Challenge

The goal was to replace an outdated facility, constrained by its current site and operational paradigms. The key challenge involved gaining hospital staff input and ownership, without defaulting to older operational models, across a five-year duration. This included multiple hospital management staff changes as well as an eighteen month project recess due to a national economic downturn.

Success

Northstar organized the participants and process to establish clearly defined sets of project objectives, guiding principles, decision-making processes and Functional Program content lists, all of which were utilized and thoroughly documented in a written Functional Program. This comprehensive collection of objectives, process and evidence-based decisions became a solid foundation which bridged the lengthy project duration, the staff turnover and temptations to return to past paradigms. It also became the basis from which Transitional Operations Planning was developed to prepare staff to work in the new facility. Combined with a well-documented log of key decisions, a carefully crafted change management process and a collaborative project team approach, the project is on track to be completed within budget and ahead of the originally scheduled completion date.