operational planning and decision making assignment

8/10/2019 Operational Planning and Decision Making Assignment

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Contents

Contents......................................................................................................................................1

1.0 Introduction to the Logistics Unit........................................................................................2

1.1 Assignment.......................................................................................................................4

2.0 Introduction to Operational Planning and Decision Maing...............................................!

".0 #e$ issues in operational planning......................................................................................%

".1 &teps in planning..........................................................................................................'

".1.1 &etting the direction..................................................................................................'

".1.2 (esource Assessment................................................................................................'

Acti)ities in resource assessment...................................................................................*

".1." Identi+ication and Anal$sis o+ Alternati)es...............................................................*

".1.4 Alternati)e &election...............................................................................................10

".2 Pro,lem -ierarch$.........................................................................................................10

4.0 #e$ issues in Decision Maing..........................................................................................11

&tep 1 Identi+$ the pro,lem.................................................................................................12

&tep 2 List alternati)es........................................................................................................14

&tep " /)aluation o+ each course o+ action and selecting the ,est alternati)e....................14

&tep 4 Choice maing and decision implementation Implement the chosen alternati)e....1!

&tep ! Monitoring and /)aluation M/.........................................................................1%

!.0 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................13

%.0 i,liograph$.......................................................................................................................1'

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1.0 Introduction to the Logistics Unit

5he general de)elopment o+ an$ societ$ encompasses the health o+ the indi)iduals in that

societ$. 5his implies that health is a d$namic process. In 6im,a,7e8 the Ministr$ o+ -ealth

and Child 9el+are MO-C9 continuousl$ changes its +unctions and structure to ,etter meet

the e)er:e)ol)ing challenges and demands. 5he ;o)ernment o+ 6im,a,7e ;O6 desires to

ha)e the highest possi,le le)el o+ health and inance and

Administration8 Oral -ealth &er)ices8 ?ursing &er)ices8 5raditional Medicines8 La,orator$

&er)ices8 &5I8 -I@8 AID& and 5 Unit8 Polic$ and Planning8 Monitoring and /)aluation8

ualit$ Assurance8 Chie+ Internal Audit8 /pidemiolog$ and Disease Control8 (eproducti)e

-ealth8 /n)ironmental -ealthB and Pharmac$ &er)ices.

5his assignment 7ill ,e limited to the Pharmac$ &er)ices. 5he Directorate o+ Pharmac$

&er)ices encompasses the Logistics Unit LU 7hich is responsi,le +or managing essential

medicines and medical supplies including -I@AID& commodities distri,ution s$stems and

the related Logistics Management In+ormation &$stems LMI&. In addition8 the LU +orecasts

and und to +ight AID&8 5 and Malaria ;>A5M8

United &tates Agenc$ +or International De)elopment U&AID and the Clinton >oundation.

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LU Manager

Deput$LUManager

4 LogisticsO++icers

Upstream

LogisticsCoordinato

r

PM5C5Coordinato

r

Adminstrati)eAssistant

O++iceOrderl$

MI& O++icer

"

Data/ncoders

5he Logistics Unit is made up o+ 5he LU Manager8 the Deput$ LU Manager8 Upstream

Logistics Coordinator8 Pre)ention o+ Mother to Child 5ransmission PM5C5 Coordinator8

Management In+ormation &$stems MI& O++icer8 three data encoders8 an Administrati)e

Assistant8 an O++ice Orderl$ and +our Logistics O++icers at the -arare o++ice.

Figure 1: Organogram of the LU

O+ the +ourteen mem,ers at the LU -arare o++ice8 2 are pharmacists8 " are pharmac$

technicians8 and the rest ha)e no pharmac$:related ,acground. 5his diagram ,elo7 sho7s

that the team is composed o+ mem,ers +rom di)erse pro+essional +ields. /ach mem,er ,rings

di++erent sills to gi)e a potential +usion o+ epertise.

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Figure 2: LU staff by professional bacground

PharmacistsB 2

Pharmac$ 5echniciansB "

Logistics:related ,acgroundB "

In+ormation 5echnolog$ ,acgroundB 4

O++ice ManagementB 1

OtherB 1

1.1 !ssignment

Operational Planning and Decision Maing are e$ to the success o+ the organisation8 a

discussion 7ith eamples +rom the Directorate o+ Pharmac$ &er)ices8 Logistics Unit o+ the

Ministr$ o+ -ealth and Child Care.

2.0 Introduction to Operational "lanning and #ecision $aing

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Planning is a mental acti)it$ intended to7ard anticipating8 +orecasting8 and handling change.

It is meant to $ield a recommended course o+ action to deal 7ith pro,a,le +uture

de)elopments. Planning helps in ris management since a manager can deal 7ith pro,lems

proacti)el$ rather than reacti)el$. It also creates a sense o+ mission 7hich allo7s a manager

to moti)ate and measure the per+ormance o+ people under himher. Plans are ,ridges +or the

gap ,et7een 7here an organi=ation is and 7here it 7ants to ,e in the +uture.

Corporate:le)el managers are concerned 7ith planning o)erall corporate strateg$8 rate o+

gro7th8 and ne7 maretsproducts. usiness Unit:le)el managers are concerned 7ith

planning a high degree o+ coordination 7ith minimal o)erlapping among organi=ational units

and the enhancement o+ resource utili=ation among these units. Line managers and

super)isors plan the implementation o+ policies and procedures8 7or acti)ities8 and 7a$s to

enhance the e++ecti)eness and e++icienc$ o+ 7or operations. Planning occurs at all le)els and

needs in+ormation +lo7 up8 do7n8 and side7a$s in the organi=ation to ,e e++ecti)e.

Plans succeed 7hen the$ are used8 monitored8 and changed as 7or progresses. Plans +ail i+

the$ are not ept up:to:date8 realistic8 or clear. It is imperati)e that 7hoe)er is planning must

,e a,le to mae decisions8 sound decisions. It is also important to note that +ailure to plan is a

EdecisionF8 al,eit a ,ad one. A decision is a choice ,et7een alternati)es and decision maing

is the process o+ choosing one alternati)e o)er the others. Maing good decisions should ,e a

process. It is a process o+ identi+$ing pro,lems and resol)ing them8 or o+ identi+$ing

opportunities and taing gain o+ them.

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%.0 &ey issues in operational planning

Plans ma$ ,e classi+ied ,$ short: or long:term8 ,$ +unction8 or ,$ ,readth or scope. Long:

term plans are done at upper management le)els and encompass a num,er o+ $ears8 such as

mo)ing into another maret sector. 5hese long:term plans are usuall$ strategic plans

designed to identi+$8 determine8 and shape the direction o+ the organi=ation. 5he DP& has the

?ational Medicines Polic$ and maes use o+ &trategic Plans +or the success+ul per+ormance

o+ the programs it maintains. 5hese are cra+ted ,$ Central Le)el sta++ o+ the Directorate.

&hort:term plans are done at lo7er management le)els and encompass a short period o+ time8

such as +or a proGect or ,udget. 5hese plans are usuall$ operational plans helping 7ith da$:

to:da$ operation. 5he LU creates 7or plans 7hich it su,mits to the DP& +or appro)al. 5hese

are operational plans 7hich detail the da$:to:da$ undertaings o+ the unit. >unction plans

ma$ ,e de)eloped +or e$ organi=ational +unctions8 such as engineering or +inance. /ach o+

these plans could ,e e)aluated +or potential con+licts ,et7een +unctional areas. 5he LU 7or

plans are also aligned to ,udgets appro)ed ,$ the administration department.

readth or scope plans ma$ address o,Gecti)es8 policies8 procedures8 methods8 or rules. 5here

are )arious programs under the realm o+ the MO-CC 7hich are ser)iced ,$ the DP&. 5hese

include the antiretro)iral8 58 malaria8 essential medicines and PM5C5 programs. 5he DP&

has de)eloped distri,ution s$stems +or each o+ them. As such8 the DP& has cra+ted standard

operating procedures +or each o+ the s$stems. O,Gecti)es pro)ide general statements a,out the

mission o+ the organi=ation or 7hat is to ,e done. 5hese o,Gecti)es +ilter do7n through the

organi=ational hierarch$ 7here plans are created to achie)e them.

