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Learner Guide

BSBMGT516 Facilitate continuous improvement

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 2

COURSE INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 5

ABOUT THIS GUIDE .................................................................................................................................................. 5 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE ...................................................................................................................................... 5 ABOUT ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 6

ELEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE CRITERIA ....................................................................................................... 8

EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 9

KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE ............................................................................................................................................ 9 PERFORMANCE EVIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 9

ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................ 10

PRE-REQUISITES ............................................................................................................................................. 10

TOPIC 1 – LEAD CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES .................................................... 11

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT TEAM MEMBERS ARE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED AND SUPPORTED TO

PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY AND EXERCISE INITIATIVE AS

APPROPRIATE ................................................................................................................................................ 11

STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS AND

PROCESSES ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 team decision-making strategies ................................................................................................................. 12 Team responsibility strategies ..................................................................................................................... 12 team initiative enhancement strategies ...................................................................................................... 13

CONTINUOUS/CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 13 Traditional cyclical review ............................................................................................................................ 14 Hoshin policy deployment cycle ................................................................................................................... 14 Selecting the appropriate type of review ..................................................................................................... 15

ESTABLISH SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THAT THE ORGANISATION’S CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES ARE

COMMUNICATED TO STAKEHOLDERS ............................................................................................................ 16

SYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................................................. 16 STAKEHOLDERS ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES .............................................................. 17 SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION ................................................................................................................................ 17 PLAN APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ......................................................................................................... 17

determine the communication objectives .................................................................................................... 17 Identifying the audience needs .................................................................................................................... 17 select appropriate promotional activitIes .................................................................................................... 18 ensure that media type, and communication are compatible ..................................................................... 18 resource usage and budgeted allocation ..................................................................................................... 18 develop the communication system............................................................................................................. 18

ENSURE THAT CHANGE, AND IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES MEET SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS .............. 19

SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 19

identify all relevant sustainability requirements .......................................................................................... 20 set paramEters for achievement .................................................................................................................. 20 set up procedures for assessing the any changes or new processes for their compliance with sustainability

requirements ................................................................................................................................................ 20

DEVELOP EFFECTIVE MENTORING AND COACHING PROCESSES TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS

ARE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT AND SUPPORT THE ORGANISATION’S CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES 21

THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPORT FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES ........................................... 21 process implementation ............................................................................................................................... 21 process support ............................................................................................................................................ 21

USING EFFECTIVE COACHING AND MENTORING TO SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS .................................................................... 22 mentoring .................................................................................................................................................... 22 coaching ....................................................................................................................................................... 22

WHEN TO USE MENTORING AND COACHING PROCESSES ................................................................................................ 23

ENSURE THAT INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM BUSINESS ACTIVITIES ARE CAPTURED AND ACCESSIBLE

THROUGH KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ........................................................................................ 24

INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM BUSINESS ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................ 24 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES .................................................................................................................... 24 KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE ............................................................................................................................................ 25 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ..................................................................................................................... 25 FEATURES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ................................................................................................... 25

TOPIC 2 - MONITOR AND ADJUST PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES ..................................................................... 27

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES ARE USED TO MONITOR OPERATIONAL

PROGRESS AND TO IDENTIFY WAYS IN WHICH PLANNING AND OPERATIONS COULD BE IMPROVED ............ 27

OPERATIONAL PROGRESS ......................................................................................................................................... 27 STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING OPERATIONAL PROGRESS .................................................................................................. 27 KEY STEPS IN THE PROCESS FOR MONITORING OPERATIONAL PROGRESS ............................................................................ 28 MEASURE THE RESULTS OF MONITORING TO IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT ............................................................... 28

compare actual results with planned results ............................................................................................... 28 identify potential areas for improvement .................................................................................................... 28

TOOLS THAT CAN BE USED FOR MONITORING ............................................................................................................... 29

ADJUST AND COMMUNICATE STRATEGIES TO STAKEHOLDERS ACCORDING TO ORGANISATIONAL

PROCEDURES ................................................................................................................................................. 30

MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO STRATEGIES .......................................................................................................... 30 USE AN APPROPRIATE CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND NECESSARY ...................................... 30 ORGANISATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR COMMUNICATING THE NEW STRATEGY TO STAKEHOLDERS ............................................ 32

TOPIC 3 - MANAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT .............................................................. 33

ESTABLISH PROCESSES TO ENSURE THAT TEAM MEMBERS ARE INFORMED OF OUTCOMES OF CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS ............................................................................................................................... 33

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT THE TEAM MEMBERS ARE INFORMED OF THE OUTCOMES OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

EFFORTS .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 IMPACTS OF THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESSES ............................................................................................. 33 ESTABLISH PROCEDURES THAT CAN BE USED TO INFORM TEAM MEMBERS OF CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT OUTCOMES ................ 34 EXPLAIN HOW SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES CAN SUPPORT EFFECTIVE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ......................................... 34 EXPLAIN HOW CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES RELATE TO OTHER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND REQUIREMENTS

INCLUDING, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, QUALITY, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY ................................ 35

ENSURE PROCESSES INCLUDE RECORDING OF WORK TEAM PERFORMANCE TO ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING

FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................................ 36

