Topic: Dissertation on Using Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections to the Hemato-oncology and Bone Marrow in a Saudi Arabian Hospital}

Topic: {Using Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections to the Hemato-oncology and Bone Marrow in a Saudi Arabian Hospital}

A well done change project dissertation but has not following the guidelines in such points, has to be rewritten as another person is writing it ( the same ideas but in different way, the examiner has to find it as a subject given to 2 persons and they are writing on the same subject.)

1.0 Project dissertation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

1.1 Student Choice of Dissertation Content ………………………………………………………………………………..4

1.2 Ethics Approval Requirements ……………………………………………………………………………………………..4

1.3 Increased Student Choice in Dissertation Content ………………………………………………………………….5

1.4 What is an organisational development project?……………………………………………………………………6

1.5 The purpose of the project ………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

1.6 An evidence-based approach to organisational development ………………………………………………….7

1.7 Learning Outcomes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

1.8 Choosing a Topic ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

1.9 Providing evidence to support reasons for selecting project ……………………………………………………9

1.10 Access to Previous Dissertation Projects ……………………………………………………………………………. 10

1.11 Choosing an organisational development model ………………………………………………………………… 10

2.0 Project Proposal …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10

2.1 Project Sponsorship, Permission and Completion ……………………………………………………………….. 11

2.2 Ethical Approval ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

2.3 Deposition of a dissertation on the online RCSI repository and HSEland. ………………………………. 11

3.0 Dissertation Project ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12

3.1 Word Count……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12

3.2 Confidentiality………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

3.3 General notes on the structure of the report ……………………………………………………………………… 13

3.4 Poster presentation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13

3.5 Reflection ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

3.6 Submission of dissertation ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

4.0 Student support …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

4.1 Feedback ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

5.0 Dissertation format, layout and presentation. ……………………………………………………………………….. 17

5.1 Overall structure …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

5.2 What should be included in each chapter? ………………………………………………………………………… 18

6.0 Generic Recommendations for the presentation of the dissertation ………………………………………… 19

6.1 Cover …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19

6.2 Layout……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19

6.3 Pagination ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19

6.4 Point of View: first or third person construct and gender neutral language …………………………… 19

6.5 A table of contents with page numbers……………………………………………………………………………… 20

6.6 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20

6.7 Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20

6.8 Structuring chapters ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21

Recommended Reading …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21

Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22

Appendix 1. Equity Template ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23

Appendix 2. Permission & Sponsorship Form ……………………………………………………………………………….. 24

Appendix 3. Project Confirmation Form ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 25

Appendix 4. Poster Template………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26

Appendix 5. Review for ALS Members Template………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Appendix 6. Front Sheet …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28

Appendix 7. Declaration Sheet (Ireland Only) ……………………………………………………………………………….. 29

Appendix 8. Setting SMART Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………. 30

Appendix 9. SampleTable of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33

Abbreviations

ALS Action Learning Set

HSE Health Service Executive (Ireland) OD Organisational Development PDSA Plan, Do, Study, Act

VLE Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle)

1.0 Project Dissertation

To fulfil the requirements of the MSc programme students are required to undertake an organisational development project. The project equates to three modules and represents 30 credits towards the MSc award. The project is carried out during the second year of the programme to enable the student to apply the knowledge, skills and personal development gained throughout the whole programme. The project is expected to be manageable and one that can be completed within the required timeframe. Milestones to help guide and support the student through the project are detailed in the Timeline document (see VLE). In situations where students are involved in a large organisational project, a smaller aspect of this organisational project can be considered to meet the programme requirements. Work that was completed before the course started is not acceptable for project work. Ongoing development of projects or work already started is acceptable.

Please note that these guidelines should be read in conjunction with the student handbook.

