Improvement Practitioner Level 4 Apprenticeship

An Improvement Practitioner uses a blend of Lean and Six Sigma project and change management principles and tools to identify. As well as lead the delivery of change across organisational functions and processes.

Improvement Practitioners can be found across all sectors and functions, including:

• Automotive
• Banking
• Engineering
• Food Products
• IT
• Property
• Retail
• Telecoms etc

Typically, an Improvement Practitioner is the leader of smaller projects and/or plays a key supporting role in a more extensive programme – tackling issues that may require swift problem-solving or re-occurring challenges that require in-depth analysis and the implementation of a range of practical and sustainable countermeasures.

They are the focal point for all stakeholders and are responsible for communication throughout a project.

Typical activities include:

• Identifying potential opportunities, diagnosing issues, proposing solutions and implementing changes and controls
• Coaching teams and sharing best practice
• When leading projects, they may manage small teams, ensuring motivation and momentum, and be responsible for the successful

There are a variety of job titles associated with an Improvement Practitioner occupation; these include, but are not limited to:

• Business Improvement Practitioner
• Continuous Improvement Manager
• Process Excellence Manager
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Quality Control Senior Analyst

The apprentice must receive off-the-job training for a minimum of 6 hours per week. The hours will be pro rata for part time learners. There are many activities that can be calculated towards the off-the-job training hours such as; Shadowing a colleague, Online Learning, Internal Training, Team Meetings and Appraisals/1-2-1 Visits.

Compliance: Legislative and customer compliance requirements including environment and health and safety

Team formation & leadership: Decision-making techniques e.g. consensus, authority rule, majority rule

Project management: Business case, risk analysis and management, toll-gate reviews, work breakdown structure, lessons learned, pilot studies, project review, process management and measures, benefits tracking

Presentation & reporting: Reporting templates, message mapping, case for change

Change management: Stakeholder identification, analysis and management (RACI). Change curve, resistance characteristics, change sponsorship, compelling point of view

Principles & methods: Business value of Lean and Six Sigma improvement methods – 8D, practical problem solving, Define Measure Analyse Improve Control, Design for Six Sigma

Project selection & scope: Y=f(x) equation (outputs are the result of inputs), business scorecard cascade

Problem definition: Cost of Poor Quality, problem analysis models such as Is/Is Not

Process mapping & analysis: Swim lane, value stream map, performance metrics – continuous, Parameter diagram, Takt time, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, theory of constraints principles, Kanban

Data analysis – basic tools: Spreadsheets and pivot table analysis, statistical analysis software

Measurement systems: Repeatability and Reproducibility principles

Basic statistics & measures: Control charts – attribute data, principles of normality

Data analysis – statistical methods: Measures of central tendency and spread

Process capability & performance: Capability analysis – continuous data for normal distribution

Root cause analysis: Key principles including symptoms, failure-mode, potential/verified cause, critical inputs, escape point. Graphical representation of data with dot, scatter and box plots

Experimentation: Active versus passive analytics, design of experiments, experiment plan

Identification & prioritisation: Selection and prioritisation matrix, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Compliance: Work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations

Communication: Speak and write clearly. Influence others, question effectively. Plan and deliver meetings presenting insight to engage audiences

Coaching: Observe, listen, use questioning, provide feedback and spot learning opportunities

Project management: Define, sequence, plan and schedule activities with phases and milestones. Estimate effort and duration. Create and update project charter. Review progress

Change management: Sponsorship contract, surface and manage resistance, build compelling narratives for change, assess change impact

Principals and Methods: Select and apply a structured method and appropriate improvement tools engaging with subject matter experts to deliver business benefits

Project selection and Scoping: Support the identification of improvement opportunity and the scoping of these projects

Problem definition: Support development of problem/opportunity statements

Voice of the customer: Support application of techniques to identify and prioritise customers, their requirements and ensure balance against the stated and unstated needs of the business (Voice of the Business)

Process mapping & analysis: Process map to measure and analyse flow and value. Identify interfaces, functional responsibilities and ownership. Use insight to identify potential opportunities and map future state

Lean tools: Seek in-process waste through understanding of value within the value stream

Measurements systems: Plan, carry out and assess results of a measurement system study

Data acquisition for analysis: Develop a sampling strategy

Basic statistics & measures: Use graphical analysis to understand distribution and stability

Data analysis-statistical methods: Identify data-types and select analysis methods and tools. Assess time series data stability and analyse making relevant insight

Process capability & performance: Select methods and metrics for analysis

Root cause analysis: Select and apply the appropriate graphical tool dependent on the data type to identify patterns, trends and signals to establish hypothesis

Experimentation & optimisation: Plan designed experiment with clear objectives, and appropriate levels of Measurement Systems Analysis, analyse experiment data and optimise

Identification & prioritisation: Identify and prioritise factors, ideas and solutions

Data analysis – SPC: Select and apply appropriate tools for ongoing monitoring and control. Analyse and interpret control charts

Benchmarking: Conduct structured benchmarking to support target setting

Sustainability & control: Identify failure modes and embed learning from improvements

Drive for results: Continuous drive for change and encourages others to deliver results across functional areas capturing and standardising best practice

Team-working: Awareness of own and others’ working styles. Creates high performing team

Professionalism: Promotes a moral, legal and socially appropriate working manner, aligns behaviours to the organisations values. Maintains flexibility to needs of project

Continuous development: Proactively seeks and acts on feedback. Reflects on performance and has a desire for development. Adapts quickly to working with new situations/stakeholders/challenges

Safe working: Ensures safety of self and others, speaks out to challenge safety issues

The End Point Assessment (EPA) will only commence once the Employer, Apprentice and Smart Training Advisor are confident that the apprentice has developed all the knowledge, skills and behaviours defined in the apprenticeship standard and that these are clearly evidenced through the progress review meetings and records. The independent end point assessment ensures that all Apprentices consistently achieve the industry set professional standard. The EPA can commence at any point once the apprentice is competent and after the twelve-month minimum period of learning and development. Prior to independent end point assessment the functional skills English and maths components of the apprenticeship must be successfully completed.

Multiple choice examination – Multiple choice examination to assess the knowledge elements of the standard

Project report, presentation & questioning – Project report, presentation & questioning to holistically assess KSBs across the standard –based on the apprentice’s improvement project(s) as contained in the project portfolio

Professional discussion – Professional discussion underpinned by the apprentice’s log, to holistically assess KSBs across the standard