Project Initiation Document

Project Initiation Document[1]

Project Name: / Lets GO outside
Date: / December 2008 / Release: / Draft/Final
Author: / Dean Hill
Owner: / Dudley healthy Towns Partnership
Client: / Dudley Community Partnership
Document Number: / 1

Note: This document is only valid on the day it was printed

Revision History

Date of next revision:

Revision Date / Previous Revision Date / Summary of Changes / Changes Marked

Approvals

This document requires the following approvals. A signed copy should be placed in the project files.

Name / Signature / Title / Date of Issue / Version
Duncan Lowndes
All Construction issues must be agreed/signed off by Dudley Property Consultancy

Distribution

This document has been distributed to:

Name / Title / Date of Issue / Version
Chief Executives of the PCT and Dudley MBC, Councillors and heads of Service. / 1
Background (explaining the context of the project and how the current position has been arrived at any assumptions made)
A reduction in obesity was identified as a major target for Dudley through the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) which led to the development of the wide ranging obesity strategy.
Our vision is to improve children's health and well-being by supporting their families to enjoy their local parks and open spaces and by creating safe and accessible priority travel routes so that children, families and adults feel confident and supported to use and enjoy their local public park to walk, to play and to have fun together in the community near to where they live.
This approach was arrived at by applying national evidence base data relating to prevention of weight gain focussing on increasing physical activity (PA) with supportive dietary interventions. National data relating to work on reducing the obesogenic environment to support behaviour change, scenarios outlined within the Foresight report and Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, and the existing approach to primary prevention of overweight and obesity within the Dudley Obesity Framework.
We are also looking to address national and local identified barriers to activity such as cost, time, access, fear of crime and self perception.
Finally we are building on a massive, long running consultation and needs base and specific, relevant local programmes that have had a parks focus and have proven successful.
Due to the tight timescales within the bidding process some assumptions around the final details within the hubs and final hub sites have been made. This should however have no major bearing on the programme.
Project Definition (explaining what the project needs to achieve, split into the relevant sections below)
The project needs to increase activity opportunities and participation of children and families.
Raise awareness of the benefits of exercise and healthy eating through a long term focussed marketing campaign/plan, utilising the branding of the Change 4 life movement.
Facilitate and enable as much health promoting, sustainable service reform as possible utilising the status of Dudley as a healthy Town.
Link the programme and the philosophy behind healthy Towns into as many existing services and programmes as possible to maximise impact and outcomes.

Project Objectives

The creation of a borough wide coverage of Family Health Hubs based in parks and open spaces providing, exercise equipment, programmes, toilets, staff and buildings.
The creation of safe active travel corridors enabling an increase in walking and cycling opportunities, to from and between the hubs.
The implementation of a lifestyle marketing campaign utilising the Change 4 life movement.
The provision of an events programme at which food programmes and services will educate, signpost and refer.
The recruitment and deployment of local volunteers.
Link with the Dudley Play strategy
Regular presentations by the Lead Officer to organisations, departments and service providers to raise awareness and secure buy in to the programme.
The recruitment of new parks staff based on an activity focussed Job description.
Highlight the importance of positive role models and a supportive workforce.
Integrate project objectives with other appropriate DMBC/PCT projects e.g. DDA initiative, leisure facilities.
The promotion of healthy lifestyle through a series of Change 4 Life promotions and events across the Borough

Project scope

The programme will have borough wide impact, with each of the five townships benefiting from a hub. The marketing campaign will also focus on the whole borough with specific local foci around each of the hubs, its catchment schools, communities of interest and demographic groups.
The programme approach and findings will inform local practice and deliver against local targets within the NGLAA, Obesity Framework, Childrens Plan, Cultural Strategy and Parks Action plan.

Outline project deliverables and/or desired outcomes

More children and families more active, more often.
Development and implementation of family hubs based in parks with integral toilets, multi purpose rooms and associated exercise equipment.
Development and implementation a network of cycle paths and footpaths.
Develop/implement “Healthy Towns’” signage to include parks notice boards, time and distance route indicators, way markers and footpath/cycle path access points.
Integration of supportive local food/healthy eating programmes.
Recruitment and deployment of local volunteers.
Number of schools using parks.
Changes to parks staff roles and remits.
Reduction of fast food unit permits issued by the Council in town centres,
Investigate how delivery of Change 4 Life programme can be implemented within Planning Policy and Urban Design.