RECORDING WORK TEAM PERFORMANCE .................................................................................................................... 36 THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTING WORK PERFORMANCE ........................................................................................... 36 COLLECTING PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FOR PERFORMANCE RECORDS ......................................................................... 36 GRAPHIC RATING SCALES ......................................................................................................................................... 37 WEIGHTED CHECKLIST ............................................................................................................................................ 37 RANKING METHOD AND PAIRED COMPARISON ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 37 ESSAY EVALUATION METHOD ................................................................................................................................... 37 CRITICAL INCIDENT METHOD .................................................................................................................................... 37

CONSIDER AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT WHEN UNDERTAKING FUTURE PLANNING ...... 38

AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................................................ 38 FUTURE PLANNING ................................................................................................................................................. 39 SEEK AND ENCOURAGE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FUTURE PLANNING FROM RELEVANT INDIVIDUALS ............................................. 39

contribution through consulTation .............................................................................................................. 39

SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 41

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 42

C O U R S E I N T R O D U C T I O N

AB OUT TH IS GU IDE

This resource covers the unit BSBMGT516 - Facilitate continuous improvement.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to lead and manage continuous improvement systems and processes. Particular emphasis is on the development of systems and the analysis of information to monitor and adjust performance strategies, and to manage opportunities for further improvements.

It applies to individuals who take an active role in managing a continuous improvement process in order to achieve an organisation’s objectives.

At this level, work will normally be carried out using complex and diverse methods and procedures which require the exercise of considerable discretion and judgement, using a range of problem-solving and decision-making strategies.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

AB OUT TH IS RESOU RCE

This resource brings together information to develop your knowledge about this unit. The information is designed to reflect the requirements of the unit and uses headings to makes it easier to follow.

Read through this resource to develop your knowledge in preparation for your assessment. You will be required to complete the assessment tools that are included in your program. At the back of the resource are a list of references you may find useful to review.

As a student it is important to extend your learning and to search out text books, internet sites, talk to people at work and read newspaper articles and journals which can provide additional learning material.

Your trainer may include additional information and provide activities. Slide presentations and assessments in class to support your learning.

AB OUT ASSESSMENT

Throughout your training we are committed to your learning by providing a training and assessment framework that ensures the knowledge gained through training is translated into practical on the job improvements.

You are going to be assessed for:

 Your skills and knowledge using written and observation activities that apply

to your workplace.

 Your ability to apply your learning.

 Your ability to recognise common principles and actively use these on the job.

You will receive an overall result of Competent or Not Yet Competent for the assessment of this unit. The assessment is a competency based assessment, which has no pass or fail. You are either competent or not yet competent. Not Yet Competent means that you still are in the process of understanding and acquiring the skills and knowledge required to be marked competent. The assessment process is made up of a number of assessment methods. You are required to achieve a satisfactory result in each of these to be deemed competent overall.

All of your assessment and training is provided as a positive learning tool. Your assessor will guide your learning and provide feedback on your responses to the assessment. For valid and reliable assessment of this unit, a range of assessment methods will be used to assess practical skills and knowledge.

Your assessment may be conducted through a combination of the following methods:

 Written Activity

 Case Study

 Observation

 Questions

 Third Party Report

The assessment tool for this unit should be completed within the specified time period following the delivery of the unit. If you feel you are not yet ready for assessment, discuss this with your trainer and assessor.

To be successful in this unit you will need to relate your learning to your workplace. You may be required to demonstrate your skills and be observed by your assessor in your workplace environment. Some units provide for a simulated work environment and your trainer and assessor will outline the requirements in these instances.

E L E M E N T S A N D P E R F O R M A N C E C R I T E R I A

1. Lead continuous improvement systems and processes

1.1 Develop strategies to ensure that team members are actively encouraged and supported to participate in decision-making processes, assume responsibility and exercise initiative as appropriate

1.2 Establish systems to ensure that the organisation’s continuous improvement processes are communicated to stakeholders

1.3 Ensure that change and improvement processes meet sustainability requirements

1.4 Develop effective mentoring and coaching processes to ensure that individuals and teams are able to implement and support the organisation’s continuous improvement processes

1.5 Ensure that insights and experiences from business activities are captured and accessible through knowledge management systems

2. Monitor and adjust performance strategies

2.1 Develop strategies to ensure that systems and processes are used to monitor operational progress and to identify ways in which planning and operations could be improved

2.2 Adjust and communicate strategies to stakeholders according to organisational procedures

3. Manage opportunities for further improvement

3.1 Establish processes to ensure that team members are informed of outcomes of continuous improvement efforts

3.2 Ensure processes include recording of work team performance to assist in identifying further opportunities for improvement

3.3 Consider areas identified for further improvement when undertaking future planning

E V I D E N C E R E Q U I R E M E N T S

This describes the essential requirements and their level required for this unit.

KNOWLEDGE EVIDE NCE

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Explain how systems and procedures can support effective continuous

improvement

 Explain how continuous improvement systems and processes relate to other

business systems and requirements including, knowledge management,

quality, performance management and sustainability.

PERFORMANCE E VID ENCE

Evidence of the ability to establish systems and processes for continuous improvement that:

 Facilitate effective contributions to and communications about continuous

improvement processes and outcomes

 Address sustainability requirements

 Incorporate mentoring, coaching and other support to enable people to

participate effectively in continuous improvement processes

 Capture insights, experiences and ideas for improvements and incorporate

them into the organisation’s knowledge management systems and future

planning.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

A S S E S S M E N T C O N D I T I O N S

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the management and leadership field of work and include access to:

 Relevant workplace documentation and resources

 Case studies and, where possible, real situations

 Interaction with others

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

P R E - R E Q U I S I T E S

This unit must be assessed after the following pre-requisite unit:

There are no pre-requisites for this unit.