1.1 Student Choice of Dissertation Content

The mission of the Institute of Leadership is to focus on your leadership, management and educational competencies as health professionals. Our MSc programmes are designed with this in mind and they consist of a series of blended learning modules combined with a dissertation focusing on change or organisation development. Evaluations by our graduates indicate that producing the dissertation is a challenging but rewarding learning experience. Equally, the senior management teams in organisations, who support you, as students in taking time out to study and fulfil the MSc requirements, have been very complimentary of the programme and have recognised the increased ability of our graduates to initiate and manage change.

The complexity of healthcare organisations, the increasing demands of data protection legislation and the emerging requirement for even the most basic projects to receive ethics committee approval are making it increasingly challenging for some of our students to actively lead a project in an organisation. Some of our students have been challenged to secure authority to initiate and progress a project in a healthcare organisation because of their level in the organisation. Each year we have a number of requests, from students, who may be new in their posts or between posts, to find a project in an organisation. Moreover, sponsorship for the proposed project has sometimes been delayed as has ethics approval. There is further challenge in some countries where power and influence in organisations is complex and a student lacking influence can find it impossible to get the necessary support.

1.2 Ethics Approval Requirements

Academic and healthcare institutions are increasing the requirements for students undertaking any type of research to undergo ethical scrutiny. Ethical approval is now a requirement for any organisation development or quality improvement project, which involves engaging with patients, staff or other

stakeholders. Such interactions raise ethical issues such as confidentiality, justice, anonymity, etc. Even projects that use secondary data sources, (and here, data protection legislation in some countries complicates the picture further) require ethical approval. Limitations also now exist regarding simple audits which, while not necessarily requiring ethical approval, are unlikely to be publishable without it. W hile we acknowledge the importance of safety and protection of our colleagues and patients in healthcare organisations we also acknowledge that, for some students, ethical approval may not be straightforward, is likely to be time- consuming, and may have to be secured in more than one location.

It is important that the dissertation challenges and assists you in meeting the learning outcomes of your academic programme and in enhancing your leadership and managerial competencies. The challenges for students in year 2 of the masters can include:

1. Securing an organisation in which to conduct a project
2. Securing senior management organisation approval to lead a project
3. Securing ethical approval in a timely manner and occasionally over a range of organisations
4. Working in a junior role in the organisation thereby lacking the influence to implement a change project
5. Moving between organisations during the programme

1.3 Increased Student Choice in Dissertation Content

In response to these challenges, and in line with international best practice of increasing the diversity of assessment methods and student choice in assessment, the Institute of Leadership, from 2014/2015, offers you a degree of choice in relation to the content of your dissertation.

You may:

(i) Complete a project requiring full implementation in your organisation during the lifetime of the programme

(ii) Design and delineate a detailed project and implementation plan for a project that might be subsequently implemented after the programme.

The dissertation is a major piece of work and is currently worth 30 credits. Because of this, both dissertation options have been assessed for equity (see Appendix 1). Detailed guidelines are provided to allow you to decide on the approach most suited to you.

1.4 What is an organisational development project?

The dissertation for the MSc programmes is an action-based organisational development project. Students are expected to construct, plan, implement and evaluate an organisational development within their organisation. This is a “live” project tackling real organisational issues. Students are expected to take the lead in implementing the project and to take responsibility for ensuring it is successful.

There are a number of differing and complementary views on the nature and assumptions of organisational development. This programme draws on the definition provide by Cummings & Worley (2009);

Organizational development is a systematic application and transfer of behavioural science knowledge to planned development, improvement, and reinforcement of the strategies, structures and processes that lead to organizational effectiveness’ (p.1)

The organisational development approach adopted for this programme is underpinned by the traditions of action research, particularly the work of Coghlan & Brannick (2014). Senior & Swailes (2010: 326) argue that action research ‘is a collaborative effort between leaders and facilitators of any change and those who have to enact it’. Senior & Swailes have further developed this concept and presented an OD model of change (Figure 1.) that present a dynamic process that embraces action research. It is important to appreciate that this approach does not consider change as a ‘one-off’ event but an on-going process.

Figure1. Senior & Swailes (2010) OD Model of Change

However, due to the constraints of the programme students are expected to conduct their project within the time parameters. Using the Coghlan and Brannick approach

students would normally be expected to complete one full action research cycle

(diagnosing/constructing, planning, taking action, and evaluating action – Figure 2).

