Program Management
Effective Program Management requires a keen understanding of the enterprise and balances the correct amount of rigor with the need to address a program’s strategic significance, uncertainty and risk, complexity and size and needs for coordination and integration. Whether a change includes developing or deploying new technologies, implementing re-engineering processes, or undergoing a major transformation, strong program management oversight helps ensure objectives are met.
Sigma’s Program Management services can help an organization execute, govern and measure their project portfolio by:
- Managing the projects/programs along the critical path
- Optimizing financial and organizational resources
- Tracking and reporting schedule, budget, progress and earned value
- Mitigating and escalating risks and issues
- Establishing visibility and status mechanisms for the enterprise
- Defining controlled and consistent management and reporting practices
Our team of Project Management Institute (PMI) certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs) leverages PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and relevant industry best practices. Sigma provides Program Management services in three delivery areas:
- Planning & Design – Sigma performs focused and streamlined assessments of the current state of an organization’s program management function. By reviewing and evaluating the performance of the project portfolio in need of oversight, we define how a program should operate in the future and identify areas of enhancement for any current management infrastructure. During this phase, the Sigma team of experts will work with your organization to:
- Verify the current scope and objectives of the program
- Understand the nature and types of projects to be managed by the program
- Assess any current program management structure and identify any existing gaps or inefficiencies
- Design an effective program management blueprint tailored to your organization’s capabilities and the program’s needs
- Enhancement & Implementation – Sigma develops and implements ‘Best in Class’ governance structure, processes, tools and metrics customized to fit your organization’s capabilities. Our goal is to enhance, implement and empower the program by:
- Building the necessary infrastructure, templates and deliverables to be effective at managing your program’s unique project requirements
- Developing implementation and change management plans tailored to your program’s scope of change and number of impacted stakeholders
- Establishing program governance policies and creating associated training materials
- Working with your organization to pilot new program management tools and processes
- Strengthening & Support – In addition to our Program Management services, Sigma has the capabilities to strengthen and support your project management function and personnel by providing ‘Best Practice’ expertise and assistance with management of new or ongoing initiatives. Our team can assimilate into your organization to help implement rigor and ongoing improvements at the project level to help get projects and the program back on track. Our services include:
- Focused management throughout the Plan, Execute & Control lifecycle of a project
- Controlled and standardized reporting of risk, schedule, and cost
- Implementation of ongoing improvements resulting from program enhancement efforts
- Working with business stakeholders to track, report, and manage project status at the appropriate level
- Supporting the transition of these projects to your organization’s personnel through training and education
Performance Measurement & Improvement
In today’s environment, performance measurement is a key instrument to determine how effectively an organization or program is managing critical assets and resources to meet both short-term and long-term goals. Sigma helps our customers define and implement performance measurement practices and programs so that strategic goals are clearly defined and performance metrics and benchmarks are established.
Whether managing performance at an organizational, program or project level, Sigma’s Performance Measurement & Improvement services utilize our industry-leading, proven methodology to:
- Define goals and desired outcomes for organizations, programs, and projects
- Develop or enhance business cases in support of implementing a system of performance measurement and continual improvements.
- Create key performance measures that span the multiple dimensions of an organization, and measuring performance at multiple intervals pre- and post-execution
- Gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to determine if an investment is achieving intended value.
Our methods use rigorous criteria to ensure that metrics address aspects of organizations, programs, or projects that are important and feasible to measure, provide consistent and credible information, and can be used for improvement and decision-making. This ensures that when a metric is selected for use, the business and technical basis has been thoroughly assessed, the technical specifications are explicated and the measurements are feasible and reproducible across care the enterprise.
Sigma leverages our deep experience in study design, definition of technical specifications for metrics, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and Return on Investment analysis to provide our clients with valid data so that a true perspective of performance can be achieved. Beyond the basic presentation of data, our team identifies gaps, opportunities for improvement, best practices and lessons learned that can be incorporated into focused continuous improvement plans for policy, services and operations.
We apply our deep knowledge of healthcare, evidence-based medicine, management and organizational theory to provide best in class evaluation, performance measurement and improvement methodology.
Organizational Culture & Change Management
Organizational transformation is a complex and critical undertaking.. Achieving success requires a comprehensive, systematic approach that incorporates organizational, process and technology assessments and a framework to move the organization from where it is today to where it wants to be in the future. Successful change management must support organizational transformation by aligning policy, incentive and reward systems, staff knowledge and skills with the overall organizational mission, values and culture.
Sigma helps our clients create new and improve existing organizational structures, implement evidence-based, proven strategies to enable the culture change and organizational transformation. Sigma works with our customers to design the appropriate organizational structures, define employee roles and responsibilities, create concepts of operations and detailed processes and procedures, and develop communication and educations strategies to assist the organization through the business transformation process.
Sigma’s approach to executing organizational transformational and change management is centered on a phased process that addresses four central questions:
- What are the potential changes and associated impacts?
- What needs to be addressed and how?
- How will the transition take place?
- Is the transition driving the change desired?
Team Sigma’s process begins with an assessment of potential changes and impact to the organization, followed by the mapping of current and future state processes, the development of a transition plan, and execution of organizational changes. Sigma’s focus will not solely be on the long-term impacts of change, but also on the short-term impacts. Balancing both long-term and short-term perspectives positions the organization for lasting success while allowing for quick wins to build the confidence and buy-in from the stakeholders.
Clinical Studies & Evaluations
Sigma brings multidisciplinary, world class expertise and rigor to the evaluation of health care programs and services. Sigma partners with a network of nonprofit research organizations, academic institutions, and industry leaders to provide thought leadership and innovative solutions to tomorrow’s problems today. Clinical studies are an essential part of developing, implementing, maintaining, evaluating, and improving clinical operations. Sigma delivers proven solutions, works closely with clients to identify opportunities for greater efficiency so that patient care is improved, data is accessible, clinician staff communication is enabled, processes are refined, quality is improved and patient satisfaction is achieved.
Services and Solutions include:
- Evidence based medicine, evidence synthesis and grading, clinical practice guidelines
- Healthcare Ethics and Ethical Leadership
- Biomedical Engineering Studies and Incident Investigations
- Study design and management
- Scientific and technical consulting
- Clinical program evaluation, performance measurement, and process improvement
Sigma has applied our clinical expertise and evaluation experience in traumatic brain injury, women’s health, radiology services, mental health, healthcare facility integration, and a variety of health information technology programs.