T O P I C 1 – L E A D C O N T I N U O U S I M P R O V E M E N T S Y S T E M S A N D

P R O C E S S E S

DEV EL OP S TR A T EGI ES T O EN S U R E THA T T EA M M E MB ER S A R E A C TI V EL Y EN C OU R A GED A N D S U P POR T ED T O PA R T I C I PA T E I N DEC I S I ON - MA K I N G PR OC ES S ES , A S S U ME R E S P ON S I B I L I TY A N D

EX ER C I S E I N I TI A TI V E A S A PPR OP R I A TE

Welcome to the unit BSBMGT516 - Facilitate continuous improvement.

It applies to individuals who take an active role in managing a continuous improvement process in order to achieve an organisation’s objectives.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

In this unit you will learn how to:

 Lead continuous improvement systems and processes

 Monitor and adjust performance strategies

 Manage opportunities for further improvement

Let’s begin!

As a part of the facilitation of continuous improvement systems and processes, it will be necessary to prepare to lead the team to success.

It will be necessary to develop a range of strategies that can be used to ensure that team members are actively encouraged and supported to participate in decision-making processes, assume responsibility and exercise initiative as appropriate.

STRATEG IES TH AT CAN BE USED TO SUP POR T T E AM MEMBERS PARTICIP ATION IN THE CON TINU AL IMP ROVEME NT SYS TEMS AND

PROCESSES

A strategy is a set of strategic actions and plans that can be used to achieve a specific objective or goals and therefore is a great tool in the leadership of teams, strategies that should be created include:

TEAM DECISION-MAKING STRATEGIES

When supporting teams to participate actively in relation to continual improvement decision making there is a range of strategies that can be implemented and these, include:

 Assigning decision-making responsibilities

 Setting specific priorities for tasks and items in relation to the continual

improvement strategies to assist with decision-making tasks

 Provide training in effective decision making

 Provide the team with the necessary information to enable effective decision

making

 Provide the team with effective decision-making tools such as decision trees

and matrix forms

 Actively encourage and support decision making within the team

TEAM RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGIES

There is a range of team responsibility strategies that can be used to support team member in proactively assuming responsibility in relation to team tasks that are related to the facilitation of continual improvement and these include:

 Assigning clear roles and responsibilities

 Involving team members in planning and decision making actions in order to

aid in the development of feelings of ownership and engagement

 Making team members accountable for their actions and the success of the

continuous improvement strategies within the organisation

TEAM INITIATIVE ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES

There is a range of strategies that can be used to enhance team member initiatives in relation to continual improvement, and these may include:

 Allocating tasks in a manner that enables autonomy

 Providing training in creative thinking and problem-solving techniques

 Actively encouraging and celebrating individual thought, proactivity and

demonstrations of initiative in team members

CON TINU OUS/CON TINU AL IMP ROVEMENT P ROCESS

The continuous improvement which is sometimes called continual improvement is a cyclical review process that is used in many organisations. This method uses small and continual improvements that are integrated into a rolling system. The benefit of using a method like this is that the organisation will not need to spend many months reviewing and then implementing major changes to the knowledge management metrics as reviews and changes will be constant and small, meaning that the organisation will constantly be improving but in a manner that is organic and simple.

There are more than one of these continual improvement processes that can be implemented within the organisation although the most commonly utilised tool is the for stage process known as PDCA or:

 Plan: Constantly review all processes and tools to effectively identify the

need for change, plan for the change or the improvement.

 Do: Implement the change in a portion of the organisation.

 Check: Assess the change to determine its success.

 Act: Implement the change across the organisation.

Other types of continuous improvement work more on a rolling system, they will include a process such as:

 Review as you go

 Identify

 Record

 Investigate

 Plan for improvement

 Implement

 Review as you go

As long as the plan is structured and provided the organisation with the results that it needs most continual improvement plans will be successful, but it is important that they exist under a range of controls and are implemented across the entire organisation.

TRADITIONAL CYCLICAL REVIEW

This is a traditional process of reviewing all data, planning for change, assessing the results and making adjustments and then at a specific time in the future commencing the cycle again. The issue with this type of cyclical review is that it is labour intensive and relies on large waves of change being applied to the organisation at specific times. This can take the focus off the running and maintain the business and place it on the review process which may actually place the organisation under a level of increased pressure and risk.

HOSHIN POLICY DEPLOYMENT CYCLE

The Hoshin cycle is a process that is implemented throughout the organisation and then based on an annual review that includes a round of smaller changes across the entire organisation. The Hoshin review was designed by Professor Yoji Akao in the 1950s and is based on the theory that all of the jobs and tasks within the organisation are equally important and therefore the entire organisation should be involved in the policy implementation, and quality management aspects of an organisation.

Hoshin policy deployment cycle works by making all workers across the organisation responsible and accountable for the management and improvement of the organisation on the whole.

It relies on teamwork, communication and all parties striving towards a shared goal. Hoshin reviews will be conducted annually and will involve a deep level of investigation

into the challenges and successes of the previous year. Each employee or department manager will be involved, and a review and a spate of improvements and assessments will follow. This will be repeated each year as a cycle.

