices and maintenance resource availability emerged as the most important CSFs in HM in IC. Conversely, customer satisfaction emerged as the least important. Information gathered about the CSFs and performance measures was used to develop a PMT in HM in IC. Findings The following CSFs, liaison and communication, IC practices and maintenance resource availability, emerged as the most important in HM in IC. Conversely, customer satisfaction emerged as the least important. Information gathered about the CSFs and performance measures was used to develop a PMT in HM in IC. Originality/value Through the application of the PMT, performance in IC can be estimated at different levels in the HM unit. The PMT allows managers to focus on the most crucial CSFs and performance measures that drive performance in HM in IC. The PMT could also be used for benchmarking purposes.

Public-private perception of collaborative infrastructure projects in Nigeria

The growing complexity of infrastructure projects, the attendant increase in project risk/uncertainty, the effects of the current global economic recession, and the unprecedented demand on government agencies/institutions to provide better/efficient infrastructure/services have gradually reduced the need for a single supplier of many infrastructure services. However, the problems/issues associated with the implementation/operationalisation of collaborative engagement approaches worldwide over the last two decades prompted the need to identify/analyse the drivers of collaboration and determine the core-drivers of public-private sector collaboration in road infrastructure project management in Nigeria. In all, 45 survey-questionnaires were administered to relevant professionals/stakeholders in both the public and private sectors of Nigeria. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that there is no significant difference between the perception of the public and private sectors about the drivers of collaboration. The Relative Importance Index/ranking of the drivers also revealed that communication, trust, globalisation/collaboration, market-maturity, technology, relationships, finance, skills/competence, legal/regulatory framework, and risk are key-drivers that need to be aligned to existing business models in Nigeria for the successful implementation/delivery of sustainable collaborative road infrastructure projects. Therefore, this paper advocates the establishment of a set of formal rules incorporating these core drivers in order to guide the actions of the partners to shape/deliver collaborative infrastructure projects in Nigeria.

Application of the Delphi technique in healthcare maintenance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the research design, issues and considerations in the application of the Delphi technique to identify, refine and rate the critical success factors and performance measures in maintenance-associated infections. Design/methodology/approach In-depth literature review through the application of open and axial coding were applied to formulate the interview and research questions. These were used to conduct an exploratory case study of two healthcare maintenance managers, randomly selected from two National Health Service Foundation Trusts in England. The results of exploratory case study provided the rationale for the application of the Delphi technique in this research. The different processes in the application of the Delphi technique in healthcare research are examined thoroughly. Findings This research demonstrates the need to apply and integrate different research methods to enhance the validity of the Delphi technique. The rationale for the application of the Delphi technique in this research is because some healthcare maintenance managers lack knowledge about basic infection control (IC) principles to make hospitals safe for patient care. The result of first round of the Delphi exercise is a useful contribution in its own rights. It identified a number of salient issues and differences in the opinions of the Delphi participants, noticeably between healthcare maintenance managers and members of the infection control team. It also resulted in useful suggestions and comments to improve the quality and presentation of the second- and third-round Delphi instruments. Practical implications This research provides a research methodology that can be adopted by researchers investigating new and emerging issues in the healthcare sector. As this research demonstrates, the Delphi technique is relevant in soliciting expert knowledge and opinion to identify performance measures to control maintenance-associated infections in hospitals. The methodology provided here could be applied by other researchers elsewhere to probe, investigate and generate rich information about new and emerging healthcare research topics. Originality/value The authors demonstrate how different research methods can be integrated to enhance the validity of the Delphi technique. For example, the results of an exploratory case study provided the rationale for the application of the Delphi technique investigating the key performance measures in maintenance-associated infections. The different processes involved in the application of the Delphi technique are also carefully explored and discussed in depth.

Identifying Challenging Job and Environmental Demands of Older Nurses Within the National Health Service.

Objectives: To explore the existing theoretical contexts of the job and environmental demands of the nursing profession in the National Health Service (NHS) and to investigate how these job and environmental demands impact on the personal constructs of older nurses within the NHS. Background: Nursing is the single most widely practiced profession in the healthcare sector in the United Kingdom. However, nurses contend with challenging job and environmental demands on a daily basis, which deplete them of personal constructs (or resources) required to stay in the profession. Methods: A multilevel exploratory qualitative research design was employed. Ten managers were interviewed for the preliminary study, based on which the three characteristics of an age-friendly NHS workplace were established: health, retirement, and flexibility. Then an in-depth literature review revealed that the most adversely affected job within the NHS was the nursing profession. Finally, a focus group study was undertaken with six older nurses working in the NHS. Results: The most compelling finding of this study is that older nurses would generally not want to stay on the job if they had to work in the ward area. The physical, cognitive, and sensory constructs of older nurses are negatively affected by the job and environmental demands of the ward areas. Conclusions: Understanding how these job and environmental demands of the workplace affect an older nurse’s personal constructs may help support a better design of nurse work and the wards and help extend the working lives of older nurses in the NHS.

Key performance measures to control maintenance-associated HAIs

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to improve overall healthcare maintenance (HM) service performance in NHS infection control (IC). Hence, the authors identify critical success factors (CSFs) and key performance measures in maintenance-associated infections. These infections occur because of the poor performance of HM service in IC. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH In the first Delphi exercise, complete CSFs and performance measures were presented to the Delphi participants for refinement and modification. Delphi round 1 data were analysed manually and used to refine the rounds 2 and 3 Delphi instruments. In subsequent Delphi rounds, the results were analysed through descriptive statistics. FINDINGS In total, eight CSFs and 53 key performance measures were identified for reducing maintenance-associated infections in hospitals. For example, establishing clear communication between the infection control team (ICT) and HM unit is important for preventing maintenance-associated HAIs. Dust prevention is also identified by the healthcare experts as an important measure to prevent maintenance-associated HAIs in high-risk patient areas. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The findings provide CSFs and key performance measures for measuring performance in HM in IC. Reducing the rate of maintenance-associated infections will have important socio-economic and health ramifications for hospitals. It will reduce cost and free up additional resources for alternative projects. It will also raise confidence among healthcare users about the quality of services provided by hospitals.

A Methodological Approach to Identify Key Performance Indicators and Measures in Maintenance Services in Infection Control

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major problem in the United Kingdom (UK) and worldwide. The UK has one of the worst rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Western Europe. One reason for such poor performance is the failure of healthcare officials to tackle the root causes of HAIs in the National Health Service (NHS). The position of healthcare officials is that HAI is mainly a clinical issue; requiring the attention of clinicians. As a result, most of the infection control policies and guidelines do not sufficiently address the non-clinical causes of HAIs in the NHS. There is strong epidemiological evidence suggesting that HAIs can also occur because of the poor performance of facilities management (FM) services. An example of an FM service that has a strong link with HAI is healthcare maintenance. Despite being linked to such infections as aspergillosis, legionnaires etc, healthcare maintenance services (HMSs) in the NHS have nonetheless failed to attract the attention of healthcare authorities. In this study therefore, we examine the methodological approach in identifying the key performance indicators and measures in HMSs in infection control. This study is divided into two main sections. In the first section, we examine different research paradigms, as well as, the rational for choosing interpretivism in this study. The second section, which is on the research design, examines the research methodology and research methods applied in this study. Addressing these methodological issues is important in identifying the key performance indicators and measures in HMSs in infection control.