Figure 2. Coghlan & Brannick (2014) Action research cycle

1.5 The purpose of the project

The purpose of the project is twofold. Firstly, it acts as a capstone for the programme by providing an opportunity for the student to put into practice and demonstrate what they have learned. It is hoped that the student will further develop skills as a leader and manager by implementing a real evidence-based organisational development within their own work context. Secondly, it is hoped the project will have an organisational impact and contribute to improvements in service provision. The project also allows the student to develop skills in planning for, evaluating and measuring this organisational impact.

1.6 An evidence-based approach to organisational development

Evidence-based practice is the foundation for good leadership and management. It is expected that the dissertation will be informed by sound evidence drawn from published research, organisational and national data and other creditable sources. The student is expected to analyse their own organisation and/or service and identify appropriate areas for development that is supported by evidence. The student is also required to be familiar with relevant literature related to their project topic area. This will be demonstrated through conducting a systematic-like literature review that draws on research papers, reports and other relevant sources. In addition, students will need to be informed by the general literature on organisational change and development and to consider the most appropriate model of organisational development to help guide their project.

1.7 Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this project students will be able to:

1. Evaluate the complexities of leading organisational development.

2. Critically analyse their organisational environment to identify an area for planning, implementing and evaluating organisational development in p

3. Critically analyse previous evidence in the subject area and use this to inform organisational development

4. Undertake or plan an evidence-based organisational development project which demonstrates an ability to lead and evaluate the complex processes inherent in organisational development.

5. Reflect critically on their practice to evaluate the impact of their OD project upon their organisation and themselves as health practitione

6. Demonstrate the ability to produce a poster for dissemination and presentation of their OD project at organisational meetings, seminars and conference

1.8 Choosing a Topic

Students are encouraged to consider the following criteria when selecting their organisational development project.

The project should focus on an issue which:

requires a change or development to the ‘way things are done’.
is a legitimate part of their role, for which they have responsibility.
is perceived as challenging, but not overwhelming.
they have agreed with their line manager or person with appropriate authority.
will have identifiable meaningful and tangible outcomes (i.e. how will you know that the outcomes have been achieved?)
will bring measurable and/or identifiable benefits to the organisation.
fits with the organisations strategy.

In deciding which topic to pursue it is helpful to consider the following questions. While there are no clear prescriptions to be found in the answers, they will provide a basis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each proposed topic carries.

Am I interested in making a change to the current situation?
How much do I know about this situation?
Can I cope with the likely demands?
Do the potential benefits to the organisation match the time and effort I am likely to put in?
Are the resources (time, facilities, money, equipment, staffing, knowledge, skills, etc.) available to make this project achievable?
Will I need to learn new techniques and methods?
Does the project have a clear end/outcome?
What could go wrong, and how can I avoid such problems?
What is the likely balance between practical and desk work (i.e. doing vs. reading, collecting information and analysing) and how does this relate to the project objectives?

1.9 Providing evidence to support reasons for selecting project

It is important that students provide organisational evidence to support the reason they have selected the project and to align their project with organisational priorities and strategies. This will help create a sense of urgency during the initiation stage of the OD process and increase the likelihood of success. Students are encouraged to use appropriate change management and organisational development tools (e.g. force field analysis, SWOT, Pareto charts, stakeholder analysis etc.) to help inform the diagnoses of the current situation within the organisation. The raw data from the tools can be included in the appendices of the project report. The benefit of using the particular tool should be stated in the text, supported by reference to the appropriate literature.

1.10 Access to Previous Dissertation Projects

Dissertation reports are available for students to view online at http://epubs.rcsi.ie. Posters can be viewed online on the VLE and the website www.rcsileadership.org or at www.hseland.ie.