The Hoshin cycle can also be implemented in the form of continual improvement and can be adapted to allow smaller reviews and changes more often or continuous incremental change as with other continuous improvement cycles.

SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF REVIEW

When selecting the appropriate cyclical review process for an organisation, it will be necessary to consider current management techniques and styles, the complexity and size of the organisation.

ES TA B L I S H S Y S TEMS TO EN S U R E THA T THE OR G A N I S A TI ON ’ S C ON TI N U OU S I M PR OV E ME N T PR O C ES S E S A R E C O M MU N I C A TE D

TO S TA K EH OL DE R S

It will be necessary to establish systems that can be used to ensure that the organisation's continuous improvement processes are able to be effectively communicated to stakeholders as required.

SYSTEMS

General systems that can be used in communications include:

 Forums and meetings

 Newsletters and reports

 Policies and procedures

 Electronic communication devices

STAKEHOL DERS

Stakeholders are all persons that are involved with or may be impacted on by the organisation.

Examples of stakeholders include:

 Business or government contacts

 Funding bodies

 Individuals within the work team

 Internal and external contacts

 Organisation's clients and customers

 Professional associations

 Senior management and board members

 Unions and employee groups

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATING CONTINUOUS IM PROVEMENT PROCESSES

Communication is an essential tool in facilitating continuous improvement processes within an organisation, and it will be necessary to make sure that suitable systems are developed in order to make sure that appropriate communication is able to be planned in order to meet the needs of the different stakeholder groups that can be identified.

When developing suitable communication systems, it will be necessary to consider both internal and external communication requirements.

SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICA TION

Communication in its nature is a two-way process, there will be a sender and a receiver, and it is the responsibility of the sender to make sure that communication is structured in a manner that enables it to be received and understood as intended.

PLAN APPR OPR IATE COM MUN ICATION S TRATEGY

When setting out to plan an appropriate communication strategy that can be used as a part of the facilitation of continual improvement within the organisation, it will be necessary to consider:

 What needs to be communicated?

 Who this needs to be communicated to ?

 When does the communication need to take place?

 How could the communication be conducted in order to be successful?

DETERMINE THE COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES

It will be necessary to determine the communication objectives and requirements that apply to the different stakeholder groups to make sure that suitable planning is able to be undertaken.

IDENTIFYING THE AUDIENCE NEEDS

In deciding what the needs of your audience are, you will undertake an analysis of their characteristics informed by research and consultation. If your audience is made of

mostly workers, a regular communication channel may work well, such as emailing or direct contact, but the other stakeholder groups that have been identified may have a range of different requirements, and it is important that these are planned for so that they are able to be suitably met.

SELECT APPROPRIATE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES

It is important that a part of the communication that is to be conducted involves the use of the direct promotion of the process throughout the organisation and this may include the sharing of benefits and outcomes.

ENSURE THAT MEDIA TYPE, AND COMMUNICATION ARE COMPATIBLE

It will be necessary to ensure that the media type that is selected is suitable for the particular message and if the message is communicated using multiple modes, then it may need to be reconfigured to meet these needs appropriately.

RESOURCE USAGE AND BUDGETED ALLOCATION

It will be necessary to make sure that all communications strategies are written within the requirements of the available resources and budget allocations.

DEVELOP THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

The communication system is the range of processes and equipment or technology items that will be used to deliver the strategy to the stakeholders as planned; it is important that the system is set up according to the needs of the strategy to make sure that it will be effective in supporting the communication as required.

EN S U R E THA T C HA N GE , A N D I MPR OV EMEN T PR OC ES S ES MEET S U S TA I N A B I L I TY R EQU I R E MEN T S

When facilitating continuous improvement in the workplace, it will be necessary to make sure that all changes and improvement processes that are incorporated meet the sustainability requirements that apply to the particular organisation and its related activities or jurisdiction.

SUSTAINABIL ITY REQUI REMENTS

There is a range of sustainability requirements that need to be considered, and these may include:

 Addressing environmental and resource sustainability initiatives, such as

environmental management systems, action plans, green office programs,

surveys and audits

 Applying the waste management hierarchy in the workplace

 Complying with regulations and corporate social responsibility

considerations for sustainability to enhance the organisation's standing in

business and community environments

 Determining organisation's most appropriate waste treatment, including

waste to landfill, recycling, re-use, recoverable resources and wastewater

treatment

 Implementing ecological footprinting

 Implementing environmental management systems, e.g. Iso 14001:1996

environmental management systems life cycle analyses

 Implementing government initiatives, e.g. Australian government's

greenhouse challenge plus

 Improving resource and energy efficiency

 Initiating and maintaining appropriate organisational procedures for

operational energy consumption

 Introducing a green office program (a cultural change program)

 Introducing green purchasing

 Introducing national and international reporting initiatives, e.g. Global

reporting initiative

 Introducing product stewardship

 Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

 Reducing the use of non-renewable resources

 Referencing standards, guidelines and approaches, such as sustainability

covenants and compacts or triple bottom line reporting

 Supporting sustainable supply chain

When ensuring that all changes and improvement that are to be implemented within the organisation will meet sustainability requirements, it will be necessary to:

IDENTIFY ALL RELEVANT SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS

It will be necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all sustainability requirements that need to be complied with by the organisation and to define which areas of the organisation and which processes and tasks these apply to.

