Leading Innovation in Systems: FAQ

What is the programme?

This is an action research programme that applies systems thinking to exploring why and how innovations get adopted and spread. The programme combines three key elements:

  • Knowledge: Learning and theory around innovation and systems thinking
  • Observation and Deep Dive: Working alongside a live OD programme to investigate and understand successful change in action
  • Application: Using tools to translate learnings to your own innovation challenges

What is the programme structure?

The programme model is based around an initial set of 3 virtual learning modules, followed by a series of phases of live action such as interviewing, gathering, analysing, reflecting on data and coming together in a series of communities of practice with peers on the programme over a period of 8 months from March to October 2022:

What is the time commitment for this programme?

Estimated as 2 days per month from March to October 2022. Each of the modules or communities of practice are set as half days and will be delivered virtually on the dates given below. The live work for the programme, such as talking to those going through and experiencing changes, can be fitted to work for you and those you are speaking to.

What are the programme dates?

The suggested programme dates are as follows:

  • Module 1: Thursday 17th March, 09:15 – 12:45
  • Module 2: Friday 1st April, 09:15 – 12:45
  • Module 3: Friday 29th April, 09:15 – 12:45
  • Community of Practice  1: Monday 16th May, 13:00 – 16:30
  • Community of Practice  2: Monday 6th June, 13:00 – 16:30
  • Community of Practice  3: Monday 27th June, 13:00 – 16:30
  • Community of Practice 4: Monday 18th July, 13:00 – 16:30
  • Community of Practice 5: Monday 12th September, 13:00 – 16:30
  • Community of Practice 6: Monday 10th October, 13:00 – 16:30

What will I get out of it?

You will gain:

  • An understanding of the different lenses through which to see innovation and how to use these to shape the conditions for innovation and change.
  • The opportunity to participate in real time action research, working with individual practices as part of the Collaborative Practice OD programme.
  • Actively undertake elements of evaluation activities, including observations, interviews, surveys, and reflection and discovery as the data emerges.
  • Co-create a scale and spread change approach for potential use across the South East region.
  • Learn specific techniques, including co-production, working with diverse voices, creating a shared purpose, sense making, framing, change principles in systems, the importance of feedback loops in systems, working with emergence, dialogic interventions, complex facilitations skills and action research evaluation skills.
  • Networking and developing a peer group.
  • Understanding a different part of the system to where you usually work.
  • An enhanced theoretical knowledge around complex adaptive systems to help you to orientate yourself and your work within the health and social care bill.

What is the application process?

There is a short application form to fill in (following this link) and shortlisted applicants will be invited to a brief interview. Closing date: Tuesday, 22nd February 2022.

What is the interview format?

Interviews will be carried out virtually over Zoom and will last for 30 minutes.

What are you looking for in the application?

We are keen that this programme works for you and to support you in understanding and creating innovations in your area of work. We are looking for participants on this programme as detailed on the flyer under ‘who this programme is for’. We will be looking at key elements:

  • Practical – Do you have the time to commit? Do you work in a role that will enable you to put what you are discovering into action?
  • Motivation – What are your own motivations, your interests, why this programme and why now, do you have a passion to want to co-create and spread innovation and change?
  • Approach – Do you value relationship-based working, putting customer at the heart of what you do, empowering employees, working with diversity etc.?

When will I find out if I have a place on the programme?

We will let participants know by the 10th March.

Who is the facilitator for the Programme

For the past ten years Martin has been an independent organisational/management development consultant and an associate of the Centre for Innovation in Health management at Leeds University and London South Bank university. His work includes leadership development and organisational development. He works with organisations, health economies and nationally.

Martin has particular experience of approaches to integrated care. When working with front line staff he supports the development of new models of care using a rigorous systems approach to the characteristics a service needs to provide. When working with leaders he helps them identify the necessary conditions for this to deliver and OD strategies that will bring them about (e.g. in East London and Croydon). In Surrey he was working with small groups across organisations to support them to prototype new models of integrated care. In CC4C work spanned citizens, primary care MDT teams and acute paediatrics at Imperial.

Martin spent 17 years at the Kings Fund. There he worked with health systems around the world, though is experience is primarily with the NHS and Local Authorities.  Working with all elements of the NHS system, his particular expertise is leadership development (for both clinicians and managers) and organisational development. He has enormous expertise and experience in developing senior leaders having designed and facilitated programmes for well over 100 NHS chief executives (including the Experienced CEO programme for the Modernisation Agency/Institute, CEO study tours abroad) and hundreds of NHS directors. His Organisational development work focuses on real issues in real time. He has worked with many organisations to develop strong leadership throughout the organisation. Equally he works on service redesign with diverse teams from many organisations that have to achieve a common purpose (e.g. services for older people in a particular city).  He has worked successfully with just about every type of stakeholder in the NHS and Local Authorities – from the Select Committee through to Boards and exec teams to development programmes for Practice managers. This included an innovative locality based political leadership programme with elected members and non-execs.  He has worked with General Practices for over 25 years.

As well as running national leadership programmes, Martin has a lot of experience of facilitating place-based development that leads to local action. He co-designed/directed a multi-sector (CEO’s from Public and Private Sectors) programme to develop Wales as a region. This ran over a year involving classroom-based development, visiting successful regions (e.g. Catalonia), assessing Wales’ needs, and starting a series of interventions to address them. In Leeds he co-directed a development programme for the 24 ‘top docs’ across all the Healthcare providers. They then persuaded the Health and Social Care system to fund 3 years of system-wide leadership development (including Voluntary sector) to improve the quality of services. He co-designed and ran the system leaders programme and co-designed/ facilitated the Delivery programmes which included citizens.