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%.1.1 'etting the direction

5he totalit$ o+ goals and o,Gecti)es must ,e de+ined to ser)e as the measure against 7hich

success is to ,e Gudged. ;oals esta,lish the milestones that 7arrant achie)ement. 5he$

delineate the di++erences ,et7een 7here and 7hat the organisation is no78 and 7here and

7hat the manager 7ants to ,e in the +uture. Determine the purpose o+ planning ,$ stating

$our o,Gecti)es in concrete +orm. 5he o,Gecti)es should ,e speci+ic8 achie)a,le8 measura,le8

and operational rather than a,stract.

5he$ need to ha)e timelines to them. (oles and responsi,ilities o+ the people 7ho 7ill ,e

in)ol)ed in planning including those authori=ing8 coordinating8 de)eloping8 appro)ing8 and

participating in planning should ,e discussed and agreed upon. 5he Directorate o+ Pharmac$

&er)ices has a mission to ensure that medicines 7hich are sa+e8 e++icacious and o+ good


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!cti)ities in resource assessment

Identi+ication o+ other resources and +acilities +or implementing the plan8 such as

materials8 supplies8 e


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needs liel$ to result +rom each alternati)e should ,e assessed. 5his is a stage not +ocused on

,$ the DP&.

%.1.* !lternati)e 'election

>inall$8 a+ter all the alternati)e com,inations are anal$sed8 the com,ination o+ alternati)es

7hich most nearl$ meets the totalit$ o+ pharmac$ ser)ices goals and o,Gecti)es is selected.

5he selection process should not gi)e undue emphasis to personal goals are not gi)en undue

emphasis o)er +inancial goals. A+ter a plan has ,een selected as the most appropriate one8 a

realistic schedule +or it should ,e de)ised. 5his plan should ,e monitored and e)aluated

,asing on agreed metrics so that it can ,e amended 7hene)er necessar$. 5he 1':month

suppl$ plan +or the DP& is monitored through the use o+ Pipeline so+t7are. 5he plan is

changed i+ necessar$ ,asing on the actual consumption o+ the medicines.

%.2 "roblem +ierarchy

Long:term or strategic planning concerns the achie)ement o+ goals o+ the resource o7ners

o)er se)eral $ears. Long:term plans generall$ a++ect maGor changes in the 7a$ resources are

used to achie)e goals. Once implemented8 plans at this le)el cannot ,e altered


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ho7 to ,est e++ect or implement long:term plans. Decisions resulting +rom tactical planning

are liel$ to ,e repeated at least annuall$. &hort term or operational planning is characteri=ed

,$ those man$ decisions that must ,e made in a short time:+rame. Plans +or the da$Hs or

7eeHs acti)ities are eamples o+ operational plans commonl$ made. 5hese are plans made ,$

the LU sta++ +or their dail$ acti)ities and can ,e changed easil$.

*.0 &ey issues in #ecision $aing

As 9ilco 1*'2 stated in his ,oo on gra=ing management the success+ul rancher is that

one 7ho can8 +irstl$ identi+$ the di++erent +actors 7hich 7ill a++ect operation o+ the ranch8 and

secondl$8 can anticipate the changes in them that 7ill in+luence his success. 5his success+ul

rancher is the one 7ho a)oids crisis in the running o+ his enterprise... ?o operator should

allo7 himsel+ to get into the crisis situation8 ,ut should arrange his management st$le to

anticipate the changes 7hich 7ill ,e necessar$ in the operation and mae those changes

a++ecting in a timel$ manner.

Lie7ise8 9hite et al. 1*'3 stated 5his Janticipating changeK is an impossi,le tas i+ the

ranch has not de)eloped a logical and practical approach +or anal$sing in+ormation8

e)aluating plans8 and directing dail$ operations... It is dou,t+ul that an$ person can accuratel$

assimilate the mass o+ in+ormation and predict the o)erall ranch outcome 7ithout detailed

planning and e)aluation. 5his ad)ice +rom a gra=ing management points to a need +or

no7ledge management 7ithin organisations. It calls +or Elearning organisations.F 5he LU has

a Logistics Management In+ormation &$stems LMI& +or consumption data management.

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;reen7ell 1**' 7rote that the e++ecti)eness o+ a manager in using a)aila,le in+ormation has

a ps$chological ,asis deri)ing +rom memor$8 perception and pro,lem sol)ing sills and eists

onl$ in the social contet in 7hich the manager +unctions. -e said le)el o+ ac


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right pro,lem must ,e +ound and identi+ied. During pro,lem diagnosis8 it is common to

con+use s$mptoms and pro,lems. 5his ma$ lead to poor decisions 7hich are o+ten correct

solutions to the 7rong pro,lem.