SET PARAMETERS FOR ACHIEVEMENT

It is important to identify acceptable, and non-acceptable parameters that apply to each sustainability requirements are set using measurable criteria that can be used to assess the compliance of any new processes or changes.

SET UP PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSING ANY CHANGES OR NEW PROCESSES FOR THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS

It will be necessary to make sure that procedures are created and implemented for the assessing of any changes or new processes against the sustainability requirements and measurable criteria that has been set.

DEV EL OP EF F EC TI V E ME N TOR I N G A N D C OA C HI N G PR OC ES S ES TO EN S U R E T HA T I N DI V I DU A L S A N D TEA MS A R E A B L E TO

I MPL EM EN T A N D S U PP OR T TH E O R GA N I S A TI ON ’ S C ON TI N U OU S I MPR OV EM EN T P R OC ES S E S

It will be necessary to develop effective mentoring and coaching processes that can be used to assist in the implementation and support of the organisation's continuous improvement processes.

THE PROCESS OF IM PLE MENTATION AN D SUPPOR T F OR CONTINUOUS IMPRO VEMENT PR OCESSES

PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation involves all of the steps that are required to implement the continual improvement strategy into the organisation so that it is fully operational.

This may include:

 Policy and procedure updates

 Changes to workflow

 Changes to paperwork and recording processes

 Changes to reporting and decision making processes

PROCESS SUPPORT

The process of supporting the continual improvement strategy involves a range of actions including:

 Reinforcement

 Change management

 Promotion

 Education

 Communication

 Making adjustments to work practices

USING EFFECTIVE COAC HING AND MENTORING T O SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS

Coaching and mentoring are training and support procedures that can be used to assist employees throughout the implementation and support of the new continuous improvement strategies within the organisation.

MENTORING

Mentoring is a type of one on one support that involves the assigning of an experienced or trainer personnel with another member that can work together with the mentor in order to enhance own skills and knowledge.

When supporting personnel in relation to the continuous improvement process support and implementation a mentor can:

 Provide guidance

 Impart knowledge

 Explain and help plan implementation and support procedures

COACHING

Coaching is a form of training and support that involves the person in the coaching role providing a range of incremental feedback and training in an on the job scenario to enable the development of skills and knowledge.

When supporting personnel in relation to the continuous improvement process support and implementation a coach can:

 Provide feedback

 Provide demonstrations

 Provide encouragement

 Work collaboratively with the person being coached

 Provide suggestions for adjustments

WHEN TO USE MENTORIN G AND COACHING PROCESSES

Coaching processes are appropriate for providing on the job training and reinforcing other forms of training or information that have already been provided to the worker. It will be necessary to ensure that a range of different coaching processes is utilised throughout the implementation and support requirements that apply to the continual improvement strategy.

Mentoring processes are suitable for developing a range of different skills sets and encouraging the worker to engage with the continual improvement processes in an autonomous and proactive manner.

Both forms should be included in the support and implementation plan that is to be developed for the continual improvement strategy.

EN S U R E THA T I N S I GHTS A N D EX PER I EN C ES F R O M B U S I N ES S A C TI V I TI ES A R E C A PTU R E D A N D A C C ES S I B L E T HR OU G H

K N OW L EDG E MA N A GEM EN T S Y S T EMS

Knowledge is a valuable resource that business can harness and use in order to conduct further development and decision-making procedures. As a part of the facilitation of continual improvement processes within the organisation, it will be necessary to ensure that all valuable insights and information learned from experience are able to be captured and then made accessible for use through knowledge management systems.

INS IGHTS AN D EXPE RIE N CES FROM BUSINESS A CTIVITIES

Insights and experiences that have been obtained during the conducting of business activities will equate to a range of knowledge and information that when made accessible and used to inform on decision making and future planning can provide value to the organisation and its development.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PR OCESSES

Knowledge management processes are the processes of implementing knowledge management concepts into an individual or organisation. The exact processes used by organisations vary slightly according to the practices of those organisations.

The processes may include:

 Knowledge discovery and detection: Steps must be taken to determine what

knowledge exists within an organisation and its individuals in order to

develop knowledge management processes. The knowledge may exist as

Explicit knowledge, tacit knowledge or embedded knowledge.

 Knowledge capture: The collection of knowledge throughout the organisation.

 Knowledge organisation and assessment: The process of classifying, mapping,

indexing and categorizing the knowledge that has been detected within an

organisation.

 Knowledge storage for access: Once knowledge has been organised and

assessed it will be necessary to use knowledge management software in

order to make sure that knowledge that has been captured is available for use

within the organisation.

KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE

The term knowledge capture refers to the collection and storage of essential knowledge within the organisation that can be used to feed the knowledge management system within the organisation.

Knowledge may be captured through:

 Submissions made directly to the knowledge management system

 Consultation

 Records

 Meetings

 Structured knowledge capture activities

 Focus groups

 Surveys

 Feedback

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SOF TW ARE

Knowledge management software is a sub-category of content and information management software that is specifically designed in order to aid the collection, storage, searchability and redistribution of knowledge and information throughout the organisation as a supporting tool for the knowledge management strategy. Technology is one of the cornerstones of ensuring the success of the strategy and therefore it is essential that its uses and features are able to be understood in order to be able to effectively determine the usefulness and likeliness that particular software selections will be a benefit to the organisation.

