Questions

DOCUMENT 14.2

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Cl Connect

Continuous Improvement Connect (CI Connect) is a structured learning and coaching solution for all Participant Experience Delivery (PED) staff to help build capability, deliver a sustainable NDIS, and achieve the best outcomes for participants.

Cl Connect

Cl Connect drives continuous improvement across key areas, where teams take the opportunity to learn together and from each other. Through CI Connect, you will build your capability, share your knowledge, and help lift organisational performance. The CI Connect Program spans four weeks with a deliberate focus on improving individual, team, organisational, and leadership performance.

The Performance, Management and Quality Branch created a Data Framework using the Continuous Improvement Register and a Prioritisation Matrix to inform Cl Connect current and future topics.

Each CI Connect topic is identified through data-driven insights and scheduled by the Participant Experience Delivery Executive Leadership Team, ensuring all recommendations are considered and the content aligns to core objectives. There will be two National topics and one state-based topic each quarter.

The Performance, Learning and Change team will work with subject matter experts to develop content using solution-based learning principles, and content will incorporate technical learning as well as a focus on interpersonal skills. Content will be reviewed by the National Quality and Consistency Forum before gaining final endorsement from Service Practice and Guidance and other business areas as required.

CI Champions from each state and territory will assist you by answering questions about CI Connect and directing you to Cl Connect resources.

Cl Connect supports a coaching culture and builds a continuous improvement mindset.

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Keeping Track

At the beginning of each Cl Connect rotation, you will be enrolled into a LEAP module according to your role. The module provides context, information, and discussion points about the Cl Connect topic.

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Team Member Pack | Team Leader Pack | COACHING TOPIC TITLE | TOPIC TITLE | Team Leader Tool Kit

At the end of each Cl Connect cycle, you will complete a short questionnaire about the topic, which will include some knowledge check questions.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have completed each topic in LEAP.

If needed, you can revisit Cl Connect topics by accessing it through the completed learning section of your Learning in LEAP.

Cl Connect supports a coaching culture and builds a continuous improvement mindset.

Find out more about Cl Connect by watching the video presentation via YouTube

Preparing for Cl Connect

At the beginning of each Cl Connect cycle, you will receive notification from LEAP to confirm your enrolment. The module contains resources about the topic.

As early as possible, team leaders read through the material and organise their team discussion, or team coaching session.

Team leaders can reach out to the Cl Connect Champions for support and clarification.

W Activity

Week 1

• Team leaders facilitate a discussion, or a ‘team coaching’ session using the supporting resources from LEAP.

Week 2

• To prepare for the next week activity, team leaders schedule coaching sessions with team members. Note: for larger teams, coaching may occur over two or three weeks.

Week 3

• Throughout the second week, team leaders will have a coaching session with their team members. This may have a particular focus related to the CI Connect topic or be a strength-based conversation. The important thing to remember is that the time is allocated to a team member for a coaching conversation. Note: for larger teams, coaching may occur over two or three weeks.

Week 4

• To prepare for next week, team leaders allocate times for team members to shadow a peer.

Peer to Peer Shadowing

• Throughout the third week team members will be allocated a ‘buddy’ to shadow and discuss observations. Buddies can remain the same over a period of months, and each cycle can swap between ‘observing’ and ‘being observed.’

Week 5

• To prepare for next week, team leaders should they have an invitation to the community of practice meeting.

Community of Practice

• In the final week of CI Connect, everyone will complete a questionnaire in LEAP about the topic.

• Team leaders will focus on developing support networks and engage in a state-based CI Connect coaching community of practice, where they will have opportunity to discuss challenges, share successes, work through scenarios, and access additional resources via the dedicated CI Connect Intranet page.

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data and action…together

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Continuous Improvement Connect

The Role of Champions

April 2021

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Cl Connect

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Where to find information about explain Cl Connect

• Intranet Page
• Cascade Overview
• Yammer Page

Autonomy and flexibility in Cl Connect

• Facilitating group discussions
• Coaching topics
• Peer to Peer shadowing

First point of contact

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The scope of the Champions role:

• Scheduling activities
• Cl Connect program — why and what it looks like
• Upcoming topics
• Performance issues
• Community of Practice

Types of questions we anticipate and sample responses

Resources

The scope of the Champions role:

• Understanding the available resources
• Linking leaders, coaches and teams to available resources
• Assisting with the CI Connect Yammer page for all staff
• Requesting clarifying changes as needed
• Requesting additional resources

LEAP

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The scope of the Champions role:

• Confirming current LEAP module title
• Confirm who should be enrolled into which modules
• Explaining LEAP self-enrolment

Facilitated learning

• Leading a Coaching Culture
• Just Brilliant — Learning to Lead / Leadership Excellence

Stakeholder relationships

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The scope of the Champions role:

