This unit applies to individuals who initiate and lead innovation in any industry or community context. Each organisation's thinking and practice will be different depending on its core business, purpose, size, complexity and broader operating context.

Leaders encourage innovative thinking and practice in relation to drivers shaping the particular work environment. Managers may use innovative thinking and practice to advance learning and business processes that contribute to organisational strategies, business plans and goals.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Generate innovative thinking and creativity

1.1. Research and use a range of techniques and tools to generate new ideas and thinking

1.2. Research and analyse trends shaping organisation's current and future thinking and practice

1.3. Introduce and promote creative thinking techniques to foster personal and team innovation

1.4. Evaluate overall context for individual and collective innovative thinking and creativity

1.5. Research and analyse specific conditions for innovation and issues that impact on individual and collective innovative thinking and creativity

1.6. Research and review innovation drivers and enablers

2. Lead innovative practices

2.1. Develop personal leadership style to model positive innovative thinking and practice

2.2. Review, challenge and refine own style and practice in relation to modelling and supporting innovation

2.3. Assess and determine the requirements to promote sustainable innovative activity for the operational context and people involved

2.4. Devise and implement most appropriate means to promote knowledge transfer

2.5. Identify, evaluate and manage risks associated with innovation within an organisation

3. Generate and support a culture of innovation

3.1. Introduce and promote innovative practices, processes, products or services appropriate to audience and organisational requirements

3.2. Establish ways to capture, communicate and share innovative ideas and practices

3.3. Initiate and foster communication, consultation and team development approaches that support innovation

3.4. Identify, assess and provide adequate resources for innovation to occur

3.5. Develop and apply strategies to foster a workplace culture capable of encouraging innovation

3.6. Establish mechanisms at system and process level that can support innovation

4. Sustain innovative thinking and practice

4.1. Develop strategies to make innovation an integral part of organisational activity

4.2. Develop and monitor processes to ensure ongoing awareness of individual and collective contributions to innovative thinking and practice

4.3. Analyse potential barriers and risks to innovation and devise strategies to respond

4.4. Analyse and reflect on innovation performance as a basis for developing strategies for improvement

Required skills

communication, consultation and negotiation skills to model and lead open and collaborative relationships

planning and organisational skills to develop, implement and sustain practical strategies for innovation

problem-solving skills to assess challenges and risks at a strategic level and to develop appropriate responses

research and analytical skills to work with structurally intricate and conceptually complex innovation texts and broader industry contexts; and to develop materials which deal with complex ideas and concepts

self-management and learning skills to evaluate and enhance personal effectiveness, and to promote a culture of ongoing learning and development

team and leadership skills to generate, promote and sustain innovation in an organisational or community setting

technology skills to use computers for document production and research of innovative practices and theories

Required knowledge

current and past theories and thinking about innovation and creativity

leadership styles including the way that different approaches impact on innovation in organisations, and specific approaches that foster innovation

legislative framework that affects business operations in a given context, including particular legislation with a direct impact on innovation, for example concerning copyright, trademarks, intellectual property, occupational health and safety (OHS)

management techniques and tools for the encouragement of creative thinking and for turning good ideas and creative thinking into innovation

organisational and industry context for innovation including overarching mission, objectives and strategies

relationship between theory and thinking on innovation and creativity, and applied practice

risk assessment and management strategies in the context of innovation

social, political, economic and technological developments that determine the broad context for innovation in the relevant workplace context

theories, processes and practice of organisational transformation and the management of the stages of change

typical strategic challenges and barriers to innovation within organisations and ways of overcoming these challenges and barriers

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.

Overview of assessment

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

comprehensive understanding and application of key concepts, current theories and processes for promoting innovative thinking and practices in an organisational context

critical examination of trends in thinking and emerging practices as they relate to an organisation's current thinking and practices

knowledge of social, political, economic and technological developments that determine the broad context for innovation in the relevant workplace context.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

assessment over a sufficient timeframe to allow holistic assessment of the candidate's capacity to lead and sustain innovative thinking and practice

opportunities for interaction with others to reflect the collaborative nature of the innovation process

access to current organisational documentation and support materials.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate

evaluation of reports prepared by the candidate to propose strategies and techniques for building innovative thinking and practice within a given organisational context

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of innovation theory and practice, context for innovation, and factors that affect innovation in a particular organisation.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

BSBINN601B Manage organisational change

BSBLED701A Lead personal and strategic transformation

BSBLED702A Lead learning strategy implementation

PSPMNGT614A Facilitate knowledge management.

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.

Range of techniques and tools for creative thinking may include:

brainstorming

concept maps

creative thinking matrix

DeBono tools (e.g. six hats)

foresight tools

Kirton Adaptation Innovation Inventory

mindmapping (Buzan)

nominal group technique

scenario analysis.

Overall context may include the environment relating to:

culture

electronic and non-physical context

global

local or regional

national

work group or community.

Conditions for innovation may span causal factors and issues relating to:

ability to gain and respond to customer feedback

available resources (in all their forms)

business systems

changes to workflow and processes

competency, capability and skills of the workforce

culture and values

economic change

emerging technologies

executive support for innovation

external

globalisation

government regulations, policy or funding initiatives

internal

labour market and industry changes and restructures

learning culture

management practices

new business models

new markets

organisational sociocultural circumstances and issues (for example, within Indigenous organisations)

research and development focus and support

shift to knowledge economy or new economy

structure and design of work in the organisation

technology change and convergence

vision, core purpose and capabilities.

Drivers are factors or changes that impel innovative practice and may include:

customer expectations

globalisation

market shifts

new legislation (such as compliance)

policies (such as environmental protection)

price and profitability

technology change.

Enablers are factors that help innovation overcome barriers and may include:

breakthroughs

collaboration

culture

development

intellectual property

inventions

management support

profitability

research

resources

responsiveness

skilled workforce

technology.

Leadership style will usually be differentiated by five classical approaches:

autocratic (non-participative)

charismatic flexibility

democratic (participative)

laissez faire (free reign)

paternalistic.

Risks may include:

damage to property/equipment

environmental

market changes

OHS (including disease)

product failure

professional incompetence

resource deficiencies

systems and process failures.

Mechanisms at system and process level may be physical or electronic and relate to:

customer management

human resources

information technology

learning

market

OHS

operations

planning (strategic and corporate)

quality

research and development

risk

resource management

supply chain management

structural and performance hierarchies (strata).

Unit sector

Creativity and Innovation - Innovation

This unit contains employability skills.