FEATURES OF KN OW LEDG E MAN AGEMEN T SOF TW AR E

There is a range of features that are common to knowledge management software, and these may include:

 Specialised search tools that enhance the way that knowledge can be

searched and linked together

 Classification of content using advanced and scientific methods

 Various ways to upload different types of content, knowledge and

information

 Collaboration tools

 Brainstorming tools

 Complex dashboard options

 The ability to provide specialised access

 Sharing tools

 Multiple methods of uploading

T O P I C 2 - M O N I T O R A N D A D J U S T P E R F O R M A N C E S T R A T E G I E S

DEV EL OP S TR A T EGI ES T O EN S U R E THA T S Y S TE MS A N D PR OC E S S ES A R E U S ED T O MON I T OR O PER A TI ON A L PR O GR ES S

A N D TO I D EN TI F Y W A Y S I N W HI C H PL A N N I N G A N D O PER A T I ON S C OU L D B E I MPR O V ED

It will be necessary to develop a range of strategies to ensure that systems and process can be used to monitor operational progress and to identify the range of ways in which planning and operations in relation to the continual improvement process could be improved.

OPERATION AL P ROG RESS

Operational progress in relation to the implemented continuous improvement processes is a measurement of the progression of operations towards the goals and objectives that have been set.

STRATEG IES FOR MANAG ING OPER ATIONAL PR OG RESS

Monitoring is the process of collecting and processing information in order to measure and compare that actual results achieved with the planned results in relation to any factor.

The processes of planning and monitoring are intertwined as one will provide the foundation for the other. Monitoring is an important factor in ensuring that plans are progressing as planned and to make sure that the organisation is performing as required.

Monitoring will enable the real-time assessment of how the continuous improvement processes that have been implemented into the organisation are performing, and this will highlight the need for any improvements that may need to be made in relation to operational planning.

KEY STEPS IN THE PRO CESS FOR MONITORING OPERATIONAL PROGRESS

The monitoring of operational progress will inform management and other personnel of how the organisation is progressing towards its continuous improvement goals and the areas in relation to continuous improvement that require further improvements or adjustments to be made.

The key steps in the process of monitoring operational progress include:

 Define the goal or objective

 Define the required operational performance necessary to meet these goals

 Establish data collection and measurement procedures

 Compare the results of the monitoring against plans and expected progress

 Report on the need for improvement

MEASURE THE RESU LTS OF M ON ITOR IN G TO IDE N TIF Y ARE AS FOR IMPROVEMENT

COMPARE ACTUAL RESULTS WITH PLANNED RESULTS

It will be necessary to carefully compare the actual results with planned results in order to enable the identification of any gaps in the expected operational performance.

IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Once the gap analysis has been completed on the results collected from the monitoring processes that have been completed, it will be necessary to use this information to identify the need for any improvements.

Improvements that may be required include:

 Policy or plan alterations

 Introduction of new procedures

 Continual improvements

 Process improvements

 Further quality assurance actions

TOOLS THAT CAN BE US ED FOR MONITORING

There is a large range of tools that can be used for the monitoring of operational progress, and these may include:

 Checklists

 Modelling

 Schedules

 Software and automatic data collection

 Spreadsheets

 Charts

 Statistical analysis

A DJ U S T A N D C OMMU N I C A TE S TR A TEGI ES TO S TA K EHOL DER S A C C OR DI N G TO O R GA N I S A TI ON A L PR OC E DU R ES

In response to monitoring and the identification of improvements that could be made in relation to operational progress required to meet continuous improvement goals and objectives, a range of strategies may need to be adjusted. When strategy adjustment occurs within the organisation, it will be necessary to ensure that these new strategies are communicated to all relevant stakeholders according to organisational procedures.

MAKE NECESSARY ADJUS TMENTS TO STRATE GIES

As a fundamental component of continuous improvement process and techniques, it will be necessary to constantly monitor, review, identify the need for change and then to make necessary adjustments to ensure that the strategies and other practices and processes within the organisation will be continually improved.

Adjustments to strategies may be minor or major and may include alterations to:

 Strategy goals and objectives

 Strategy purpose

 Policies and procedures used to support the strategy

 Strategy focus

 Reporting methods

 Recording methods

 Any related documentation

USE AN APPR OPR IA TE CH ANGE M AN AG E MENT STR ATEG Y TO MAKE ADJUSTMEN TS AND NECE SSARY

A change management strategy will enable adjustments to strategies to be made in a controlled manner in order to enable adjustments to be made without the integrity of the strategy being affected.

The following steps will need to be completed in order to plan for change within the organisation:

 Step 1: Collate and record all of the changes that will be made. Document

these change requests and the reasons behind them. Consultation results and

data can be included here to support decisions made.

 Step 2: Write a revision procedure that outlines all of the changes that will be

made, how these will be made and who and when they will be made by.

 Step 3: Write a revision management process that will determine if any of the

changed that are made will impact on any of the other portions of the

particular strategy, policy or plan . Other sections may need to be updated if

changes are made.

The following table can be used:

Proposed change Sections that will be impacted by the change

What changes will need to be made as a result of this change

 Step 4: Include any new changes that may need to be made as a result of the

changes proposed in the change management procedure.

 Step 5: Apply the changes. Changes must be tracked, and all revision

decisions and documentation must be kept.