Constraints (eg. barriers to delivery)

Existing workloads and prioritisation issues to overcome which we need to budget for programme admin and project management resources.
A shortened timescale in which case we are proposing to extend the delivery to an extra year. Based on our experience with our Local Exercise Action Pilot (LEAP) we have established that a greater time scale is needed in order to embed new behaviour.
The weather.
Existing very low participation levels.
Current perceptions particularly around what parks can offer.
Fear of personal safety/Vandalism
Planning Permissions/approvals
Public perception of health issues
Time to recruit and ability to attract candidates to fixed term posts… another reason to extend to 3 year posts.
Lead in time for infrastructure works such as geotechnical surveys, planning etc.
Interfaces (Interface with other docs etc)
Tackling Obesity a framework for action in Dudley.
Closing the Gap- tackling health inequalities in Dudley.
Dudley Play Strategy.
Local Transport Plan
Childrens Plan
Dudley Community Plan
NGLAA
Planning Policy
Urban Design
Public Art

Project Approach (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

The approach taken was to follow national evidence bases around activity provision, food choices, supportive environments and social marketing, and then apply local evidence and knowledge to inform final options. These options were then discussed and factors relating to what had worked, and were working, local consultations and needs assessment directed the final decision.
The approach was also supported via strong partnership working and senior officer support.

Project Tolerances (scope for error in relation to resources and delivery)

Fees, costs, weather, timescales, staff turnover, staff recruitment, maintenance issues.

The construction elements of the plan will be administered in line with DMBC’s Standing Orders and Financial Management Regime and will incorporate the project management principles that are in place corporately. The projects will be incorporated and monitored via the Councils Capital Monitoring process

Project Controls (explaining how control is to be exercised within the project and the reporting and monitoring mechanisms that will support this; it will include the exceptions process)

In terms of the active travel infrastructure on the highway network surrounding the hubs, all infrastructure elements will be managed and monitored (budget & delivery) alongside the similar existing Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Programmes of work, using the West Midlands Capital Programme Monitoring System.
The construction elements of the plan will be administered in line with DMBC’s Standing Orders and Financial Management Regime and will incorporate the project management principles that are in place corporately. The projects will be incorporated and monitored via the Councils Capital Monitoring process
In terms of Planning Policy, Public Art and Urban Design the Change 4 Life programme can be adopted through Council Policy,
Control and monitoring of Fast Food permits can be controlled and recorded through Licensing Department.
For the capital works and the staffing elements; We will be setting up a Project Delivery Group to manage (delivery, finance, indicator collection etc.) these elements based upon the Council’s Project Management Framework. This group will report to the healthy Towns Steering Group. See project management/governance diagram

Initial Business Case (explaining why the project is being undertaken, this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

The National Child measurement Programme (NCMP) highlighted a significant child obesity problem within Dudley. Dudley has an overall child obesity prevalence in reception year of 11.4% and 23.6% in year 6, both of which are significantly higher (though not statistically) than the England prevalence of 9.9% and 17.5% respectively. Application of the National Health Survey for England prevalence rates (2002) suggests an estimated 18,000 children in Dudley between ages 2-16 are overweight or obese.(DPH annual report)
Additionally Dudley’s adult lifestyle survey carried out in 2004 identified that 54.4% of adults had a BMI of 25 or more with 17.7% of adults having a BMI of 30 or more. This equates to 128,825 people being overweight or obese and 41,916 people being obese or morbidly obese.
Dudley’s lifestyle survey also highlighted that 86.9% of residents eat a less than acceptable diet in relation to health, with 74.8% of people eating less that 5 portions of fruit/vegetables per day.
Physical Activity (PA) participation figures from the survey puts Dudley just below the national average( cycling rates are extremely low at below 11%) however the recent sport England Active People survey ranked Dudley at 349th out of 354 local authorities in terms of Adult participation in PA.
Generally there is evidence:
§  Of a general lack of awareness/ acceptance of obesity as the norm in society
§  That the creation of or enhanced access to space for physical activity (walking, cycling routes e.g. combined with supportive information/promotion) is effective in increasing physical activity
§  That multi-component interventions including public health media campaigns, can have a beneficial effect on weight management
§  That targeted behaviour change programmes can change the travel choices of motivated groups
§  That changes to city wide transport which make it easier and safer to walk and cycle and use public transport have the potential to make active transport more appealing to local users
§  That the provision of healthier food choices can encourage consumption of a healthier diet.
§  That Dudley resident’s have stated they would be more likely to increase activity if they have safer streets and supportive local facilities and environments.
Dudley’s Tackling Obesity Strategy was developed in 2005 by a local multiagency task group and incorporated a joint framework and action plan that includes:
1.  Action on the obeseogenic environment and inequalities
2.  Primary prevention through the encouragement of healthy lifestyles
3.  Secondary prevention through targeted interventions aimed a children and adults already overweight and obese.
Existing initiatives within the strategy are making good progress in elements 2 and 3 and initial in roads into environmental change. It is anticipated that this proposal will speed up delivery of environmental change and produce a substantial impact on the health and obesity levels of children and families within the borough. Delivery of this proposal will act as a visible tool to elicit service reform from key partners.
LAA targets have been set for Child Obesity and Adult Participation In Sport and this proposal will contribute to the achievement of these targets and is included within the LAA delivery plan.

