Level 4 - Higher Technical Occupation
Mid Green  Mid Green occupation

Business and administration

Improvement practitioner

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Identify and lead the delivery of change across organisational functions and processes.

Summary

Improvement Practitioners use a blend of Lean and Six Sigma, project and change management principles and tools to identify and 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, Local and County Councils, NHS, Voluntary / Charity, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Hospitality etc.​ Typically, Practitioners lead smaller projects and/or play a key supporting role in a larger 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 effective and sustainable countermeasures. They are the focal point for all stakeholders and responsible for communication throughout a project.

Typical job titles include

  • Business Improvement Practitioner | Chemical Engineer | Civil Engineer | Continuous Improvement Manager | Environmental Compliance Manager | Environmental Construction Management | Environmental Data Analyst | Environmental Engineer | Environmental Health And Safety Officer | Geotechnical Engineer | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt And Quality Control Senior Analyst | Mechanical Engineer | Process Excellence Manager | Transportation Engineer | Environmental improvement compliance manager | Environmental improvement construction manager | Environmental improvement data analyst | Environmental improvement engineer | Environmental improvement health and safety officer

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1:

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

K2:

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

K3:

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

K4:

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

K5:

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

K6:

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

K7:

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

K8:

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

K9:

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

K10:

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

K11:

Measurement systems: Repeatability and Reproducibility principles

K12:

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

K13:

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

K14:

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

K15:

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

K16:

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

K17:

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

Technical Educational Products

ST0192
ST0192: Improvement practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
Reference:
OCC0192
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£29,372 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3549 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3549/99 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 2431/01 Business analysts and consultants
    • 2431/02 Management advisers and consultants
    • 2440/99 Business and financial project management professionals n.e.c.
    • 3543/00 Project support officers
S1:

Compliance: Work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations

S2:

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

S3:

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

S4:

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

S5:

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

S6:

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

S7:

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

S8:

Problem definition: Support development of problem/opportunity statements

S9:

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)

S10:

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

S11:

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

S12:

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

S13:

Data acquisition for analysis: Develop a sampling strategy

S14:

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

S15:

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

S16:

Process capability & performance: Select methods and metrics for analysis

S17:

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

S18:

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

S19:

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

S20:

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

S21:

Benchmarking: Conduct structured benchmarking to support target setting

S22:

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

Technical Educational Products

ST0192 image
ST0192: Improvement practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
Reference:
OCC0192
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£29,372 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3549 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3549/99 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 2431/01 Business analysts and consultants
    • 2431/02 Management advisers and consultants
    • 2440/99 Business and financial project management professionals n.e.c.
    • 3543/00 Project support officers
B1:

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

B2:

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

B3:

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

B4:

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

B5:

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

Technical Educational Products

ST0192 image
ST0192: Improvement practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
Reference:
OCC0192
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£29,372 per year
SOC 2020 code:
3549 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 3549/99 Business associate professionals n.e.c.
    • 2431/01 Business analysts and consultants
    • 2431/02 Management advisers and consultants
    • 2440/99 Business and financial project management professionals n.e.c.
    • 3543/00 Project support officers