 Step 6: Review all of the changes to ensure that the standards, clarity and

template requirements are still being met. Make sure that the purpose or

integrity of the strategy, policy or plan has not been compromised as a result

of the changes that were made.

ORGANISATION AL PROCE DURES FOR COMMUNICAT ING THE NEW STRATEGY TO S TAKEHOLDERS

It will be necessary to ensure that when changes are made to strategies within the organisation that the new strategy will be suitably communicated to all stakeholders using approved organisational procedures.

Once changes have been made to strategies, it will be necessary to determine appropriate methods that can be used to make sure that all relevant stakeholders will receive the required communication in a timely manner.

The communication method that will be selected may depend on a number of factors, including:

 The number of stakeholders affected by the change

 Scope of change

 Timing of change

 Level of change

Methods that may be used to communicate adjustments that have been made to strategies include:

 Memos

 Updated policies and procedure distribution

 Reports

 Meetings

 Training sessions

 Intranet

T O P I C 3 - M A N A G E O P P O R T U N I T I E S F O R F U R T H E R I M P R O V E M E N T

ES TA B L I S H PR OC ES S E S T O EN S U R E THA T T EA M ME MB ER S A R E I N F OR ME D OF O U TC OM ES OF C O N TI N U OU S I M PR O V EM EN T

EF F OR TS

As a part of facilitating continuous improvement within an organisation, it will be necessary to make sure that processes are established to ensure that the team members are informed of the outcomes of the continuous improvement efforts.

THE IMP ORTAN CE OF ENSURING THAT THE TEAM MEMBERS ARE IN FORMED OF THE OUTCOMES OF C ON TINUOUS IM PROVEMEN T EFFOR TS

When a new organisational focus, policy or process is implemented into the organisation, it will be necessary to ensure that a range of promotional activities is conducted in order to maintain and encourage engagement and forward motion in relation to the activity.

It is important that the outcomes of the continuous improvement efforts are communicated to team members so that they are able to:

 Feel involved in the overall organisational change

 Directly see the results of all of their efforts and hard work

 Feel a sense of achievement

 Enhance their engagement and effort towards the strategy

 See any negative impacts

 See the need for further improvements

 Feel activated and involved in the continual improvement actions of the

organisation

IMPACTS OF THE CONTI NUOUS IMP ROVE MENT PR OCESSES

A range of different impact may have resulted from the continuous improvement processes, and these may include:

 A range of rolling improvements

 Better quality management

 Better performance management

 Better outcomes overall for the organisation

ESTABL ISH PR OCED URES THAT CAN BE USED TO INFORM TE AM MEM BERS OF CON TINUAL IMP ROVE MENT OUTCOM ES

It will be necessary to establish a range of procedures that can be used to inform team members of continual improvement outcomes, and these may include:

 Promotional strategies

 Newsletters

 Announcements

 Awards

 Team meetings

As a part of the informing of team members about the impact of continuous improvement within the organisation it will be necessary to explain the following factors:

EXPLAIN HOW SYS TEMS AND P ROCEDUR ES CAN S UPPORT EF FECTIVE CON TINU OUS IMP ROVEME NT

It is important to explain to team member how systems and procedures can support effective continuous improvement and this is due to the fact that in order to systematic, incremental change to be made within an organisation it is essential that this process is controlled. Structured systems and procedures can be used to provide this control. Continual improvement on its own is not a tangible item, but the continual improvement of the systems and processes within the organisation are, and these items provide the foundation that allows the continuous improvement to be achieved.

EXPLAIN HOW CONTINUO US IMPROVEMENT SYSTE MS AND PROCESSES RELATE TO OTHER B USI NESS SYSTEMS AND RE Q UIREMENTS IN CLUD ING,

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT , QU ALITY, PERFORMAN CE M AN AGEMENT AN D SUSTAINABIL ITY

It is also important to explain how continuous improvement systems and processes relate to other business systems and requirements including, knowledge management, quality, performance management and sustainability; the following table can be used to explain this.

Business system or requirement Relationship to continuous improvement systems and processes

Knowledge management Effective knowledge management can be used to inform on continuous improvement systems and processes, and the continuous improvement systems and processes can be used in turn to apply continuous improvement to the knowledge management system and processes within the organisation.

Quality Quality management is the measurement for change that can be applied to the continuous improvement decision making processes and systems that are implemented within the organisation, and the continuous improvement systems and processes can be used in turn to apply continuous improvement to the quality management system and processes within the organisation.

Performance Management Continuous improvement can be used to improve performance management operations conducted within the organisation and performance management can be improved through the application of continuous improvement systems and procedures.

Sustainability Sustainability requirements may be continuously improved through the application of continuous improvement systems and processes.

EN S U R E PR OC ES S ES I N C L U DE R EC OR DI N G OF W O R K TEA M PER F OR MA N C E T O A S S I S T I N I DEN TI F Y I N G F U R T H E R

OP POR TU N I TI ES F OR I M PR OV E ME N T

It will be necessary to ensure that processes that are developed in relation to the facilitation of continuous improvement within the organisation include the recording of work team performance in order to assist in the identifying of further opportunities for improvement.

RECORD ING W ORK TEAM PERFORM AN CE

The process of recording work team performance may include:

 Annotated performance plans

 Quantitative data, such as production figures

 Recommendations for improvement

 Records and reports

THE IMP ORTAN CE OF DOC UMENTIN G W ORK PE RFOR M AN CE

The documentation of work team performance information that has been collected using a range of monitoring and feedback solutions within the organisation can provide a range of valuable information that can be used to inform on performance expectation gaps and methods and areas that require improvement.

