Leadership – Strategic Projects

Service: Risk Management
Subject: Leadership
Type: Risk Profiles

Deficiencies/failures in large scale projects (e.g. redevelopment, strategic plan projects) can negatively impact a healthcare organization’s operations, finances and reputation. Factors contributing to large scale project deficiencies/failures can include cost overruns, schedule delays, failure to meet key milestones/deliverables, scope creep, cancellation, personnel changes, resource capacity, and stakeholder dissatisfaction. This document contains information entered by HIROC subscriber healthcare organizations (acute and non-acute) in the Risk Register application to help you in your assessment of this risk.

Ranking / Ratings

  • Likelihood – average score 3.00
  • Impact – average score 3.36

The Risk Register allows for risks to be assessed on a five-point likelihood and impact scale, with five being the highest.

Key Controls/Mitigation strategies

  • Project priority setting and harmonization across organization
  • Strong project governance including senior leadership accountability for each project
  • Project management and portfolio management best practices, processes and staff resources
  • Efficient allocation of financial and human resources
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Strategic partnership and/or collaboration with third parties (e.g. vendors, ministry)
  • Formalized and thorough RFP process
  • Clearly defined scope, plans, timelines, measures, deliverables 
  • Regular communication and reporting processes to target audiences
  • Change management processes
  • Project risk identification, analysis, mitigation strategies and any gaps
  • Contingency planning processes
  • Insurance (building/construction)
  • Communication plan (internal and/or external)

Monitoring/Indicators

  • Project reports;
    • key milestones achieved/missed (e.g. monthly)
    • project costs and timeline
  • Regular review/re-prioritization of all projects (e.g. bi-annual)
  • Reporting at the board level; committee to oversee the strategic project
Date last reviewed:
This is a resource for quality assurance and risk management purposes only, and is not intended to provide or replace legal or medical advice or reflect standards of care and/or standards of practice of a regulatory body. The information contained in this resource was deemed accurate at the time of publication, however, practices may change without notice.