• Getting to know the PM&Q account manager
• Reaching out to the Performance Learning and Change team

Other stakeholders involved with CI Connect:

• PM&Q Deep Dive & Assurance teams
• PED Executive Leadership team
• National Quality and Consistency Network
• Other policy or technical SMEs as needed

Updating Leadership teams

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The scope of the Champions role:

• Explaining CI Connect to new leaders
• Sharing news items
• State/territory/branch CI Connect topics
• Actions and insights from community of practice

Working with PM&Q Account Managers

Community of Practice

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The scope of the Champions role:

• Schedule and send invitation
• Create and share agenda
• Facilitate the meeting
• Follow up actions as needed

What is a community of practice? (Etienne Wenger)

A community of practice is a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. It reflects the fundamentally social nature of human learning.

Coaching

The scope of the Champions role:

• Refer leaders and coaches to existing resources

• Confirm GROW method used in situational coaching

• Using the Coaching Log

Additional Champion resources:

• LACC Toolkit
• CI Connect Team Leader Coaching Toolkit
• LinkedIn Learning

Questions

DOCUMENT 16

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From: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Sent: Tuesday, 5 April 2022 11:08 AM To: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Subject: FW: CI Connect Information Sheets [SEC=OFFICIAL] Attachments: CI Connect Peer to Peer Shadowing Information Sheet.docx; CI Connect Team Leader Information Sheet.docx; CI Connect Launch QandA.docx

Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged

From: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Sent: Thursday, 1 April 2021 5:16 PM To: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Cc: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Subject: FW: CI Connect Information Sheets [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Hi all, further to s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrele ’s discussion at the WA Check In yesterday, please see below and attached for support material that you can refer to. Don’t forget to watch the video if you haven’t already and please send any questions through to WA Ops to be collated for s22(1)(a)(i ) - irrele.

https://youtu.be/gVpdL5b-W3U

thanks

s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material

Assistant Director, Operations WA Service Delivery National Disability Insurance Agency s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material

From: s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material Sent: Thursday, 1 April 2021 4:03 PM To: WA.OPERATIONS s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material > Subject: CI Connect Information Sheets [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear WA Operations Team!

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with WA staff about CI Connect on Wednesday!

As mentioned in the overview, additional documents are available which will support your team leaders and coaches as they begin to implement the CI Connect program across your teams. Please see attached the following:

• CI Connect Team Leader Information Sheet provides information about implementing CI Connect in their team
• CI Connect Launch Q&A asks and answers questions about CI Connect, including questions raised during the Pilot

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\– CI Connect Peer to Peer Shadowing Information Sheet for team leaders to share with their teams before undertaking shadowing

Would you please share these documents with the WA leadership group?

I am available to provide additional Q&A session for the WA leaders about CI Connect. Please let me know if you would like to arrange a date and time for further discussion.

Many thanks!

s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material

Assistant Director – Performance, Learning and Change

Performance, Management and Quality Branch

Participant Experience Delivery (PED) Group

National Disability Insurance Agency

s22(1)(a)(ii) - irrelevant material

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging.

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DOCUMENT 16.1

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Cl Connect: Peer to Peer Shadowing

Continuous Improvement Connect (CI Connect) is a structured learning and coaching solution for all Participant Experience Delivery (PED) staff to help build capability, deliver a sustainable NDIS, and achieve the best outcomes for participants. One of the activities of CI Connect is Peer to Peer Shadowing.

Peer to Peer Shadowing

During Peer to Peer Shadowing, you will be paired up with a ‘buddy’ — one of your workmates — and spend 30 minutes with them during week three of CI Connect. For the 30 minute session, one of you will observe the other complete tasks related to planning.

Each CI Connect cycle, you will swap between observing your buddy when they are doing their work, and having them observe you as you do yours.

What is Peer to Peer Shadowing?

Peer-to-peer shadowing is all about learning from each other. Frontline staff share similar experiences, and having a common experience has significant benefits. When shadowing each other, you will have the chance to see and learn a different way of working, and still reach the same great results for participants.

Peer-to-peer shadowing is informal. It provides opportunities for you to reflect on how you do your work, and you can choose to follow up with your team leader, set new goals, and practice new ideas. You can share tips and techniques on how you complete your work with your buddy.

Peer-to-peer shadowing does not need to be limited to the CI Connect topics. The greatest aspect of shadowing is that you never know if an event or ‘obstacle’ might occur. If one occurs — that’s great! It means you will get to share or see how others respond and overcome the unexpected.

Getting Started

During CI Connect your team leader will assign you a buddy. You might work with one buddy for a few months, or multiple buddies over time.

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Peer-to-Peer Shadowing

Steps

• Step 1: Schedule 30 minutes to complete peer-to-peer shadowing with your buddy. Where possible, try to set it up at a time where you can learn more about the CI Connect topic.