1.11 Choosing an organisational development model

Students are required to choose a model of organisational development to guide their project. The organisational development models that should be used are Senior and Swailes (2010) OD Model for Change, or the Health Service Executive (2008) Change Model (Table 1). The rationale for choosing the model must be discussed in chapter 3 and justified in the context of relevant literature (see Table 2: General notes on structure). Note that if required a PDSA cycle can be incorporated into the OD process/ model.

Table 1: Organisational Development models of change

Senior & Swailes1

HSE Change Model2

1. Diagnose current situation

2. Develop a vision for change

3. Gain commitment to the vision

4. Develop an action plan

5. Implement the change

6. Assess and reinforce change

1. Initiation

2. Planning

3. Implementation

4. Mainstreaming

1Senior, B. & Swailes, S. (2010) Organisational change. Edinburgh: Pearson Education.

2HSE (2008) Improving our services: A user’s guide to managing change in the Health Service Executive. Dublin: Health Service

Executive.

2.0 Project Proposal

Students are required to submit a project proposal for review prior to commencing the project (see assignment for submission date). An assignment descriptor and template is provided on the VLE that outlines the submission requirements.

Students will be provided with feedback on their proposal. The feedback will also indicate whether or not the student should proceed with their project.

2.1 Project Sponsorship, Permission and Completion

To ensure the quality and authenticity of the projects students are required to obtain permission to carry out their project within the participating organisation and confirmation that the project was carried out and completed. Students are required to identify an organisational project sponsor within their organisation who will support the project. The sponsor selected must also have the appropriate authority to provide permission for the project to be carried out. Students are required to submit a completed ‘Permission & Sponsorship Form’ (appendix 3) prior to commencing their project. On completion of the project, the sponsor is also required to confirm (appendix 4) that the project was carried out and completed within the organisation. Students are required to submit a completed ‘Project Confirmation Form’ (appendix 4) when submitting their dissertation. The following forms are available on the VLE;

Permission & Sponsorship Form
Project Confirmation Form

The timeframe for submission of this information is also outlined in the Timeline

document available on the VLE.

2.2 Ethical Approval

Students are required to ensure compliance with all ethical and/or other organisational requirements before commencing their project. All projects must be reviewed by the ethics committee attached to the organisation where the project will be carried out. In the event that there is no ethics committee attached to the organisation an application for ethics approval must be made to the RCSI Ethics Committee. Where approval is granted from another ethics committee, the approval letter must be sent to the RCSI Ethics Committee together with supporting documentation that accompanied the application. In the event that a research ethics committee decides that ethical approval is not required a letter confirming this decision must be sent to the RCSI Ethics Committee, as a record. Details of this process will be given on the VLE. Further information and related documentation can be accessed by registering at http://ethics.rcsi.ie/. A copy of the letter confirming that ethical approval was granted or not required must be included in the appendices of the dissertation report.

2.3 Deposition of a dissertation on the online RCSI repository and HSEland.

The copyright for the dissertation is owned by the individual student and has the status of an unpublished manuscript under the Copyright Act 2000 (Ireland). The RCSI Institute of Leadership embraces the ethos of sharing and disseminating academic work to the wider community. The main methods used by the Institute are via the RCSI epublications site (http://epubs.rcsi.ie), the RCSI Institute of Leadership website and HSEland. To allow the RCSI Institute of Leadership to make your dissertation (report and poster), available students are required to provide permission. This is done in two ways;

1) Including the following declaration as part of your dissertation

‘I agree to deposit this dissertation in the RCSI epublications open access repository or allow the RCSI Library to do so on my behalf, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation.’

‘I agree for my dissertation poster to be included in the book of posters made available on the RCSI website, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation.’

‘I agree for my dissertation poster to be included in the book of posters made available on the HSEland website, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation.’

2) Completing the online declaration when uploading your dissertation.

Open access epublication dissertations are freely available over the internet for users to read, copy, download, and distribute subject to Irish Copyright Legislation.

e-publications@RCSI is an open access repository of research and scholarly output of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The service is maintained and managed by the RCSI Library.

