Project management and planning for the study of the ecology and distribution of swine influenza viruses among pigs in Lebanon

Abstract

This practicum was a project management and planning for the upcoming swine Influenza surveillance project in Lebanon. It aims at efficiently implementing the project’s management and strategic planning, to ensure meticulous sample collection, streamlined logistics, and a secure chain of custody. This comprehensive approach is essential for the seamless execution of the surveillance project, ultimately contributing to the prevention of the virus's endemic and pandemic potential. The objectives are to produce a proper plan for sample collection and chain of custody, ensure smooth workflow operations and help in maintaining the biosafety and biosecurity of the samples. The practicum was conducted at Human Link company for 256 hours from 30 October till 12 December, 2023. The approach used was mainly researching trusted sources and using Microsoft Office tools (Word and Power Point). The results included a well-informed literature review that facilitated other tasks, a project plan that showed the distribution of budget, timeline of the project consisting of 44 weeks and resources, assessed the potential risks and identified the responsible parties. Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) identified critical points and allowed the emergence of brochures and checklists to ease the flow of operations. Monitoring and evaluation checklists allow identifying the gaps and incidences that may occur. Furthermore, an accountability report will facilitate responding to incidents and allow team members to hold responsibility and a learning report will prevent repetition of mistakes and help better succeed at the project. Finally, a poster was developed to ease the MEAL plan for the project managers and team members. Swine flu is a disease that is capable of producing pandemics and surveillance is needed to prevent the emergence of pandemics as information on swine flu is limited.