5B Organisation Function & Structure

Question 1

What is systems thinking?

Answer 1

A framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns rather than static snapshots

Example of systems thinking is an integrated care partnership, which can include
- Health services
- Social care
- Children’s services
- Education
- VCSE
- Emergency services
- Local authorities
etc

Question 2

What is a model for describing an organisation?

Answer 2

McKinsey 7S

Strategy
Structure
Systems
Skills
Staff
Style
Shared values

Question 3

What are different organisational structures?

Answer 3

Divisional: different divisions for products or geographic areas, which may each have their own HR, finance etc (maybe an example is ICBs?)

Functional: grouping based on service provided e.g. hospitals - HR, different clinical departments

Matrix: different projects employ expertise of staff from different division or function groups, often under a project manager

Question 4

What does stakeholder analysis involve?

Answer 4

1. Identifying a comprehensive list of stakeholders
2. Assessing the degree of INTEREST and POWER of each stakeholders to determine whether to: monitor (low interest, low power), keep informed (high interest, low power), keep satisfied (low interest, high power) or monitor closely (high power and high interest)

Question 5

In healthy policy, what are the benefits of integrated care?

Answer 5

• Reduces costs (e.g. through better prevention of adverse outcomes such as readmission)
• Improves patient experience

Question 6

What are the basic components of a social network?

Answer 6

Nodes: individual actors

Ties: range from family acquaintances to close familial lies

Question 7

What is the maximum size of a person’s social network and what is this called?

Answer 7

150 people (Dunbar’s number)

Question 8

What is a framework for understanding external influences on an organisation in a public health context?

Answer 8

DEPESTELI

D: Demographic characteristics of the population
E: Epidemiology of diseases and risk factors in the population
P: Political factors
E: Economic factors
S: Sociology factors
T: Technological factors
E: Ecological factors
L: Legislative/legal factors
I: Industry analysis