Members of the team agree on the aim statement that you, as the DNP project manager, and they are ready to start developing the hospital-wide policy. Before starting the policy, you ask team members to participate in a SWOT analysis to explore potential risks and drivers for the project.

SWOT analysis is used in the planning stage of project management to identify the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats related to a project. In a SWOT analysis, the first step is to clarify the project’s goal and verify that all team members understand the goal. The next step is to systematically evaluate favorable and unfavorable factors related to the goal of the project. Using SWOT analysis provides the project team with an organized framework for analyzing factors that will most likely contribute or detract from the project.

Project managers often do a SWOT analysis with project teams by documenting it on a whiteboard as group members generate their comments and ideas. For this exercise, draw a line on a blank piece of paper halfway across the page lengthwise and then draw another line halfway crosswise, so four quadrants are marked on the page.

Then place an S (for internal strengths) in the left upper quadrant, a W (for internal weaknesses) in the right upper quadrant, an O (for external opportunities) in the left lower quadrant, and a T (for external threats) in the right lower quadrant.

Consider your team members’ different perspectives and generate the comments that you anticipate from team members as they complete the SWOT analysis. Make sure to document anticipated comments on the corresponding SWOT analysis quadrant. What comments do you expect team members to offer during the SWOT analysis? Once you have completed documenting the four quadrants of the SWOT analysis, review the document. How has the SWOT analysis changed your impression of the project and its driving and restraining forces?