The recent Improvement Science Bootcamp, held virtually on June 10 and June 12, brought together members of existing MTEP 2.0 teams and individuals interested in joining or learning more about MTEP to engage in a deep dive on the use of the networked improvement community (NIC) design as used by MTEP 2.0 teams. Attendees included members of 15 different MTEP teams, plus five individuals interested in forming a new team, joining an existing team or learning more about MTEP.
The bootcamp featured comprehensive discussions on Team Membership, Root Cause Analyses, Driver Diagrams and PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) Cycles. Each session began with an overview of the topic, then provided differentiated work time, depending on participants’ previous experience with the NIC design. For example, existing teams used the time to revisit their existing NIC design while others explored what NICs might look like in their contexts. In addition, many of the existing teams used the bootcamp working time to work on their team reports, which aligned with the bootcamp sessions. (Reminder: The 2024 Team Report Survey is due June 28.)
In the first session, participants delved into the essentials of developing an inclusive NIC team. Considerations for identifying key stakeholders who can contribute to improvement work of program NICs include whose voices are represented, who should be "at the table," focusing on diversity and inclusion and how to contact potential new members. Existing teams were challenged to reflect on the onboarding processes for new members and structures and processes that uplift diverse voices and empower NIC members.
The Root Cause Analysis session explored the purpose and process for a root cause analysis with examples of completed analyses. The session included time for existing teams to revisit their root cause analysis discussions with provided tools and for new teams or teams needing a refresh to participate in a more in-depth discussion with the root cause analysis card sort activity.
The second day of the bootcamp began with the Driver Diagrams session with the goal of moving from prioritized root causes into choosing levers for change and change strategies. These diagrams help break down complex processes into manageable drivers and actions, making it easier to monitor progress toward program improvement and adjust strategies as needed.
During the last working session of the bootcamp, participants learned or refreshed their memory of what PDSA cycles are, why they are helpful, reviewed example PDSA cycles and began or revisited work on their own PDSA cycles. PDSA cycles make up the core framework of improvement science and involve reflection on what NICs are trying to accomplish, how to know whether a change is an improvement, and what changes can be made that will result in improvement.
Overall, the MTEP leadership team received positive feedback on this year’s Improvement Science Bootcamp. The evaluation survey received a 64% response rate, an excellent rate for an online survey. A summary of the evaluation revealed overall positive ratings of the usefulness of sessions, knowledge gained from participating in the bootcamp, information offered, clarity of and progress toward achieving bootcamp goals, time usage and interaction with other participants.
One participant said the most valuable aspect of the Improvement Science Bootcamp was “the ability to commune, connect, and share information and resources. There is so much great work happening in silos, and we are all certainly better together!”