3.0 Dissertation Project

The organisational development dissertation comprises of two components; the main report and poster. Guidance on the requirements for each of the components is outlined below and also available on the assignment descriptor (available on the VLE).

3.1 Word Count

The word count is as follows for the project report is 15,000 words (+/-10%). The abstract that is included in the project report should be 200-250 words. No word limit is specified for the main body of the poster. The word count for the report starts from the first word of chapter 1 to the final word of chapter 5.

3.2 Confidentiality

The confidentiality of information or data collected or included as part of the dissertation is sometimes an issue of concern for students and their organisation. Confidentiality can be maintained by avoiding the identification of the institution or of staff/personnel. Please see 2.3 for information on ‘Deposition of a dissertation on the online RCSI repository and HSEland’.

3.3 General notes on the structure of the report

The chapter headings for the main report are outlined in Table 2. The discussion in each of the chapter should make use of the current literature on the topic area.

Table 2: General notes on structure

No.	Chapters
1.	Introduction
2.	Literature Review
3.	Organisational Development Process
4.	Evaluation
5.	Discussion & Conclusion

3.4 Poster presentation

Students are required to submit a poster as part of their project dissertation. The poster should provide a summary of the completed project providing information on the following:

Introduction and background
Aim and objectives
Methodology and Methods
Evaluation
Organisational impact
Conclusion
References

A poster presentation of the OD project is scheduled for one of the seminars. This will provide an opportunity to receive feedback from colleagues and facilitator on the visual representation, which summarises the project. Resources are available on the VLE to help guide the student in preparing their poster (note that you must comply with the RCSI template and colours – appendix 9). Also, a poster workshop will also be provided to assist students with poster design and development.

Guidance on poster submission;

Upload poster onto the VLE as a PowerPoint slide (ppt) file.
A colour copy of the poster should be included as part of the appendices of the softbound copy of the dissertation report (Ireland).
A separate A3 size colour hard copy of the poster is required to be submitted

(Ireland only).

3.5 Reflection

Students are required to reflect on the experience of carrying out their project during the OD process (in practice). The reflection ‘in practice’ should focus on the experience, feeling, thoughts and emotions during the OD process. This should be recorded on a regular basis throughout the year. The reflection (cycle) provides an opportunity to reflect on the experience and learning that has taken place while carrying out the organisational development. Students are required to select an appropriate reflective model to help structure their reflections (such as Gibbs’, Kolb, Rolfe). Resources to help guide students in the use of reflection are available on the VLE. Students are required to submit five reflections ‘in practice’ as a separate document to the dissertation report or via a link to their eportfolio. The reflection is not part of the word count for the project report and that references are not a requirement. The reflections are not graded. However, students are required to submit the structured reflections to enable them to successfully complete the Year 2 programme.

3.6 Submission of dissertation

Students are required to upload the three components of the dissertation onto the VLE before the assignment submission deadline. Also, students in Ireland are required to submit a softbound copy of their dissertation and poster. Please note that late submission will not be accepted and the VLE will automatically close at the designated time.

4.0 Student support

Student support during the project will be provided through the use of facilitated action learning, peer-led action learning, seminars and online support.

Action Learning

The Institute of Leadership embraces the principles of action learning informed by the work of Reg Revan’s ABC of Action Learning (2011) and the Office for Health Management document Action Learning (2003). The set meetings are action orientated and provide an opportunity for students to question and explore new ways of thinking. To help assist students a guide for facilitators and participants is variable on the VLE – RCSI Institute of Leadership Action Learning: A Guide for Facilitators & Participants

Facilitated Action Learning

Each student will be allocated to action learning group for the duration of year 2. The group will be supported by a designated facilitator. The establishment of rapport and trust between facilitator and student is fundamental to building a positive working relationship. Students are required to attend all meetings and to participate actively in the process to both gain and provide support and guidance. A mark will be allocated for attendance. Full marks can be achieved by attending a minimum of 5

ALS and seminar sessions. The signed record of attendance will be used to inform the allocation of these marks. The group meetings will also be an opportunity for

facilitators to supervise the progress of group members. When a situation arises where a student does not avail of the support offered, their dissertation may not be accepted for submission. Please note that the facilitator will be, in some cases, the marker of the project. Samples of projects are reviewed as part of the internal and external moderation process.

Peer-Led Action Learning

In addition, students are encouraged to participate actively in peer-led action learning that are separate to the group facilitated action learning and seminar sessions. The time and venue for the meetings should be negotiated between group members. Meetings rooms are available but will need to be booked in advance through the Administration Office. Alternatively, meeting could be arranged using computer-mediated-communication (VLE, Go-To-Meeting, Skype, WhatsApp, Google Groups etc.).

Action Learning Set Review for ALS Members and Facilitator

At the end of the meeting, it can be very helpful for ALS members and the Facilitator to review and record the key points, questions, or insights that arose during the ALS meeting. This review provides the opportunity to focus and identify specific actions agreed. These reviews can be kept and revisited at later meetings either to demonstrate the extent of progress that has been made or to consider alternatives actions if an ALS member finds themselves in a position where the same issue recurs, and they are it difficult to make progress. The recording and use of the review record is the responsibility of each An Action Learning Set Member Review template is available in appendix 5.

Seminars

Seminars will be made available throughout the academic year to assist students. Seminars will be scheduled in conjunction with the action learning set meetings. The focus of the seminars will be a mixture of students led and faculty-led sessions. Each supervision group will be expected to deliver at least one session to the whole group.

Students should contact the Programme Director for queries related to the programme.

Online Resources

In addition to the extensive library resources provided by the RCSI, a number of online resources are available to support students. These resources include;

Grammarly	‘An online grammar and spell checking application that improves communication by helping users find and correct English writing issues. Grammarly provides context and correction suggestions about grammar, spelling, vocabulary usage, and plagiarism’. Grammarly also includes an MS Word and Outlook plugin that enables you to use the application as you type. Grammarly.com
Turnitin	‘is the leading originality checking and plagiarism prevention service used by millions of students and faculty, and thousands of institutions worldwide. Turnitin encourages best practices for using and citing other people’s written material.’ Turnitin.com
Lynda.com	‘lynda.com is a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals’. Lynda.com.
Academic Phrasebank	‘The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation’. This resources is provided on line by The University of Manchester http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/ A more detailed pdf version that conatins 40% more phrases is avaiable to IOL students which includes sections on · tips for academic writing · sentence and paragraph structure · characteristics of academic style · commonly confused words · British and US spelling · punctuation · article use

OnlineLibrary resources can be accessed at

RCSI Library www.rcsi.ie/library
Al Maktoum Medical Library http://www.amml.ac.ae/ (Dubai only)
RCSI Bahrain http://www.rcsi-mub.com/ (Bahrain only)

Students are also encouraged to make use of other online resources that are accessible on the internet. These include reference managers (Mendeley, Zotero, Endnote etc.), HSEland and Google Scholar.

4.1 Feedback

Written feedback will be provided to students on draft elements of their dissertation throughout the year. The specific elements are

Proposal
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 (structure, search strategy and one key element)
Final draft

Please refer to the VLE for expected timeline for sumision of drafts.

To ensure that students are ready to submit their dissertation for marking feedback will be given on a final draft submission of the report. All students are required to submit a final draft for review. Feedback on the draft will be provided by group supervisors or by other faculty. The draft should consist of a complete project report, which includes appendices and references. Students are expected to proofread drafts for spelling and grammatical errors (please note that the supervisor will not provide feedback on spelling, grammatical and typographical errors) prior to submission for review. Students are required to ensure that they have adhered to the guidelines on structure, formatting and referencing and RCSI Examinations and Assessments Regulations regarding plagiarism and academic integrity.

5.0 Dissertation format, layout and presentation.

This section provides guidance on the expected standard for the formatting, layout and presentation of your dissertation.

