The Macmillan Method

Charities all over the UK are faced with a challenge to implement new processes and fundraising initiatives in an ever-evolving and increasingly complex environment.
 
New technology, changes in legislation and the need to get the very best results from the limited funds available mean that a significant proportion of Macmillan Cancer Supports portfolio of work is project based.

Our programme of work is ultimately aimed towards helping us better understand the two million people living with cancer, their needs and how we can better meet those needs, says Stephen Adjaidoo, evidence library project manager at Macmillan.

The charity funds research that focuses on understanding and improving the lives of people affected by cancer. The results of that research are then turned into practical, cost-effective solutions and better quality services. In 2011, 1.9m was invested in research, representing 1.8 per cent of its total charitable spend.

Stephen explains that the charitys work is heavily reliant on evidence. At Macmillan, we define evidence as insight that can be applied and used to change practice and guide decisions. It can be for internal and external audiences, qualitative or quantitative, and can include the collation and interpretation of existing evidence as well as the commissioning or generation of new evidence.

Over the past two years, Macmillan has built up a considerable body of evidence about people affected by cancer in general and our various specific customer groups, products and services. This includes insight and information about donors and fundraising products, Macmillan professionals, our learning and development offering, and service evaluations.

Some of this information is internal business intelligence, driving better internal decisions within Macmillan. However, other pieces of insight and evidence are used externally, particularly for more effective influencing and better engagement of donors and partners.

As its evidence base grew, the charity realised that it needed to improve how the evidence was stored and managed. We operate in an increasingly competitive sector where charitable giving, brand presence and share of voice are under constant pressure, says Stephen. In order to maintain and increase our market share, we have to use evidence to regularly demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of our services.

Additionally, a new generation of charity supporters across all demographic levels demand greater transparency, more convincing evidence of impact and a more personalised and rewarding supporter experience.

Macmillan started looking at some of its key partners, other charities and corporate bodies and quickly found that managing evidence is a relatively new focus for many organisations. That being the case, there were few relevant best-practice examples. However, it was clear that managing evidence was becoming a key priority across the field.

Building an evidence library
For the first time, Macmillan developed a single, unified plan to identify the evidence needed across the organisation to deliver its strategic aims.
The plan, known as the Promoting Evidence Programme (PEP), is designed to ensure that all the evidence created at Macmillan can be easily used, shared and communicated. Stephen says: Historically our evidence has been stored in a variety of places, including shared drives and the intranet, making it harder to access. The PEP includes an evidence library project, which will develop, populate and launch an internal knowledge and insight library an evidence portal.

The library will be available for all Macmillan staff to enable easy access to quality-assured, reliable and up-to-date evidence.

The plan is to give staff easier access to relevant and insightful information in the hope of helping Macmillan reach its goal of basing all internal decisions on the best evidence available. Stephen adds: To further support this approach we have also broadened the types of evidence that we commission, generate and use across the organisation. They now include health data analysis, strategic insight and evaluation alongside academic research.

One of the first phases of the PEP, completed in late 2012, is the enhanced presence of research on Macmillans external website. This included giving the existing research section greater visibility in the navigation structure to allow easier access, consolidating existing content into one place and creating 22 new pages for the research and evidence teams and their outputs.

New content includes in-depth insight reports known as rich pictures, evaluation reports, infographics, academic and market-research outputs, and information about Macmillans research collaborations. As part of the wider PEP we will survey our internal and external audiences in order to measure the impact of the changes to the website.

Using evidence to drive change
Macmillan has a hugely aspirational strategic plan, says Stephen. This is based on nine outcomes, or things that we want people affected by cancer to be able to say throughout their cancer journey by 2030.

He explains that in order for the charity to achieve these outcomes, it needs to work differently. Robust evidence is key to this new way of working. It will enable us to determine which models of care genuinely work best for patients and will provide the tools and credibility to influence statutory partners, politicians and policy makers. It will also enable us to forge new partnerships and to inspire people to work with us.

Through the PEP, we are making a steep change in the way insight and data is managed within our organisation. Consolidating our evidence base will help us improve our external profile and enhance our reputation as a thought-leader in cancer care and supporter insight.

Macmillans PEP and its evidence library are just two examples of an organisation with best practice at its core. The culture at the charity is certainly one of sharing lessons learned, embracing evidence of what works and what doesnt.

The charity employs the majority of its project managers on a contract basis, which creates a need for a consistent and effective way to manage projects, Stephen says: We have developed a tailored project process to ensure that our practitioners pass on their knowledge, lessons learned and best practice before they move on.

That tailored process is known as the Macmillan Project Management Methodology (PMM). To create it, the charity asked staff from across the organisation to help shape and embed the approach. The task involved building governance, developing skilled and confident project managers and creating an effective planning system that linked projects to Macmillan's strategic objectives.

Stephen adds: We looked for volunteers from each department who had prior experience in project or programme management. Those who were willing to participate and provide feedback were asked to join an internal working group. Members of the group were given the opportunity to be key ambassadors for their department while also developing their own project management skills and contributing toward a major organisational shift in delivering Macmillan's strategy.

Strengthening project management
Alongside the working group, the firms corporate strategy team developed a set of new project management tools based on PRINCE2 methodology to better support Macmillans project practitioners. The new tools included a project management framework to bring about a more consistent approach, and a set of documents to help managers plan what to do but also when, why and who can help. The four core documents a project brief (proposal stage), project definition document (planning stage), project progress report (implementation stage) and project closure report (integration stage) were designed to promote change management practices, reduce the bureaucratic burden on the team and department managers, and make the roles and responsibilities of project team members clear and easy to understand.
 
As part of the wider initiative at Macmillan, the Strengthening Project Management training programme was developed. This helps to improve the skills of existing practitioners as well as other staff who want to get involved in managing projects, explains Stephen. The programme combines training with the development of a community of practice for project managers. It includes a project methodology awareness-raising session, a project management skills workshop and a course on the nuances of managing a project at Macmillan in particular.

From the start of 2012 we added the new project management tools to the Macmillan intranet and made it compulsory for all project managers at Macmillan to use them for all new projects. We delivered the training programme for project managers in February and March and for other stakeholders later in the year.

In mid 2012, the charity ran an internal survey to find out how well it had communicated the new methodology and resources to staff. Of the people surveyed, most said the tools were useful, relevant and easy-to-use. The vast majority of respondents were using the methodology on a project they were currently managing, and many said that projects ran smoother than normal when they used the tools.

Stephen adds: Since its launch, the Macmillan PMM has been well received by staff. There was a particularly large amount of interest in how it was developed. The one-day training session was very well received with 73 per cent of people who evaluated the course rating it as excellent and 27 per cent rating it as good.

Project staff themselves also reported feeling more confident in their ability to manage projects going forward. The methodology and supporting tools were seen to many as a way of working to help remove some barriers of effective project management.

For charities the world over, getting the very best results from the limited funds available is key. Against an ever-evolving and increasingly complex environment, Macmillan may just have discovered the method to deliver. 

This article first appeared in Project magazine. APM members can read all feature articles from Project magazine over recent years by accessing the Project magazine archive.

Non-members can subscribe to the UK's best-read project management magazine for as little as 55 per year (10 copies), which includes access to the Project magazine archive. APM members automatically receive the magazine as part of their membership:

UK: 55

Europe: 65

International: 75

View a sample issue of Project

To order yours now, click "Subscribe" below: