Post Mortem-CPR

Post-Mortem-CPR Project

Projects should be planned carefully to ensure that the deliverables are met.  As such, certain elements are essential during the planning process. For example, these elements include defining the project, developing a plan, and deliver the project in a timely manner within budget constraints. Last year, I was contacted by a CPR instructor and asked to participate in a project with her to train 75 teachers in CPR and then certify them as CPR instructors.

A needs analysis was conducted through a survey of teachers to determine how many were already certified, how many held an expired certification and how many were already CPR instructors at some point.  This was important information to understand where the training should begin. Would there need to be a novice class, an intermediate class for those who had been certified in the past and then how many would need to be taught how to be an instructor verses those who just needed to demonstrate technique and show class rosters of participants?

I met with the instructor who had hired me and did a little planning and looked at the survey results. All teachers had been certified in the past yet no one had ever been certified as an instructor. We determined we needed three sessions.

           Part 1: Demonstrate CPR to the group, practice with the group, and certify the group in CPR.

           Part 2: Certify the teacher on how to train the students including the use of videos, worksheets, rubrics                      and grading.

           Part 3: Train the teachers on how to complete and submit the student rosters. ( This allows the student to                  then be certified in CPR)

I was a co trainer, so I assumed that the instructor would be prepared for the training.  We did not have a brainstorming session that defined our roles. We were not creating deliverables but were planning to execute the ones already in place. We spoke briefly about what she wanted me to do.

My job duties included:

•             Unpack and assemble the mannequins, the manuals, the videos and the face shields.
•             Set up the sign in rosters for the teachers.
•             Observe teachers as they demonstrate technique and check off the tasks on the rubric.
•             Assist 4 groups of 4 students each (16 teachers) on being an instructor. This includes planning              instruction for the other student in the class.

Problems:

The instructor did not check the school that we were using for training to see if they had working technology for the videos, such as projector and screen or television and DVD player. This was not available in the room and the time delay in searching for this set us back by 45 minutes. The rosters and the rubrics were not printed prior to the teacher’s arrival. We both arrived 1 hour early to set up. I was unfamiliar with the type of mannequins that the instructor had and it took me much longer than expected to set up the mannequins for practice.

Most of this could have been avoided by simply creating an implementation strategy and ensuring that the deliverables and the technology was ready. This project also had multiple objectives and multiple tasks that included certification and instructor requirements. This training could be better by following the Phases of the Project Management:

•            Planning-We could have met to enhance communication.
•            Scheduling-This phase is to coordinate people and resources to achieve the goals of the training.
•            Controlling-Monitoring progress of the project by anticipation of problems and have backup plans
•            Terminating-taking action to prevent problems in the future. Evaluation of the instructor is critical           for improving.

The project manager needs to be flexible, identify impacts of changes, and communicate the advantages and disadvantages of the change. (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008)

                                                                       References:

           Lin, H. (2006). Instructional project management: An emerging professional practice for design and training programs. Workforce Education Forum, 33(2).Reprinted by permission of the author.

           Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E.                           (2008).Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John           Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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