Suchergebnisse

"The field of management consultancy research has grown rapidly in recent years. Fuelled by the drivers of complexity and uncertainty, a growing number of organizations - both profit and third sector alike - are looking at management consultancy to assist in their aims for development and change. Consultants have become a common feature in organizational change initiatives, involved in both providing advice and in implementing ideas and solutions. However, despite this growing recognition and influence, management consultancy is still often misunderstood or criticized for its lack of theoretical underpinning. The book seeks to address these issues by offering applied theoretical insights from academics that both teach and practice management consultancy. Written by recognized experts in their field, the contributors combine original insights with authoritative analysis. Uniquely, this book identifies emerging themes with critical discourse and provides rich empirical case study evidence to show the reader how management consultancy projects are implemented. Real-world international consultancy projects are featured, as written up as cases featuring organizations from multi-national corporations to the public sector. Written for graduate level managers or those that have practical leadership experience, this book will enable readers to apply management consultancy models beyond a classroom context"--Provided by publisher.

BACKGROUND: Ebola virus emerged in West Africa in December 2013. The ease of mobility, porous borders, and lack of public health infrastructure led to the largest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak to date. INTERVENTION: The 2013 EVD outbreak signalled the need for laboratory diagnostic capabilities in areas without strong public health systems. As part of the United States' Department of Defense response, MRIGlobal was contracted to design, fabricate, equip, deploy, and operate two mobile diagnostic laboratories (MDLs). The first laboratory analysed blood samples from patients in an adjacent Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) and buccal swabs from the deceased in the community in Moyamba, Sierra Leone. The second laboratory was deployed to support an ETC in Conakry, Guinea. The Department of Defense provided real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays that were deployed and validated on-site. LESSONS LEARNT: Prompt and accurate molecular diagnostics reduced sample turn-around times from over 24 h to under 4 h. Experienced laboratory staff tested up to 110 samples per day and on-site engineering proved necessary for MDL setup and operation. As the Ebola response slowed, the sustainment of the MDLs' operations was prioritised, including staff training and the transition of the MDLs to local governments. Training programmes for local staff were prepared in Sierra Leone and Guinea. RECOMMENDATIONS: The MRIGlobal MDL team significantly contributed to establishing increased laboratory capacity during the EVD outbreak in West Africa. Using the MDLs for molecular diagnosis is highly recommended until more sustainable solutions can be provided.