Ineffective programme management on the delivery of health infrastructure projects: a case of the Northern Cape

Abstract

English: Programme management remains a challenging management practice in the Northern Cape Department of Health (NCDoH), particularly when a health facility project has to integrate the components of construction management and operations management in order to attain the benefits of strategic importance. The Northern Cape Department of Health consists of various administrative programmes that are supposed to work together in order to attain the benefits of strategic importance. The inability to integrate construction management and operations management is attributed to poor programme management coordination within the Northern Cape Department of Health. This article reports the findings of a case study which determined how programme management coordination among the administrative programmes in the Provincial Office of the NCDoH, Z. F. Mqcawu District Office and the hospital that underwent revitalisation could be improved during the construction of a health-care facility. Data was obtained through interviews with personnel in the three sectors (provincial office of the NCDoH, district office of the Department of Health, and the hospital that underwent revitalisation) directly involved in the delivery of the infrastructure component of the project and preparations operationalisation of the health facility after completion and handover. The results of the study revealed the inability by the NCDoH to integrate both construction management and operations management, due the poor programme management coordination when a health facility project serves as a means for the delivery of health services after handover. Furthermore, the research revealed, among others, functional silos, lack of skills and knowledge for the identification of the critical success factors relevant for integration of construction and operations management as the contributing factors to poor programme management

Afrikaans: ‘n Allomvattende en integrerende betuursprogram bly ‘n uitdaging in die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid, veral wanneer ‘n gesondheidsfasiliteitsprojek die komponente van konstruksie- en operasionele bestuur moet integreer om die voordele van strategiese belang te bereik. Die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid bestaan uit verskeie administratiewe programme wat veronderstel is om saam te werk om die voordele van strategiese benadering te bereik. Die onvermoë om konstruksieen operasionele bestuur te integreer, het tot gevolg dat daar gebrekkige programbestuurkoördinasie binne die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid is. Die doel van hierdie aritkel is om die resultate weer te gee van ʼn studie wat bepaal het hoe die koördinering tussen die administratiewe program in die provinsiale kantoor van die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid, Z. F. Mqcawu distrikskantoor van die Departement van Gesondheid en die hospitaal wat vernuwe moes word, verbeter kan word tydens die oprigting van ‘n gesondheidsfasiliteit. Data is verkry deur onderhoude te voer met die personeel in die drie sektore (provinsiale kantoor van die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid, distrikskantoor van die Departement van Gesondheid en die hospitaal) wat betrokke was by die lewering van die infrastruktuur van die projek en die operasionalisering van die gesondheidsfasiliteit ná voltooiing en oorhandiging. Die resultate van die studie toon die onvermoë van die Noord-Kaapse Departement van Gesondheid om konstruksie- en operasionele bestuur te intergreer as gevolg van die swak programbestuurskoördinasie tydens die stadium wanneer gesondheidsdienste by sodanige gesondheidsfasiliteit verskaf moet word nadat dit oorhandig is. Verder het die navorsing aan die lig gebring, onder andere, dat funksionele silo’s, ‘n gebrek aan vaardighede en kennis om kritiese suksesgebreke relevant tot die integrasie van konstruksie- en operasionele bestuur te identifiseer, bydra tot swak programbestuur.