WHERE SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, AND ADMINISTRATION MEETLessons Learned from Large, Multi-Site Programs
Introduction
Contracting and budgeting Strategies for large scale
communication General management of large
scale network projects Working with external partners Privacy and human subjects
Challenges and Strategies
Management
Multi-site, multi-year, multi-aims…
Complexity tends to increase
Competing demands Prioritizing Evaluating progress
Keys to success:
Project management plan buy-in
Sufficient resources
Documenting lessons learned
Develop Project Management Plan
Multi-site, multi-year, multi-aims…
Motivating others to meet deadlines
Differing institutional cultures
Managing internal team
Managing external team
Managing funders
Keys to success:
Strong leadership
Clear communication plans
Team building
Identify Your Team
Multi-site, multi-year, multi-aims…
Coordinating IRB schedules and interpretations
Understanding Privacy policies and practices
Administrative hurdles
Keys to success:
Identifying and using tools to reduce administrative burden
Identify Risks
Challenges and Strategies
Contracting
Cancer Research Network (CRN)
Awarded in 1999 to Group Health
Cooperative Agreement from NCI
A network to study and improve cancer care
7-15 subrecipients Complex award Multiple awards
Using the Resources of HMORN
Cancer Research Network (CRN) “field tests” the HMORN Template
HMORN Template simplified DUA
HMORN Template was used to issue CRN subawards for the next 5 years.
GOAL – Initiate subs in 60 days
Use HMORN template
Guiding Principles
Reciprocal Terms and Conditions Engage CRN sites in the process Be transparent in
communication Be flexible Plan Ahead Develop a standard process
(LEAN) Integrated Team – shared
workload Measurement
Reciprocity
Planning
Transparency
Integrated Team
Shared Workload
Measurement - Data Points
Award date Initiation date of main subaward Return date of subaward Volume
Results
Main Subaward Intiation Days: With Vs. Without Revision
193
94104
47
84
0
50
100
150
200
250
Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13
CRN Year
Me
an
Init
iati
on
Da
ys
Main Subaward Days to Initiate (without revision)
Revised Main Days to Initiate
Results
Mean Days to Initiate Main Subaward (Revised) and Overall Volume
193
7155 47
18
0
50
100
150
200
250
Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13
CRN Year
Mea
n I
nit
iati
on
Day
s
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Vo
lum
e o
f C
RN
A
gre
em
en
ts
Revised Main Days to Initiate
Overall Volume of CRN Agreements (Subs and Mods)
HMORN Template a Success
What helped? Using a standard, fair template Pre-review and approval by all sites Scopes of Work ready prior to award date Building a team and a standard process Building relationship with CRN colleagues Understanding the issues; timely strategic
planning What caused delays? Budget cuts Delays in template approval Sponsor prior approvals
Challenges and Strategies
Large Scale Communication
Challenges for Communication Scale Different types of institutions
with different cultures Different types of people to
communicate with Different types of
communication needed Bridging role in in-person and
virtual relationships
Scale of Communication
TOO busy
Millions of emails a day
Irrelevance alert
“Not THEM again….”
Large numbers of people to reach Different messages for different
stakeholders Communication frequency
Audiences are consistently over burdened by communication Difficult to engage How to know if you’re getting to
them – did they open the email?
Strategies
PROGRAM MANAGE-MENT
Same person should send all of the communications about the program
Need the right person to be “on” the communication piece
Make a communication plan
Strategies
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
BEST: In-person interactions
2nd BEST: Phone calls Regular conference calls
Set up consistent schedule and do not cancel
Transparency in communication See handout
Strategies
EFFECTIVE-NESS
Walk fine line between effective communication and pestering
Use the technology available
Use many different formats to communicate same message