'teps in "roblem #iagnosis include

Con+irm i+ there is a pro,lem:Compare the results $ou ha)e 7ith the results $ou

7anted to achie)e. I+ the$ are the same or ,etter8 a pro,lem does not eist. I+ $ou

ha)e in+erior results8 then a pro,lem eists.

In)estigate causal agents:>ind the reasons ,ehind de)iations +rom o,Gecti)es.

Approach the pro,lem anal$ticall$ and realisticall$ +inding the distance ,et7een

7anted and actual results8 maGor de+icienc$ +actors8 ,arriers to success8 and

satis+actor$ solution reocus on causal pro,lems rather than de)iations +rom de+ined standards8 such as

emplo$ee turno)er rate 7hich ma$ ,e due to the personnel departmentHs inadeocus on the real pro,lem and its possi,le causes

'tep 2: List alternati)es

Managers need to de)elop a list o+ possi,le courses o+ action that 7ill sol)e the pro,lem.

Managers must loo +or standard ans7ers and also creati)e ans7ers. 5he techni


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and the su,ordinates. In ,rainstorming8 e)er$one comes up 7ith as man$ alternati)es as

possi,le. /mplo$ees should eperience a nurturing en)ironment 7here e)er$one 7ill +eel lie

contri,uting. &hooting do7n an idea 7ill stop the +ree +lo7 o+ echange.

5he team should mae a thorough and comprehensi)e e++ort to identi+$ all logical alternati)es

to the pro,lem. Inno)ation should allo7 +or enough +lei,ilit$ to de)iate +rom the traditional

7a$ o+ doing things i+ it is promising to do so8 or taing no action on the pro,lem8 to use

intuition and ad)ice +rom others 7ho ha)e handled similar pro,lems. Managers must guard

against ,arriers in eploring options such as egotistic desires to control the solution

personall$ or 7anting to +ocus on short:term rather than long:term e++ects.

'tep %: ,)aluation of each course of action and selecting the best alternati)e.

/)aluating options is part o+ selecting a desira,le alternati)e. As part o+ the e)aluation8 the

potential e++ects o+ each choice should ,e listed o,Gecti)el$. 5he merits and demerits o+ each

alternati)e should ,e 7eighed using pre:determined metrics. A set o+ attri,utes8 such as cost8

resource utili=ation8 ris8 and schedule slippage +or rating the alternati)es need to ,e

de)eloped +rom the o,Gecti)es set out earlier. 5hese attri,utes should ,e used to come up

7ith a raning s$stem +or the di++erent choices and result in an e)aluation matri. A

discussion o+ those e++ects should lead to a decision ,ased on 7hat is ,est +or the

organi=ation. 5he DP& is mainl$ 7orried a,out cost:,ene+it anal$ses in choosing medicines

to include in the essential medicines list.

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'tep *: Choice maing and decision implementation Implement the chosen alternati)e.

Ideas themsel)es on their o7n do no good. 5he chosen alternati)e must ,e turned into action.

5his is critical. All o+ $our success+ul anal$sis 7onFt do an$ good i+ $ou are a+raid to act.

9hether the implementation is eas$ or hard8 $ou must tae action. In all lielihood8 there 7ill

not ,e one or more per+ect alternati)es +rom 7hich to choose ,ecause o+ the d$namic nature

o+ the organi=ationHs en)ironment8 incomplete in+ormation8 ha)ing to reduce the compleit$

o+ the pro,lem to a le)el at 7hich a human ,eing can handle the possi,le alternati)es8 lac o+

time8 and ris. -o7 a decision is implemented 7ill ha)e a ,earing upon its success.

A plan o+ action should ,e created to announce the decision8 to gather the resources to

implement the decision8 and to assign responsi,ilit$ to the indi)iduals 7ho carr$ out the

implementation. #eep in mind that people are more apt to participate in decision

implementation i+ the$ ha)e ,een gi)en the opportunit$ to participate in the decision maing.

