Strengthening Healthcare Programme Delivery Through Project Management Training at an International NGO
Industry: Non-Governmental Organisation
Client: International NGO
Programme: Project Management for Health Programme Excellence (PMHPE)
Participants: 95 project and programme managers, field coordinators, health officers, and regional leads
Duration: 3 months
Evaluation Framework: Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model of Training Evaluation
Background
An international NGO operating across seven low- and middle-income countries was falling short of its programme delivery targets. Community health initiatives covering maternal health, infectious disease prevention, and primary care access were consistently behind schedule, with only 36% of planned programme milestones achieved on time. Field teams were highly committed and technically skilled, but lacked structured project management frameworks to coordinate complex, multi-site programmes effectively.
Interviews with country directors and field coordinators revealed a pattern of reactive rather than planned delivery: activities were launched without clear workplans, risks were not systematically identified, and progress reporting to regional headquarters and donors was inconsistent. The organisation commissioned the Project Management for Health Programme Excellence programme to build PM capability across its field and programme management workforce without losing the flexibility and humanity that characterised its field operations culture.
Level 1 — Reaction
End-of-programme satisfaction averaged 4.4 out of 5. Participants responded positively to the adaptation of PM tools for the NGO and field context, noting that the content respected the realities of low-resource, high-complexity operating environments. 90% said they would recommend the programme to a colleague, with an NPS of +81. A common theme in open feedback was appreciation that the training acknowledged the difference between corporate PM and field project management: “This actually understood what it means to deliver healthcare in the field.”
Level 2 — Learning
Pre- and post-assessments showed an average knowledge gain of 83 percentage points across six competency areas. The largest gains were in workplan development and milestone tracking (+42 pts) and risk identification and response planning (+39 pts). By programme end, 81% of participants could produce a structured programme workplan aligned to their organisation’s results framework, compared to 22% at baseline. Facilitator assessments noted particularly strong improvement in stakeholder mapping skills critical in contexts where community trust and local partner relationships directly affect programme reach.
Level 3 — Behaviour
At the 90-day checkpoint, regional managers assessed observed practice changes across the seven country offices:
- 87% were conducting regular milestone reviews against baseline plans
- 72% were maintaining active risk logs with documented response actions
- 63% of programme managers were producing structured workplans before launching new programme activities
- 46% were producing consistent, evidence-based progress reports for internal and donor audiences
The primary barrier to full transfer was staff turnover a persistent challenge in the NGO sector. In two offices, key programme staff who had completed the training were replaced by new hires mid-cycle, diluting the collective behaviour change effect. This highlighted the importance of embedding PM tools and templates into organisational systems rather than relying solely on individual capability.
Level 4 — Results
In the 6 months following programme completion, programme delivery performance improved measurably across all seven country offices:
| Metric | Pre-Programme | Post-Programme |
| Programme milestones achieved on time | 36% | 64% |
| Donor reports submitted on schedule | 51% | 84% |
| Programmes closed with documented outcomes | 29% | 67% |
| Beneficiary reach vs. planned target | 71% | 91% |
The improvement in beneficiary reach from 71% to 91% of planned targets was the most mission-critical result, representing tens of thousands of additional individuals accessing healthcare services. Donor confidence also strengthened: two major institutional funders cited improved reporting quality as a factor in renewing and extending their grants, contributing an estimated CHF 4.6 million in secured or renewed funding in the evaluation period.
Conclusion
The PMHPE programme demonstrates that structured project management capability is as vital in humanitarian and development settings as in any commercial sector and that it can be built without compromising the values and flexibility that define effective field operations. By improving how country teams plan, coordinate, and report their work, the organisation delivered more of its mission to more people, and strengthened the donor relationships that sustain its long-term impact.
All client identifying information has been removed in accordance with a non-disclosure agreement.