Note: You are strongly encouraged to complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

Required Deliverables

Parts 1–3 of this five part assessment will guide the recommendations you make in Part 4, and help determine what form of leadership is needed in Part 5.

• Part 1: SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or PEST (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological) Analysis Table.
• Part 2: Brief Organizational Assessment Narrative and Organizational Scorecard Table.
• Part 3: Brief Gap Analysis Narrative and Gap Analysis Table.
• Part 4: Executive Briefing Report.
• Part 5: Brief Leadership Implications Narrative.

Preparation

Before you create and submit your Deliverables, select a familiar health care organization to use in each assessment in this course. Choose the organization where you currently work, an organization where you have previously worked, or an organization where you might like to work in the future.

Directions

Conduct an organizational analysis for your selected organization. Incorporate each of the following parts and be sure you carefully read the requirements for each.

Part 1: Environmental Assessment

Conduct a brief environmental analysis using a tool such as SWOT or PEST and summarize your findings in table format. You may choose to do both a SWOT and a PEST (or other) analysis, but you are only required to do one. Include impact from the Affordable Care Act in your analysis.

Part 2: Organizational Assessment

Create a table based on your internal analysis of the organization’s mission, vision, values, culture, and strategic direction. Then, write a brief narrative in which you explain the organization’s mission, vision, values, and culture, as well as the current strategic direction.

• Apply a framework such as the organizational, or balanced, scorecard to measure performance relative to the strategy. Indicate if the strategy fits the external environment.
• You may use any table format you wish, but be sure you include 1–2 priority performance indicators, internal benchmarks or targets (be sure you include financial and quality targets), and the four categories.

Note: Part 2 is comprised of your brief narrative and the organizational scorecard in table format.

Part 3: Gap Identification

Select 1–2 priority performance indicators within each of the four major categories: business operations, finance, customer satisfaction, and organizational learning and growth.

• Identify the performance measurements and internal benchmarks or targets for each of the priority performance indicators. Be sure you include financial and quality targets. Use a table similar to the organizational scorecard to identify the gaps between desired and actual performance. Be sure you integrate the strategic direction and scorecard into your gap identification.
• Conduct a gap analysis of actual to benchmark or target outcomes. Refer to and integrate the organizational strategic direction and scorecard. Briefly explain any additional gaps you identified between stated organizational values and actual culture.

Note: Part 3 is comprised of your gap identification table and a brief narrative.

Part 4: Leadership Recommendation

Write an executive briefing report in which you clearly and concisely outline evidence-based recommendations to close the identified gaps and better align with organizational strategy and targets.

• Include within your recommendations the resources that will be needed, such as human, financial, technical, and so on. Be sure that you reference your resources to support your recommendations. Keep in mind that this is an executive briefing report; you want to be thorough while still being concise.
• Reference a minimum of five resources in this assessment. Look for professional, scholarly research articles on improving performance in health care organizations, how the Affordable Care Act is affecting health care organizations, and other related topics to use in guiding the recommendations you will make to close the gaps you have identified.

Part 5: Leadership Implications

Write a brief narrative in which you explain the role of the organization’s leader with regard to shaping strategic direction, aligning organizational values and culture, and managing change. What are the critical success competencies needed to achieve desired organizational outcomes? Cite your resources to support your statements.

Additional Requirements

• Structure: Include a title page, table of contents, and reference page.
• Length: There is no required number of pages. Your length will vary depending on the organization you use. Begin each part of the briefing report on a new page. Your goal—and your challenge—is to provide as much detail and information as possible in a direct and concise way.
• References: Cite at least five current scholarly or professional resources.
• Format: Use APA style for citations and references only. Otherwise, follow the formatting and style conventions of an executive briefing report. Use headings and subheadings as appropriate for a professional document.
• Font: Times New Roman font,