5.1 Overall structure

The report should contain the following elements:

Front page (appendix 5)
Declaration sheet (appendix 7) – Ireland only
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Abstract
List of Tables
List of Figures
Main body of text (5 chapters, see below)
Reference List
Appendices

The text must be:

Left aligned or justified
Recommended font – Arial size 12pt
Double or one-and-a-half spacing

5.2 What should be included in each chapter?

1.0 Introduction

This chapter should provide an introduction to the dissertation and provide a clear statement of the organisational development (OD) that you plan to introduce. This chapter must, at a minimum, include the following;

· Details about the organisation and the context of the change.

· The rationale for carrying out the project.

· A description of the project leading to the specific aim & SMART objectives set

(see Appendix 2 for more information).

· The role of the student in the organisation and the project.

· Signpost the reader to the remaining chapters

2.0 Literature Review

This chapter should be a systematic type review that draws extensively on the literature relevant to your selected topic area. A short description of your search strategy should be included that details the parameters set for your review, such as search terms, databases used, date parameters, types of literature and inclusion/exclusion criteria. The number of articles or literature included in the review should also be stated. The review is expected to provide a concentrated critique of the literature on the project topic area. Also, it should outline the implications for the project and provide evidence to support the rationale for the change. This chapter should not be a summary of the actual change or the change literature. The literature review should conclude with a brief overall summary of the findings.

3.0 Organisational Development Process

The main focus of this chapter is to detail the OD methodology and methods utilised in carrying out the project. This should be structured using the OD model that you have selected to help guide your project (see page 1.8). A brief critical review approach to OD should be provided along with a rationale for the model selected. The chapter should outline the practices you engaged in with reference to the literature on OD and change. Consideration should be given to the financial impact and value for money of your project. Note that if required a PDSA cycle can be incorporated into the OD process/ model. Your reflections can be incorporated into this chapter to help support the discussion on your experience.

4.0 Evaluation

This chapter provides details of the methods of evaluation employed and the analysis carried out. Quantitative and/or qualitative data/metrics should be included in this chapter. Reference should be made to the literature associated with your chosen methods. Please note that it is important to that the evaluation should be linked directly to the stated objectives in Chapter 1. If financial objectives have been set they should be reported in this chapter. A brief discussion on the importance of healthcare evaluation should be provided at the start of the chapter.

5.0 Discussion & Conclusions

This chapter draws together the findings from your project, your experience of introducing change and a discussion of how your project relates to the literature discussed in chapter 2. This should take the form of a critical discussion of your experience of leading the OD process as described in Chapter 3 and your evaluation findings as described in Chapter 4. Links to your literature from Chapter 2 should be made where appropriate. Your reflections can be incorporated into this chapter to help support the discussion on your experience.

This chapter should conclude with a discussion of the impact that your project has had on the organisation, contribution to practice and/or theory and recommendations for future improvements.

6.0 Generic Recommendations for the presentation of the dissertation

The project must be written using chapters and headings. Presentation of the project for submission must adhere to the following:

6.1 Cover

Binding (Ireland Only)

Softbound – heat or ring bound.

Front page

The title page must bear the title of the work in at least 24pt (8mm) type. The title should describe the content of the dissertation project accurately and concisely (not more than 15 words). The name and initials of the candidate, the qualification for which the work is submitted (e.g. a dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of the degree of MSc in [Healthcare Management, Institute of Leadership, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), word count and the year of submission must also be shown. Please see template available on the VLE.

6.2 Layout

Double or one-and-a-half spacing is recommended in typescripts, except for indented quotations and footnotes, where single spacing may be used.

6.3 Pagination

Pages shall be numbered consecutively throughout the dissertation, including appendices, but excluding photographs and/or diagrams that are not embodied in the text.

Position of Page Numbers: Page numbers shall be located centrally at the bottom of the page.

6.4 Point of View: first or third person construct and gender neutral language

It is common for students to ask whether they should write in the first (‘I did’) or third person (‘this was done’). While there are no definitive rules, it is recommended that students consider adopting an approach that best suits what is being discussed. This can change throughout the dissertation.

