This unit applies to managers and senior members of staff. It involves assessing the potential for innovative practice within an organisation, setting goals, identifying barriers and generating options for innovative systems; and trialling, evaluating and implementing new innovative systems in the workplace.

Nil

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1

Conduct research into organisation systems.

1.1

Identify reasons for incorporating innovation into organisation systems.

1.2

Clarify goals of a new innovative system.

1.3

Research innovative systems in other organisations.

1.4

Analyse current organisational systems to identify gaps or barriers to innovation.

1.5

Identify staff who can support and foster innovation in the new systems.

2

Generate innovative system options.

2.1

Conceptualise ideas for innovative work systems that will foster innovation using individual and group techniques.

2.2

Evaluate and discuss the range of ideas with other team members and colleagues.

2.3

Select a system idea that meets the workplace requirements and which is both feasible and innovative.

3

Develop plan for the innovative system.

3.1

Analyse the organisational structure to identify the impact of the new system on people, resources and finances.

3.2

Consult staff throughout the organisation who will be involved with, or affected by, the new system.

3.3

Clarify financial impact of the new system and allocate funds and resources.

3.4

Develop marketing or promotional strategy to educate the organisation on the new system.

3.5

Evaluate competencies of staff who will use the system and plan a learning and development strategy.

4

Trial the innovative work system.

4.1

Present innovative system to staff and gather preliminary feedback.

4.2

Trial new system with a group within the organisation.

4.3

Monitor and take action to streamline the trial where required.

5

Review the trial of the innovative system

5.1

Review the innovative system in relation to its goals and the ways in which it fosters innovation in the workplace.

5.2

Adjust the innovative system to reflect evaluation feedback.

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

interpersonal communication skills to:

collaborate with others and represent ideas through clear and direct communication

ask questions to identify and confirm requirements

use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences

use and interpret non-verbal communication

ability to interpret and analyse organisational requirements for work systems

evaluation of staff competencies

ability to plan the implementation of new systems

ability to organise and implement training and learning activities to prepare team members and managers to implement a new work system

research skills.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

principles of new systems

leadership and management theory

an understanding of ways in which the system can contribute to innovation in the workplace

various options for the system

creative thinking techniques.

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

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

establishes the reasons why innovative systems are required

establishes the goals of a new innovative system

analyses current organisational systems to identify gaps and barriers to innovation

generates a number of options for innovative systems, seeks feedback, evaluates ideas and selects an appropriate idea to develop further

develops a plan to implement the new system, including staff required, financial impact, marketing and the evaluation of competencies

trials and monitors the innovative work system

reviews the trial of the innovative work system and makes adjustments to reflect evaluation feedback.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

a retail work environment

relevant documentation, such as:

policy and procedures manuals

information on the internal and external operating environment

a range of communication equipment.

Methods of assessment

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

observation of performance in the workplace

third-party reports from a supervisor

review of portfolios of evidence

written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance.

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

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification.

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Reasons for incorporating innovation into the organisation may include:

high staff turnover

customer dissatisfaction

continuous improvement

increasing competitiveness.

Organisation systems may include:

human resources management

team management

organisational structures

product development

marketing

training and assessment.

Goals may include:

winning more business

diversifying the business

increasing staff numbers

changing the culture of the organisation

generating more income.

Innovative systems may include:

product review systems

human resources

quality management

innovation reward systems

team management

project management

learning and development systems.

Gaps or barriers may include:

hierarchical system of management

staff not being involved in decisions

people not communicating with each other or sharing information

managers who do not accept new ideas

teams who work in rigid and inflexible ways.

Methods to identify staff may include:

surveys or questionnaires

job profile analysis

observations.

Conceptualisation methods may include:

process analysis

cost-benefit analysis

brainstorming

value analysis

SWOT analysis

review of approaches and procedures used by competitors

visual imagining

jotting words

flow charts

mind maps

other creative thinking strategies.

Workplace requirements may relate to:

training

performance management

project management

client relations

briefing processes.

Resources may include:

people

materials

equipment and technology

budget

time.

Methods of consulting staff may include:

interviews

team meetings

email

memos

informal interactions.

Learning and development may include:

formal training or education

informal learning

coaching and mentoring

job rotation

information seminars

on-line learning

conferences.

Feedback may be sought and given:

verbally

in writing

through presentations

at informal and formal meetings.

Review may involve:

checking system implementation

meeting client and end user needs

best practice

financial requirements

resource requirements.

Sector

Cross-Sector

Quality and Innovation

The required outcomes described in this unit contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.