How do we select the direction of change and the action
that is required?
Whilst reading studying this lesson, you may find it useful to refer back to information and discussion found in the step titled SWOT analysis of an eye unit.
Defining the aim
Setting the aim for the district plan helps us define where we want to get to. The aim and objectives should be agreed by all parties on the planning committee at the start. It may need revision during project implementation as experience and contact with the problems in the field brings changing insights.
All parties involved should contribute to the design of the district plan. These may include:
This will strengthen ownership of the plan, avoid duplication, increase efficiency, and therefore optimise the use of scarce resources. The planning process should recognise the need to:
As well as achieving cost-effective interventions, there are four broad themes that should be central to the design of any district plan. These can be summarised as ISEE: Integrated, Sustainable, Equitable, and Excellent.
Community eye care should be integrated into district health care services, characterised by wide access, community participation, and health promotion.
Clinical and non-clinical excellence for all will ensure that trust is created, community support is fostered, and patients use the services.
The district programme, working to the above guidelines, should combine strategies to achieve comprehensive eye care, demonstrating the four components:
The process of constructing the district programme at the planning meeting is summarised in Fig. 1.
The steps are to:
1. Decide the objectives, that should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART)
2. Define the priorities in the context of need and present resources
3. Agree prioritised strategies with set targets that can be monitored to show progress with the objectives
4. Define the action plan of activities and linked sub-activities.
A Gantt chart is a table of project tasks with a bar chart graphically showing the project schedule, depicting progress through time and enabling both tracking and planning to be maintained.
Specifying objectives
Objectives for the district plan are designed to overcome constraints that have been identified in the situation analysis. These objectives: