"Managing the Unmanageable – Implementing Work Force Planning using EVPM methodology in a public hospital environment" by Kathryn James

Abstract All over the world the public hospital system is faced with the common problem of managing a tight or shrinking budget whilst maintaining existing services and having to provide additional ones: in other words trying to “Manage the Unmanageable”. One of the major issues within the public health system is the shortage of skilled nurses as well as surgeons. Managing the workload within all departments especially the operating theatres is a complex and difficult issue. By utilising workforce planning techniques coupled with Earned Value Performance Measurement helps ensure that case lists are managed effectively. Workforce planning has many definitions. For purposes of this paper, I have adopted the following common definition: Workforce planning is a systematic process for identifying the human capital required meeting hospital goals and developing the strategies to meet these requirements. Workforce planning involves:

• A systematic process that is integrated, methodical, and ongoing.
• Identifying the human capital required to meet hospital goals, which consists of determining the number and skills of needed staff and where and when they will be needed.
• Developing the strategies to meet these requirements, which involves identifying actions that must be taken to attract (and retain) the number and types of staff the hospital needs.

In other words, effective workforce planning through the use of Critical Path methodology is a continuous process that ensures an agency has the right number of people in the right jobs at the right time. The paper will describe how EVPM has been developed in a major rural public hospital to enable management to “Manage the Unmanageable”