Vaccinate WA: The Role of Leadership in Rapid Project Delivery

In April 2020, three months into the critical phase to plan and mobilise delivery of the new Western Australian Digital Strategy Roadmap, the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic radically shifted priorities for Health Support Services, the health service provider that provides shared services (including ICT) for the Western Australian (WA) public health system.

Health Support Services was required to urgently develop a vaccine administration management system (VaccinateWA) to assist in the delivery of the State’s COVID-19 immunisation program. Delivering Vaccinate WA presented a series of risk considerations including an extremely time-pressured environment, a high degree of uncertainty and the high-profile nature of the project that attracted strong levels of public scrutiny.

Key lessons can be drawn from the success of VaccinateWA about the critical role leadership plays in a high performing public sector agency. The case demonstrates that leadership at all levels across an organisation plays a central role in establishing and embedding values and culture within the organisation, enhancing accountability and integrity amongst its staff, and expanding the capacity of teams to mitigate risks and deliver outcomes despite uncertainty.

Please note this case has a Teaching Note associated with it. To access a copy, please email caselibrary@anzsog.edu.au with a request and citing the title.