Training and development

The Strategic Programmes and Change team offer two half-day training sessions on the foundations of Operational Improvement. These courses are standalone so you can book onto either, however, we highly recommend booking both as they complement each other.

Each 3-hour long session comprises theory and application so you can put into practice what you are learning. The tools and techniques we introduce are practical and can be used in projects/initiatives and small improvement pieces both with your teams or individually.

Introduction to Operational Improvement Part I – Foundations

Upcoming dates

• TBD

What you will learn

• What Operational Improvement is, who the team is and how we support the College.
• The five principles of Operational Improvement
• Introduction to process mapping and improvement, exploring how you can identify value and eliminate waste.

What you will gain

• An understanding of why Operational Improvement is important and worth doing.
• Tools for identifying operational and service improvements in your role.
• Recognising non-value-added activities in a process and how to eliminate them.

Introduction to Operational Improvement Part II – Problem Solving

Upcoming dates

• TBD

What you will learn

• Team-based problem solving using DMAIC, a structured framework for problem solving. DMAIC takes you through a step-by-step process in which you define, measure, analyse, improve, and control.

What you will gain

• Understanding and application of a structured approach for problem solving.
• Application of a number of specific tools and techniques, including - problem and outcome statements, analysis tools, ideas generation techniques, prioritisation matrix

This one-day course expands on the tools you learned in Introduction to Operational Improvement. We dive into process mapping, measurement and optimisation in more detail and include Voice of the User work and Visual Management.

What you will learn

• Voice of the User
• Process Mapping
• Process Optimisation
• Process Measurement and Metrics
• Visual Management

What you will gain

• Tools and techniques to improve user experience
• Stakeholder engagement techniques
• Understand the elements involved in mapping, managing and optimising a process
• Visual Management tools to monitor performance and aid decision-making

Upcoming dates and how to book

TBD

The Strategic Programmes and Change team offer an exciting range of masterclasses which are open to all staff. Typically between 60-90 minutes long, we'll break down a single tool or concept relating to service improvement, and allow you some time to practice it.

Previous masterclasses

Process Optimisation

This session is a follow on to our “why bother process mapping and how to get started” masterclass. You will learn and put into practice some tools for identifying waste and optimising your process. 

Reset your workplace using the 5s technique

Explore how to maximise the use of your physical and digital working environment using the 5s technique. The tool helps you to optimise your available resources and eliminate unnecessary waste to create a more professional workplace.

Why bother process mapping and how to get started

Join this session to explore the value of process mapping and consider if it’s right for you. We’ll explore different scenarios where process mapping can be helpful, think about different levels of process maps and look at different tools for capturing process.

Functional roles people play at work: exploring the RACI matrix

This session provides you with a tool to visualise and document who is involved in a piece of work and the role they play, whether that be in a project, a team, or a process. We will take you through the tool step by step and provide an opportunity for you to practice using our templates.

Understanding your users/customers

This session covers the elements we need to consider whilst working to understand the voice of our customer/user. We will look at the rationale for doing voice of the user work, relevant tools and techniques and how to translate and prioritise what we have gathered. 

Introduction to Operational Improvement is for all staff who have an interest in or a requirement to improve a service or the way they work. Our tools can be used in various settings, from individual use to team or project.

Operational Improvement Practitioner is for staff who have completed the Introduction to Operational Improvement training and wish to learn more advanced approaches to improvement.

Masterclasses are between 60-90 minutes long and for all staff and usually look at a specific area of service improvement. We break down a single tool or concept and allow you some time to practice it. Have a look at our full breakdown of masterclasses above.

• Introduction to Operational Improvement is currently offered as two half-day (three-hour) sessions. The sessions are standalone but we highly recommend booking both,
• One day (typically between 09:30-16:30) for Operational Improvement Practitioner
• Between 60-90 minutes for our masterclasses

All our courses are free, but as we have a long waiting list, please give at least 48 hours’ notice if you can no longer attend so we can free your spot for a colleague who is interested in attending.