DNP Project I: SWOT Analysis Assignment
Utilize the approved DNP project topic to complete a gap and SWOT analysis. This activity will assist in the development of the DNP Project Proposal throughout the course.
A gap analysis is a process where an organization compares its current practice to practice expectations or goals (e.g., benchmarks) (Leonard & Bottorff, 2022). The purpose is “to identify discrepancies between known benchmarks for efficient and effective health care delivery and practice with the real-world conditions” (Davis-Ajami et al., 2014, p. 18). A gap analysis answers the questions:
- Where is the organization now?
- Where does the organization want to be?
- What can be done to close the gap?
The gap analysis will guide the aims, objectives, and interventions for the DNP scholarly project. It is completed in 5 steps, the last of which is a SWOT analysis.
Step 1: Identify the Current State/Problem
Identify the current state. What is the problem/clinical question for the project topic? Is this a new problem (a few months) or has it been ongoing for a while? Briefly describe your findings below.
Step 2: Identify and Define Best Practice
Identify and define the desired state and the best practice needed to reach the desired state through a comprehensive literature review. Evidence must include a least one (1) national guideline, evidence-based protocol, or regulatory standard. Briefly describe the desired state and best practice needed below. Cite sources of best practice.
Step 3: Gather Data
Gather data at the project site to figure out the nature of the gap. Ask questions of everyone involved, at all levels. What do people notice day to day surrounding the problem? Which team members play a role? Review documentation and organizational policies and procedures–do they contribute to the problem? What are the barriers to best practice implementation? Create field notes for use in Step 4.
Step 4: Measure and Benchmark
Complete the Table below, based on the data collected at the site in Step 3 and best practice evidence from Step 2. See examples from the presentation.
| Best Practices | Best Practice Strategies | How do project site practices differ from best practices? | Barriers to best practice implementation | |
Step 5: SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is used to evaluate the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats to the project. A SWOT analysis provides a broad view of the current situation and risks to the project, which can be anticipated and mitigated when developing project objectives and interventions (Moran et al., 2020, pp. 129-130).
Strengths and weaknesses refer to internal resources readily available for the project, such as financial, physical, and human resources, and current processes. Opportunities and threats refer to external factors that can impact the project, such as economic trends, funding, demographics, relationships with partners/communities, and political and economic regulations.
Complete the Table below, based on the information gathered through the gap analysis process (Steps 1-4). See examples from the presentation.
| Strengths
What does the organization do well? What organizational resources exist to support the project? |
Weaknesses
What can the organization improve upon? What organizational resources are lacking that would be necessary to support the project? |
| · | · |
| · | · |
| · | · |
| Opportunities
What opportunities are available for the project? How can strengths be turned into opportunities? |
Threats
What threats could harm the project? What threats do the weaknesses expose? |
| · | · |
| · | · |
| · | · |
Reference List
Minimum 10 references, must include at least one (1) national guideline, evidence-based protocol, or regulatory standard.
The SWOT analysis is a vital component of the DNP Project I: SWOT Analysis Assignment. The analysis aims to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the project topic. The analysis is conducted after completing the gap analysis, which helps identify the discrepancies between the current practice and the desired state. The following is a discussion of the five steps of the gap analysis and the SWOT analysis.
Step 1: Identify the Current State/Problem The first step in the gap analysis process involves identifying the current state or the problem/clinical question for the project topic. The problem may be a new one or may have been ongoing for some time. The purpose of this step is to understand the current state of the project and identify the gaps that need to be addressed. For instance, in a project aimed at improving medication adherence in elderly patients with hypertension, the current state may be poor medication adherence resulting in poor hypertension control.
Step 2: Identify and Define Best Practice The second step in the gap analysis process is to identify and define the best practice required to reach the desired state. The best practice is identified through a comprehensive literature review, which must include at least one national guideline, evidence-based protocol, or regulatory standard. For example, the desired state for the medication adherence project may be to achieve a medication adherence rate of 80%, and the best practice may include using a pill organizer or employing a medication therapy management program.
Step 3: Gather Data The third step in the gap analysis process involves gathering data at the project site to understand the nature of the gap. This step involves asking questions of everyone involved, reviewing documentation and organizational policies and procedures, and identifying barriers to best practice implementation. For instance, in the medication adherence project, the data may be gathered by interviewing patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to understand the barriers to medication adherence and reviewing the policies and procedures that may contribute to poor adherence.
Step 4: Measure and Benchmark The fourth step in the gap analysis process involves measuring and benchmarking the project site practices against best practices identified in Step 2. This step involves completing a table that compares the best practices, the best practice strategies, how the project site practices differ from the best practices, and barriers to best practice implementation. The purpose of this step is to identify the gaps that need to be addressed to achieve the desired state. For instance, in the medication adherence project, the table may compare the use of pill organizers or medication therapy management programs in the best practices against the current practices at the project site.
Step 5: SWOT Analysis The fifth and final step in the gap analysis process is conducting a SWOT analysis to evaluate the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats to the project. The purpose of this step is to identify the resources available to support the project, the areas that need improvement, the opportunities available for the project, and the threats that may harm the project. For instance, in the medication adherence project, the strengths may include the availability of healthcare providers, while the weakness may be lack of patient education resources. The opportunities may include the availability of medication therapy management programs, while the threats may include lack of funding or reimbursement for such programs.
In conclusion, the DNP Project I: SWOT Analysis Assignment is a crucial step in developing the DNP scholarly project. The gap analysis process helps identify the gaps that need to be addressed to achieve the desired state, while the SWOT analysis helps identify the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats to the project. These analyses provide the foundation for developing project objectives and interventions.