Assessor Resource

MSS403041A
Facilitate breakthrough improvements

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


This unit applies to team leaders and others who are providing guidance and support to assist a team of employees to identify improvements that can be implemented to operations, processes or products in a brief intensive project.

The unit also covers ensuring that the improvements are sustained. The process of achieving breakthrough improvements is often called kaizen blitz in lean terminology.

This unit assumes that one or more processes and operations have been mapped. MSS403033A Map an operational process may also need to be selected if this is not the case.

For facilitation of breakthrough improvements in an office see unit MSS403043A Facilitate breakthrough improvements in an office.

This unit of competency covers the knowledge and skills required to facilitate implementation of discrete targeted improvement activities to achieve breakthrough improvements in selected processes, operations or products. Typically this approach is used for improvements in areas of waste identified through value stream mapping.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:

interpret operations, processes and products in terms of value to the customer

identify, analyse and evaluate information from a variety of sources to identify opportunities for breakthrough improvements

lead and motivate others in planning, implementing and sustaining improvements.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of performance must be undertaken in a workplace using or implementing one or more competitive systems and practices.

Access may be required to:

workplace procedures and plans relevant to work area

specifications and documentation relating to planned, currently being implemented, or implemented changes to work processes and procedures relevant to the assessee

documentation and information in relation to production, waste, overheads and hazard control/management

reports from supervisors/managers

case studies and scenarios to assess responses to contingencies.

Method of assessment

A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment.

Competence in this unit may be assessed by using a combination of the following to generate evidence:

demonstration in the workplace

workplace projects

suitable simulation

case studies/scenarios (particularly for assessment of contingencies, improvement scenarios, and so on)

targeted questioning

reports from supervisors, peers and colleagues (third-party reports)

portfolio of evidence

In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

Required skills include:

facilitating groups of people who may not normally work together

analysing information and data to identify variation and evaluate improvements

measuring and calculating performance variables

facilitating team goals, activities, communications and accessing resources

planning and prioritising team activities

solving problems to root cause

identifying waste (muda)

communicating with personnel at all levels in relation to team activities and improvement projects

visualising normal operations and procedures in terms of flow and contribution to customer value

contributing to procedure review and/or development

identifying gaps in skills and/or knowledge and options to address them

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

team and organisation deliverables and processes used to achieve them

how organisation operations and processes contribute to the value stream

types of waste (muda) and imposed exclusions

organisational policies, plans and procedures

methods of identifying and evaluating options

occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements relevant to the target work areas

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Competitive systems and practices

Competitive systems and practices may include, but are not limited to:

lean operations

agile operations

preventative and predictive maintenance approaches

monitoring and data gathering systems, such as Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Materials Resource Planning (MRP) and proprietary

statistical process control systems, including six sigma and three sigma

Just in Time (JIT), kanban and other pull-related operations control systems

supply, value, and demand chain monitoring and analysis

5S

continuous improvement (kaizen)

breakthrough improvement (kaizen blitz)

cause/effect diagrams

overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

takt time

process mapping

problem solving

run charts

standard procedures

current reality tree

Competitive systems and practices should be interpreted so as to take into account:

the stage of implementation of competitive systems and practices

the size of the enterprise

the work organisation, culture, regulatory environment and the industry sector

Team

Team for the purposes of this unit means any group of employees engaged in a breakthrough improvement event. Examples include:

a permanent formally identified team

a sub-group of a team

a specially established group for the breakthrough event (e.g. a combined production/administration/ logistics group convened for a breakthrough event addressing delivery issues)

Scope and benefit statements

Scope and benefit statements of improvement project may include:

description of the business

the target work process

what key stakeholders seek from the improvement project

a mission for the event

a set of goals

a statement of the do's and don'ts for the improvement project

Boundaries

Boundaries define the extent and limits of the breakthrough improvement event. Typically they define:

the start and end point of the process being targeted

the steps of the process to be included and excluded

specific job roles or related processes to be included or excluded

timeframe for the event

Sponsor

Sponsor includes:

a person who is committed to achieving improvements and who has the authority to approve and allocate resources to support the activities and ensuing changes. Typically the sponsor will be a middle or senior manager in the organisation or the business owner

Breakthrough improvement

A breakthrough improvement (also known as kaizen blitz) is one that delivers a better ratio of value-add to non-value add from the customer perspective. It is characterised by:

using a formal process

being a discrete targeted activity that is achieved in a relatively short timeframe

delivering significant level of improvement

Mechanisms

Mechanisms to communicate and sustain improvements may include:

scheduled audits

regular monitoring and/or reporting activities

use of visual aids, such as targets and progress boards, process charts and procedure posters

communications, such as standing items for team meetings, email reminders or updates

Imposed exclusions

Imposed exclusions are wastes (muda) that are required but do not add value. They should be formally identified as muda in the competitive systems implmentation. Examples include:

equipment excluded from efficiency or layout review because of budget constraints

regulatory requirements that do not add value

organisation requirements, policies or procedures beyond the influence of the team

Key process indicators

Key process indicators may include:

statistical process control data/charts

orders

lost time, injury and other OHS records

equipment reliability charts

Team

Team includes:

formally designated teams

informal groups of employees

other stakeholders who may be brought together for a breakthrough improvement event

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Engage team members in the improvement event 
Identify process or processes to be targeted in the improvement event 
Assist team members to identify how their own roles contribute to value to the customer 
Assist team to identify the boundaries of the event, including any imposed exclusions 
Identify key process indicators and other information required for improvement event 
Identify skill needs for personnel engaged in breakthrough improvement event and arrange for any required training 
Establish communication processes with sponsor and stakeholders 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSS403041A - Facilitate breakthrough improvements
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

MSS403041A - Facilitate breakthrough improvements

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: