Q Exchange

Systems Improvement Practitioner programme

The national co-design of a free-to-use 'Systems Improvement Practitioner Programme' to support systems and organisations to build QI and systems thinking capability in order to tackle complex system issues.

Read comments 24

Proposal
2024

What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme of 'How can we improve across system boundaries?

Improvement often happens in silos. There is a growing recognition nationally that we need to focus our efforts and energies more on system improvement and working across boundaries. System working is the new reality in the UK and as improvers we need to catch up.

Upskilling frontline staff in systems thinking and improvement methodologies is a powerful way to enable better system working and system-level improvements. Currently access to this level of development is limited or non-existent throughout the UK.

We aim to co-create a Systems QI Practitioner programme through a national community of practice. Importantly the product we create will be completely free for systems/organisations to adopt and adapt, in order to develop a new generation of Systems Improvers.

So far more than 50 people from across 20+ health systems have indicated an interest in co-designing this programme – showing a strong demand for this resource and the scale of the issue.

What does your project aim to achieve?

Our main objective is to co-create a new training programme focused on how to improve across health and care systems. We will publish the resources for this programme for free in 24/25, encouraging systems/organisations to pick it up and develop Systems Improvers capability and capacity locally.

The resources include;

Trainer: Slidesets with notes, facilitation guidance and templates
Delegate: A Systems Improver handbook
Convening guidance: How to bring people together for systems improvement
Programme Leader: How to set-up, deliver and evaluate the programme.

The structure/content of the programme will created by a national community of practice, overseen by NHS Elect.

The benefits of the programme include:

Q members will have free access to an adaptable training product to develop Systems Improvers
Local systems will have a vehicle to develop sustainable improvement capability and effective working relationships
This resource could be used to tackle health inequalities, given this is often a system priority

How will the project be delivered?

Phase 1 (months 1-3)

Establish a national community of practice ensuring representation from UK&Ireland, as well as patient involvement.
Workshops to agree the broad programme structure

Phase 2 (months 3-6)

Co-design of programme content through various workshops and working groups, ensuring fair and representative contribution from the community – including different sectors, professions and from across the UK&Ireland
Creation of supportive resource such as the guides, handbook etc.

Phase 3 (months 7-10)

Testing of programme content in at least 3 different systems, ensuring robust evaluation and learning to inform iteration of content. All insights will be fed back to the community of practice throughout.

Phase 4 (months 11-12)

Creation of final product, led by the community. The product will be professionally designed
Publication of the resources via The Q Community, with national promotion

Phase 5 (2nd year)

Ongoing evaluation of the programme, working with early adopter sites (systems)

Project/programme management methods will be used to oversee the project, including managing risks.

How is your project going to share learning?

This project is led by people with experience of co-designing a national training programme (see Quality Coach). Similarly to this project, we will share our learning about how to approach and do co-design well. This is often complex, and so sharing this learning will be very beneficial for others who plan on doing this in the future.

We are keen to share progress, data and learning as we go through Q blogs.

The resources we create will be published for free and available to Q members. This will greatly enable adoption and the development of Systems Improvers across the UK and Ireland.

We hope to bring together people using these resources through free national webinars and workshops (hosted by Q and/or NHS Elect). This could be enhanced by creating a Special Interest Group for Systems Improvers.

We will promote this work through Q and other methods, such as Twitter.

How you can contribute

Join the national community of practice for Systems QI Practitioner. We want representation from different sectors, settings, professions, experiences and geographies to join us - all are very welcome!
Share experiences and insights into the drivers and barriers for systems improvement
We are very open to feedback - please provide feedback or comments on this project
Promote our work wherever possible and encourage others to take part.

Plan timeline

25 Apr 2024	Recruitment to a national community of practice for System Improvers
13 Jun 2024	First in-person workshop to co-design broad programme structure - Leeds
15 Jul 2024	Second in-person workshop to co-design broad programme structure - London
12 Aug 2024	Virtual workshops to finalise first version of prog structure
19 Aug 2024	Establish various working groups to design programme content and resources
1 Oct 2024	Run 3 pilots of the programme at a system level
4 Nov 2024	Feedback of start of pilots to community of practice
28 Feb 2025	End of pilots and evaluation - sharing to community
3 Mar 2025	Co-design of final version of programme based on pilot feedback
2 Jun 2025	Ongoing evaluation of benefits, including spread and adoption
2 Jun 2025	Publication of resources for free nationally

Comments

Iain Smith 19 Mar 2024

Hi Sid,

I think I can help with this if you're still looking for folks to contribute to your community.

Iain
1. Sid Beech 20 Mar 2024
  
  Thanks Iain. Absolutely still looking for support from across Q. I'd be really keen to learn from your great work around the QI and Lean MOOCs, for example.
Georgina Turner 15 Mar 2024

Really looking forward to this from an Independant Sector point of view. Although we work across systems, there's plenty of room for improvement in how we train frontline colleagues to think a system-wide way (yet without it being overcomplicated). With that said, did you have in mind a target audience for the programme? i.e. will it be for frontline colleagues themselves, or the clinical leaders/managers of teams? / Those already with a baseline training in QI, or could a colleague go into this with no training at all?

I was at an event this week where we did some breakout spaces around 'working across systems' - the first question our group queried was what system were we talking about? It can be quite a complex and layered term and I often find frontline colleagues will have a look of confusion when using it. Just wanted to start the discussion!
1. Sid Beech 18 Mar 2024
  
  I love these questions!! I have my own personal view on this but wouldn't want to enforce this on others, or anchor anyone to what I'm thinking. I'm hoping that our kickstart meeting next month can begin to explore key questions you raised around "who is this for?" "how will it be used?", as well as agreeing how we hope to work over the next year or so.
  
  The question of "what do we mean by a system?" is complex - particularly as there is a lot of variation across the country. We're also lucky to collaborate with Irish Q members so they may have a wholly different perspective, as I suspect you might from an Independent Sector view. We'll find a way through this though as there is so much expertise in Q and so many people have volunteered to support this work already.
Rachel Trask 14 Mar 2024

Fascinating project - and interested in being involved in the Community of Practice. We have been testing a shorter version of the Quality Coach Programme and it is brilliant and I am sure that the Systems Improvement Practitioner Programme would be the same. Really looking forward to seeing how this project progresses
1. Sid Beech 18 Mar 2024
  
  Thanks Rachel. Glad to hear that you have been testing the Quality Coach resources - it's a similar concept so hopefully the end result will be equally as high-quality. Would love to hear more about how you are finding the coach resources. :)
Bridget Browne 14 Mar 2024

Hi Sid, happy to help and support in any way I can. Also looking forward to learning from others in the co-design phase!
1. Sid Beech 18 Mar 2024
  
  Thank you Bridget. We're currently thinking about how we "contract" this work, explain how people can contribute and be involved in this - we don't ask too much of anyone, whilst still offering those who are able to commit more time to do so in the most meaningful way. We are also keen to get variety of perspectives from different geographies, settings and contexts. I'm also looking forward to learning from others on this - it's by no means a straight forward subject!
Louis Faber 27 Feb 2024

Hi Sid - I fully back and support this proposal.

I am happy to get involved in the co-design working groups and author the content as this is a much needed package of training.

Thanks,

Louis
1. Sid Beech 29 Feb 2024
  
  Thanks Louis. I'll add you to the community of practice list - will be in touch very soon!
Veronica Hanlon 26 Feb 2024

Hi Sid and Team, This is very timely from an Irish context as we are beginning a large organisational restructuring to integrate community and acute services into 'regional health areas' and improving across systems will be an absolute requirement.

Our experience of collaborating with you on the Quality Coach programme was excellent so we would be keen to be involved in this project too if that was possible.
1. Sid Beech 26 Feb 2024
  
  Brilliant - it sounds very timely then! I'll email you Veronica - perhaps we could involve some people working in the new regional health areas to get involved as well? It can be a UK and Irish joint effort
Libby Keck 26 Feb 2024

I think this sounds like a great idea - it definitely connects to a need/ opportunity that we see in our work at Q, and excellent that you'll be able to bring in your learning from the quality coach programme. It would be great to see if anyone from the Q team can connect into this work, Sid. I'd personally be interested to contribute and/ or we can chat internally about who is well placed to make links with you.
1. Sid Beech 26 Feb 2024
  
  Yes please Libby. Could we have a chat on Teams/Zoom about it?
Evelyn Prodger 26 Feb 2024

This is a great proposal - applicable to a wide range of people and absolutely need to increase expertise in this area.

Would be happy to share information through the Community Hospitals SIG.
1. Sid Beech 26 Feb 2024
  
  Thank you Evelyn. It would be lovely to connect in with members of the Community Hospitals SIG. Perhaps some of the SIG members could join this via the new community of practice we are setting up around Systems Improvement?
Spencer Le Grove 22 Feb 2024

This sounds absolutely fantastic to support system wide improvement. If you believe I could add value to support this from QI in the ambulance sector then please do let me know and I would be happy to support this with yourself and the team of people you have. Best wishes, Spencer
1. Sid Beech 22 Feb 2024
  
  Yes please! Would be brilliant to get your perspective from the ambulance sector. Could you drop me an email sidney.beech@nhselect.org.uk so I can include you in our Community of Practice upcoming comms. Thanks, Sid
James Laughton 19 Feb 2024

Hi Sid,
So great to see another progressive initiative. Whilst I wouldn’t be able to attend in-person with my base abroad, if I can be involved in some way, would be very happy to contribute and see how it might work more broadly beyond the NHS.
1. Sid Beech 22 Feb 2024
  
  Thanks James - we will also run sessions virtually so we would love for you to be involved, as much as you can! The idea absolutely applies outside of the UK & Ireland and I'd be keen to hear your perspective.
Michelle Beattie 18 Feb 2024

What a great idea. I work in the University sector and there seems to be more competition than collaboration when it comes to resource. I've done a lot of QI teaching, currently run a Masters module in QI and have good connections with our health board. I'd love to be involved if you think I could contribute please drop me an email michelle.beattie@uhi.ac.uk
1. Sid Beech 22 Feb 2024
  
  Thanks Michelle. I completely agree about the current climate of competition vs collaboration - it completely goes against the ethos of QI. I'll drop you an email now to get the ball rolling on joining our growing Community of Practice for this idea - there are about 35 people currently engaged, which is brilliant. Thank you
Roisin Egenton 14 Feb 2024

This sounds like a fantastic resource to enable systems improvement! I'd be interested to know how it partners with the excellent Quality Coach Development Programme e.g. do they dovetail, build on one another, or run alongside each other to different audiences... is there potential for some duplication particularly in the aspects of QI capacity building? (or perhaps this is unavoidable?)

Asking from a place of curiosity rather than critique! Excited by the prospects of this. Let us know how we in Ireland can contribute :-)
1. Sid Beech 14 Feb 2024
  
  Thank you! It's a good question - we're likely to make sure they compliment in some way - perhaps Quality Coaches can be deployed in support of system improvement work? I'm not 100% sure - we really do need a community approach to this to pool our expertise and insights. We would love for you to join us in the co-design - these sort of questions are what will help us make the best possible resource(s). I'll drop you an email