For example

Chapter 1.	A mixture of both first and third person construct but predominately first.
Chapter 2.	The literature review is considering the views of others and should be written in the third person.
Chapter 3.	This chapter will describe your involvement in the OD process and is written in the first person. However, it will be appropriate to use the third person in some instances.
Chapter 4.	Quantitative results are written in the third person. Qualitative results can be written in the first person.
Chapter 5.	The discussion is a mixture of both the first and third person construct.

When writing your dissertation, it is important to use terminology that treats different gender equally. To avoid the use of ‘his’ or ‘her’ the plural can be used e.g. ‘Hospital managers have increasingly complex roles; their duties include…’ rather than ‘The Hospital Manager has…; her duties include…’

6.5 A table of contents with page numbers

The table of contents should list chapter headings and subheadings and should be exactly the same as the headings in the text (a template is provided for reference in Appendix 8). References and appendices should be listed following all other sections.

The list of tables following the main contents page should contain details of all tables with page numbers. The list of figures following the main contents page or a list of tables (whichever is relevant) should contain details of all figures with page numbers.

Please Note: Headings in bold font should act as main headings, subheadings are in italics only. Avoid using coloured font in the project report.

6.6 Acknowledgements

This section should include an acknowledgement to all who have provided support during the project process. It can also include those who participated in the change, and the organisation in which the project has taken place (without naming the organisation).

6.7 Abstract

The abstract should be a brief but comprehensive summary of the dissertation project.
Approximate length 200-250 words (one-typed paragraph with single-line spacing)
It is usually the last section to be written but the first to be read by reviewers.
The abstract must be written in a language that could be understood by an informed layperson.
It must communicate the essential parts of the dissertation and follow the same order as the dissertation.
Suggested headings include;

– Aims

– Rationale

– Change Process

– Evaluation

– Results & Conclusion

Abbreviations and references should not be used in the abstract.

6.8 Structuring chapters

Chapters should be divided using sections and subsections as required. It is advisable to use headings and subheadings and number these subsections. For example Chapter 1 sections may be numbered as follows, 1.1, 1.2, etc. and Chapter 2 would be numbered 2.1, 2.2 (see Appendix 8). Headings and numbering provide the reader with a ‘signpost’ throughout the report. Figures should be labelled as figure 1, 2, 3, as they appear in the text. The tables should also be labelled Table 1, 2, 3 as they are presented.

It is important to inform the reader briefly what is going to be addressed at the beginning of each chapter and provide a brief summary at the end of the chapter. It is important that summaries are brief and do not include any new information. Each chapter should stand alone but should link to each other. This will remind the reader of the key points throughout the dissertation project.

Student Information/Equity Template
Module: Dissertation
Assessment Choice	Assessment: OD Project Implementation	Assessment: OD Project plan and presentation
Requires ethics approval	Yes	No, so long as based on desk research
Weighting toward Module assessment	100%	100%
Details of Assessment	Report 80% (240/300) Poster 10% (30/300) Attendance 10% (30/300)	Report 70% (210/300) Presentation 20% (60/300) Attendance 10% (30/300)
Why might this suit you?	Organisational capacity and ethics approval available	Organisational capacity and ethics approval not applicable
Learning Outcomes to be assessed	All	All
Equity in marking procedures	As above for weighting Internal & external moderation	As above for weighting Internal & external moderation
Equity in Teaching & Learning Activities to support	Facilitated action learning Peer-led action learning Workshops/Seminars	Facilitated action learning Peer-led action learning Workshops/Seminars
Equity in Feedback mechanisms	Written feedback aligned to learning outcomes	Written and panel feedback aligned to learning outcomes.
Student Workload Expectations	Same	Same
Examples of assessment method available to student beforehand (if unfamiliar)	e-publications Posters on website	e-publications and sample of the detailed plan from last year

Topic: Dissertation on Using Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections to the Hemato-oncology and Bone Marrow in a Saudi Arabian Hospital}

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