The documentation of the work performance of team members enables team members to use this information in order to conduct own professional development and to monitor and manage own performance along with providing the organisation with clear and documented information that can be used to monitor work performance within the organisation.

COLLECTING PE RFORMAN CE INFORM ATION FOR PERF ORMANCE RE CO R DS

There is a range of methods that can be used to collect the necessary information that will be required to document work performance appropriately, and these may include:

GRAPHIC RATING SCALE S

This method involves the supervisor rating the employee on a numerical scale for a defined set of behaviours, traits, competencies and completed activities. It is a simple method and works well if both manager and employees share the same understanding of each point on the scale but can lack the complexity necessary to provide a thorough evaluation.

WEIGH TED CHECKL IST

This is a set of questions that the manager must answer with either a yes or no response. Questions may include for example “Does the employee follow directions?” The numerical value of each answer is added up to apply an overall appraisal of performance. It is a quick and easy appraisal method but can also lack details of the employee’s performance.

RANK IN G METH OD AND P AIRED COMP AR ISON ANA LYS IS

These are performance appraisal methods where the manager is required to rank and compare the employees against each other. These methods are highly subjective can be more challenging when the group of workers is large.

ESSAY EVALUATION MET HOD

This method involved the appraiser preparing a written statement about the employee being appraised, which describes his or her strength and weakness. It has advantages in that it is far less constraining than a rating system by the fact that it permits the appraiser to describe almost any relevant issue or attribute of performance. Some of the disadvantages of this method include that it can be time-consuming and more demanding than a rating system. It is also difficult to compare employees using this system.

CR ITICAL IN CIDENT ME THOD

The critical incident method involves identifying and describing events (or incidents) where the employee did something really well or something that requires improvement. It requires that the manager think back to the work activities of the employee and undertake a reflection of these activities in order to describe them in detail. Much like the essay evaluation method, some people have argued that this method is time- consuming, but it is informed by clear and specific evidence of employee’s performance.

C ON S I DER A R EA S I DEN T I F I ED F OR F U R THER I M PR OV EMEN T W HEN U N DER TA K I N G F U T U R E PL A N N I N G

It will be necessary to consider a range of areas for further improvement when undertaking future planning in order to effectively maintain the process of facilitating continuous improvement within the organisation.

AREAS IDE NTIFIE D FOR FU TURE IMPR OVEMENT

Throughout the process of conducting continuous improvement, a range of information will have been collected from within the organisation regarding areas of the organisation that are underperforming or have not yet been improved; these are areas that can be tagged for future improvement.

Areas for identified for future improvement may include:

 Sustainability

 Knowledge management

 Work performance

 Compliance

 Recording

 Reporting

 Quality

 Resource usage

 Budgetary compliance

 Processes

 Policies

 Decision-making processes

 Communication

 Stakeholder engagement

It will be necessary to document and quantify all of the areas that have been identified for future improvement and to make sure that these are clearly defined so that they can be included in future planning.

FUTURE PLANNING

Future planning is the process of making plans that may be:

 Short-term

 Medium-term

 Long-term

It is important to make sure that future plans contain:

 Strategic objectives and goals

 Continual improvement goals

 Action plans

 Measurable outcomes

 Recording and reporting procedures

 Monitoring procedures

 Continual improvement procedures

 Engagement procedures

SEEK AND E NCOUR AGE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FU TURE PL ANN ING FROM RELEVAN T IN DIVID UALS

When seeking and encouraging contributions from relevant individuals, it will be necessary to ensure that a range of methods is selected in order to seek and encourage contributions from relevant individuals.

CONTRIBUTION THROUGH CONSULTATION

This consultation is important because it leads to:

 More productive work as a result of greater cooperation and collaboration

 Better and more informed decision making and successful implementations

of ideas

 Attraction and retention of skilled and positive staff

 Workplaces that are better able to cope with change

The process of consultation requires that you be prepared to listen to the participant’s point of view and provide forums for them to voice their opinions. This can be done in a number of ways including:

 Circulating draft decision papers seeking for individual feedback either in

writing or by individual face to face discussions

 Facilitating team meetings or workshops where the team is presented with

the decisions that need to be finalised and encourage discussions

 Establishment of regular committee meetings where decisions are brought to

the table for representatives of team members to consider and advise

S U M M A R Y

Now that you have completed this unit, you should have the ability to facilitate continuous improvement.

If you have any questions about this resource, please ask your trainer. They will be only too happy to assist you when required.

R E F E R E N C E S

Continuous improvement Retrieved: 3 July 2018 http://asq.org/learn-about- quality/continuous-improvement/overview/overview.html

Hoshin kanri Retrieved: 3 July 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoshin_Kanri

Writing a Policy: Structure and Components Retrieved: 3 July 2018 http://www.leoisaac.com/policy/top125.htm

List of performance analysis tools Retrieved: 3 July 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_performance_analysis_tools

Beginners Guide to Performance Profiling Retrieved: 3 July 2018 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182372.aspx

http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/continuous-improvement/overview/overview.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoshin_Kanri

http://www.leoisaac.com/policy/top125.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_performance_analysis_tools

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182372.aspx