Initial Project Plan (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

In relation to the Active Travel Infrastructure, Building Construction and the development of the park based Hubs the initial outline plan is as follows;
Review Travel Catchments = 1 month – Dec 08
Feasibility – Phase 1 (hubs 1-3) – 3 months – Jan 09 – Mar 09
Feasibility – Phase 2 (hubs 4-6) – 3 months – Apr 09 – Jun 09
Preliminary Design/Consultation – Phase 1 – 3 months – Apr 09 – Jun 09
Preliminary Design/Consultation – Phase 2 – 3 months – July 09 – Sept 09
Detailed Design/Statutory Processes – Phase 1 – 3 months – July 09 –Sept 09
Detailed Design/Statutory Processes – Phase 2 – 3 months – Oct 09 – Dec 09
Construction – Phase 1 – 12 months – Oct 09 – Sept 10
Construction – Phase 2 – 12 months – Jan 10 – Dec 10
Post Completion/Snagging – Phase 1 – 3 months – Oct 10 – Dec 10
Post Completion/Snagging – Phase 2 – 3months – Jan 11 – Mar 11
In addition to the above the following Park staff recruitment processes will apply
Activity/ park leaders/ Management Support Recruitment (all subject to sufficient suitable candidates applying for the posts):
Create JD’s and agree evaluation mid Jan 09
Decision sheet and pf2 clearance end Feb 09
Advert to recruitment by end April 09
Notice period, CRB clearance etc end June
Start in post beginning July
In relation to support work and Healthy Town strategic integration:
November 08 to march 09 presentations and workshops to increase awareness and gain buy in.
Finalise project plans assist with feasibility and design processes.
December to march 08 recruit support staff.
Communicate all above processes.
Liaise with and get support from external organisations who have expressed an interest
Liaise with and decide on local evaluation provider.
Liaise with and comply with HTEB timescales and dates.
March 09 to may 09 devise events programme.
Coordinate all above processes and communicate to wider stakeholders as appropriate.(ongoing)
Work in with the marketing and communications plan.(ongoing)
Facilitate additional programmes within partner orgs(ongoing)

Initial Risk Log (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

Long term maintenance issues for buildings to be addressed.

Project Management team structure

Job Descriptions (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)
(See attachment)

Communication Plan (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

See references to Project Management team structure. Regular project team Management and individual project team operational meetings will be held on a 4/6 week cycle.
The marketing and communications plan will be a key element of delivering the healthy town agenda. It will build on existing communication tools the council and PCT deploy, such as the quarterly partnership magazine, websites and media relations and will also develop some new channels including the production of a DVD, an ezine and some bespoke promotional materials. The plan will deliver a number of key messages. Namely:
  In Dudley we are aiming to get more people, particularly families, engaged in physical activities
  We will be encouraging people to use some of our parks and play areas as family health hubs and through having fun become fitter, in turn reducing obesity in children
  After the funding and project is complete there will be a legacy of better used parks and play areas, where people feel safe throughout the day
  The improvements to active travel corridors will allow better access to our parks and open spaces and offer safer and more sustainable alternatives for travel
The communications will demonstrate an aspiration to become a healthy town but will focus specifically on the change 4 life agenda. We will look to brand the project ‘changing places, changing lives’ and will liaise with the department of health to create a sub brand within their guidelines.
The various phases of the communications plan are indicatively:
Phase 1 – December 08 to January 09 – raising awareness through identifying internal stakeholders and external cluster groups
Phase 2 – January 09 to April 09 – building the brand, in accordance with department of health guidelines and developing marketing collateral
Phase 3 - April 09 to March 2010 – promoting the parks and play areas and the events within them to previously identified groups, as well as the general public
Phase 4 – March 2010 to March 2011 – reinforcing the profile of parks and play areas as family health hubs and promoting the active travel corridors and service reform
Evaluation will be considered throughout the communications plan and assessed at various levels, including:
Media coverage
Opportunities to see and hear key messages
Consultation with park and play area users
Links to existing community engagement initiatives, i.e. Dudley’s citizens panel

Project Quality Plan (this can reference an existing document elsewhere in the project file if required)

See governance/ project management, tolerances and controls sections

[1] This document is based on the Prince2 project management system. For further details, please see the Office for Government Commerce website at www.ogc.gov.uk