Managing Projects in Health and Social Care

By Vivien Martin
Taylor and Francis
£16.99
ISBN 0 415 27620 9

The importance of project management skills to the delivery of
health and social care services is increasingly well understood.
This tightly written book is an A-Z of how to plan and finish
individual projects, including those within mainstream services.
Nearly any change can be delivered if it is managed correctly,
assuming the politics is supportive and the resources
available.

However, staff skilled in project management remain relatively
rare, which partly explains why many new government initiatives
such as Supporting People and Sure Start are missing some of their
deadlines. If projects start to drift, the cost can be high,
especially those that are building-based where inflation can top 20
per cent in parts of London and the South East.

The book is easy on the eye and the mind, reflecting the trend
towards workbook writing – short, punchy sections with plenty of
case examples and activities.

Social care today is dominated by action plans, improvement
strategies and new projects, all of which benefit from a task and
finish, project management-based approach. This book will help
service and project managers and should be key to the development
of local project management communities.

Anthony Douglas is director of social care and health,
Suffolk Council.