Solved: The 10 Strategic Points for the Prospectus, Proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project

Instructions

Introduction: In the Prospectus, Proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project there are 10 key or strategic points that need to be clear, simple, correct, and aligned to ensure the project is doable, valuable, and credible. These points, which provide a guide or vision for the project, are present in almost any project.

They are defined within "The 10 Strategic Points for the Prospectus, Proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project" (10 Strategic Points) document.

The ten strategic points are developed in table format. The Process for Defining the 10 Strategic Points The order of the 10 strategic points listed above reflects the order in which the learner completes the work product.

The first five strategic points focus primarily on defining the focus for the project based on a clearly defined need or gap from the literature as well as the learner�s passion, purpose, and specialty area focus.

First, learners identify a broad topic area to investigate for their Direct Practice Improvement (DPI) Project based on a clearly defined need or gap from the literature or practice problem, and one in which they are interested based on personal passion, future career purpose, and degree being pursued.

Second, learners complete a review of the literature to define the need or gap to be addressed, the theories and models that will provide a foundation for the project, related topics that are needed to demonstrate the learners expertise in the field, and to define the key strategic points behind the learners proposed project.

Third, the learners develop a clear, simple, one-sentence problem statement that defines the problem or gap that will be addressed by the DPI project.

Fourth, learners identify potential population samples for which they would have access in order to collect the data for the project, considering the fact the quantitative sample sizes need to be much larger than those for qualitative studies.

Fifth, learners develop the clinical/PICOT question(s) that will define the data needed to address the problem statement.

Based on the first five strategic points above, learners next define the key aspects of the project methodology through the last five strategic points.

The sixth point describes the independent and dependent variables. Seventh, learners determine if the project will be a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methodology. Due to the nature of the DPI project requirements, most projects will be utilizing a quantitative method because learners are not creating new project in a qualitative project. Qualitative projects often do not facilitate the intervention needed to demonstrate direct practice improvement. Please note that if you choose a qualitative project, you are still responsible for ensuring practice improvement is demonstrated through your work. Additionally, learners must be able to perform both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. A qualitative project with numbers or descriptive statistics does not mean it is mixed method project. Qualitative data can be displayed using tables, charts, graphs and descriptive statistics. Following are samples for a quantitative project and a qualitative project. A mixed method project, which includes quantitative and qualitative methods, takes much more time and many more resources to complete and is not recommended unless learners have a significant amount of extra time and resources to complete it.

For the eighth strategic point, learners develop a purpose statement by integrating the problem statement, methodology, design, sample, and location.

Ninth, learners identify the data they will need to collect to address the clinical questions or hypotheses and how they will collect the data (e.g., interviews, focus groups, observations, tested and validated instruments or surveys, databases, public media, etc.).

Tenth and last, learners identify the appropriate data analysis, based on their project design, which will be used to answer the clinical questions and address the problem statement.

Criteria for Evaluating the 10 Strategic Points: Clear, Simple, Correct, and Aligned When developing a project, it is important to define the 10 strategic points so they are simple, clear, and correct in order to ensure that anyone who reviews them will easily understand them.

It is important to align all of the 10 strategic points to ensure it will be possible to conduct and complete the project.

The problem statement must come out of the literature or practice problem. The clinical questions must collect the data needed to answer the problem statement. The methodology and design must be appropriate for the problem statement and PICOT questions.

The data collection and data analysis must provide the information to answer the PICOT questions. Developing the 10 Strategic Points document as a two- or three-page document can help ensure clarity, simplicity, correctness, and alignment of each of these 10 key or strategic points in the prospectus, proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project.

Developing these 10 strategic points in this format also provides an easy-to-use use template to ensure the 10 strategic points will always be worded the same throughout the prospectus, proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project.

Value of the 10 Strategic Points Document The 10 Strategic Points document can be used for communicating and aligning key stakeholders for the Direct Practice Improvement Project.

This document can be used to obtain agreement between the learner and the chair regarding the initial focus and approach for the project. The document can be used to review the proposed project with the people or organizations from whom learners need to gain permission to conduct their project, a critical step required before learners can develop their proposal. The document also proves useful for communicating the Direct Practice Improvement Project focus when attracting a Content Expert, as well as for reviewing the proposal with the Direct Practice Improvement Project committee and the AQR reviewers. Learners may choose to consult methodologists, statisticians, and editors in the process of developing the final manuscript. Examples of the 10 Strategic Points Document It is important that the 10 strategic points are clear, concise, doable, and aligned throughout the prospectus, proposal, and Direct Practice Improvement Project. Provided below is an example of a completed 10 Strategic Points document for a quantitative project.

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