5his is 7h$ the DP& holds


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and compare them to the desired results o+ the o,Gecti)es8 mae sure the steps to implement

the decision ha)e ,een carried out8 and determine ho7 7ell the decision 7as accepted ,$

those in)ol)ed.

5he LU collects M/ data to ena,le program managers to pro)ide +eed,ac to sta++

throughout the medicine and medical consuma,les suppl$ chain to impro)e s$stem

per+ormanceB to report results to +unders and other staeholdersB and to Gusti+$ the need +or

additional resources8 7hen appropriate. One important reason to do M/ is to impro)e

program management and8 ultimatel$8 the logistics s$stem per+ormance. Impro)ing program

management and s$stem per+ormance are critical +or impro)ing customer ser)ice and +or

ensuring commodity security that clients ha)e the products 7hene)er and 7here)er the$

need them. I+ the pro,lem is not resol)ed8 a manager must go ,ac through the process and

loo at other alternati)es.

-.0 Conclusion

Planning is an acti)it$ that helps organi=ations and proGects proceed 7ith current and +uture

7or in an organi=ed and s$stematic 7a$. Planning is the primar$ +unction o+ management

and a continuous process 7here plans are re+ined and adGusted o)er time as more complete

in+ormation ,ecomes a)aila,le. It assists an organi=ation map the direction +or the

achie)ement o+ its o,Gecti)es. 5he process ,egins 7ith re)ie7ing the current operations o+ the

organi=ation and identi+$ing 7hat needs to ,e impro)ed operationall$ in the coming periods.

It later in)ol)es en)isioning the results the organi=ation 7ants to achie)e8 and determining

the steps necessar$ to arri)e at the intended destination.

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Decision maing is a critical acti)it$ that helps to mitigate ris 7ith di++icult pro,lems8 such

as signi+icant de)iations +rom planned o,Gecti)es. De)iations +rom o,Gecti)es must ,e

in)estigated thoroughl$ to +ind the root pro,lem rather than deal 7ith s$mptoms. &olutions to

the pro,lem ma$ ,e +ound through the use o+ an e)aluation matri allo7ing a++ected parties

to participate in the decision maing process. Creati)it$ in decision maing can ,e enhanced

,$ looing at the pro,lem elements +rom other perspecti)es8 such as using charts and graphs.

9ithout decision maing di++erent managerial +unction such as planning8 organi=ing8

directing8 controlling8 sta++ing cannot ,e conducted.

>or an$thing to ,e done8 a decision has to ,e made. 5here+ore8 7e can sa$ that decision is

important and per)asi)e element to implement the managerial +unction. Decisions can ,e

used to e)aluate sta++ per+ormance. It is correct to ,elie)e that all emplo$ee actions +ollo7

their decisions and there+ore decisions made are used to Gudge the e++icienc$ o+ an emplo$ee.

An$ polic$ or plan is esta,lished through decision maing. 9ithout decision maing8 no

plans and policies are per+ormed. In the process o+ maing plans8 appropriate decisions must

,e made +rom so man$ alternati)es. 5here+ore decision maing is an important process 7hich

is help+ul in planning since decision maers e)aluate )arious merits and demerits o+ e)er$

alternati)e and select the ,est alternati)e. It +ollo7s there+ore that success+ul organisational

operations are a result o+ decide to plan and planning to decide. In this competiti)e 7orldB

organi=ation can eist 7hen the correct and appropriate decisions are made. 5here+ore correct

decisions help in success+ul operation o+ ,usiness.

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.0 ibliography

1. ;reen7ell8 M. 1*''. #no7ledge engineering +or epert s$stems. /llis -or7ood Ltd.

Chichester8 /ngland.

2. 9hite8 L.D.8 5.(. 5roel8 N.;. Pena and D./. ;u$nn. 1*''. 5otal ranch management:

meeting goals. p. !*3:%0". In L.&. Pope ed8 ee+ cattle science hand,oo. @ol. 21.

&pillman Press. &acramento8 Cali+.

". 9ilco8 D.;. 1*'2. 5he importance o+ +lei,ilit$ in ranch management strategies8 p.

1!:2%. In Proc. 1*'2 International (anchers (oundup eds. L.D. 9hite and L.(.

-oermann. 5eas Agr. /t. &er).8 U)alde.

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operational planning and decision making assignment

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