• Step 2: Decide between the two of you who will observe and who will be observed. Switch it up each month to make sure you both take a turn!

• Step 3: Set some boundaries and clarify your expectations from the session. Before the session ask:

  • Will you just observe and ask no questions?
  • If asking questions, will you ask questions during the observation or at the end?
  • What’s your plan if you disagree about how to complete the work?

• Step 4: Set yourself an objective for the session. Identify what you want to learn or share with your buddy.

  • Where possible, try to complete an activity related to the CI Connect topic, but you can use this time to learn or share about any aspect of planning.

• Step 5: After the session, reflect on what you saw and heard. Decide if you are going to change your work practice. Speak with your team leader and set a goal to achieve success!

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Cl Connect: Team Leader Information

Continuous Improvement Connect (CI Connect) is a structured learning and coaching solution for all Participant Experience Delivery (PED) staff to help build capability, deliver a sustainable NDIS, and achieve the best outcomes for participants.

What to do to implement CI Connect?

The activities you will need to do in order to implement Cl Connect will depend on what team and coaching activities you already do. If you meet with everyone in your team once a month and have regular coaching with your team, Cl Connect will simply provide more detail and structure to support continuous improvement in your team.

If you are new to coaching and find it difficult to prioritise team learning opportunities, Cl Connect will provide you with a minimum requirement of coaching, and it may take you a few weeks to get use to scheduling and conducting these activities. Over time, you can use the Cl Connect program to manage your time with your team, and this early investment will pay dividends in terms of time spent!

A calendar of implementing CI Connect activities

The table below outlines the activities for you and for your team during the Cl Connect span of four weeks. Cl Connect is flexible in the way coaching can be delivered in your team, although the minimum requirements listed in the table below must be met.

Although we expect you will spend between 2-4 hours on Cl Connect required activities once Cl Connect is up and running in your team, in the initial stages when you are scheduling activities it might take a bit longer. The table below is an example of how much time you might take in the first month of Cl Connect.

For example, you have autonomy to decide how to conduct the discussion about the Cl Connect topic with your team. To do so, you will need to take a bit of time to familiarise yourself with the content in the LEAP module. This might be difficult the first time you do this, as there are so many options available to you, and it might take you a bit longer to review the content and feel prepared. In the next Cl Connect cycle, you will be more familiar with what you need to do and take less time to consider your facilitation options.

You will also need to decide how many coaching conversations you will conduct in week two. This might be the minimum requirement to two coaching conversations, or you may decide to meet with your entire team in week two to free up the rest of your month.

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Team Leader and Team Member Schedules

Prepare to take time to work through the Cl Connect structure into your team routine. Over time, your investment in using Cl Connect will pay dividends!

Before you establish your Cl Connect routine, please take a few minutes to consider the difference between the traditional teacher-student approach to training and the Cl Connect module which uses a coaching approach to continuous improvement. There are lots of ways to facilitate a discussion about a learning opportunity in your team, and different ways to approach how to assign buddies and schedule peer-to-peer shadowing.

Facilitating a Team Discussion

A facilitated team discussion can also be considered a ‘group coaching’ exercise. Before you decide on how to facilitate your team discussion, let’s go over a few of the principles that will help you. You will also find more information in the Coaching-Team Leader Toolkit in LEAP.

You will need to facilitate discussions rather than provide technical answers. Cl Connect will help you to start facilitating rather than answering questions through your team’s discussion, as we provide you with some questions to share with your team. You ask the questions and let the team talk about the answers, and the team leader module also contains additional discussion points for guidance. While the discussions are happening, you will be reflecting on what people are saying.

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ndis

How close it is to the national understanding and application, and assessing if you think anyone needs one-to-one time for a longer more direct conversation. This is sometimes called conducting a knowledge check.

Building skills and capability through coaching takes longer than if you were to give out answers and instruct staff on how to complete their work. There is a little more investment upfront, but it will save you time in the long run because your team will troubleshoot barriers on their own and have the confidence to make good decisions in their everyday tasks. Take care you don’t end up refusing to answer questions! As a coach you will continue to help people find their way, and for some people that might mean helping them to find the answer directly during your coaching conversation.

People in your team might strongly disagree on the interpretation of the Practice Guides and SOPs. Your responsibility as a facilitator is to ensure your team conduct themselves according to our Values and the Code of Conduct. If two people are making excellent points to support their interpretation, you may decide to do more research then and there, or ask one of your team to reach out to the Service Guidance and Practice or to the Technical Advisory Branch for clarification and then share the answers with your team, which will assist in their skills and capability development. Another technique is to ask them to expand on their perspective by providing more context about the decision, because their position may be contingent on a particular set of circumstances. And remember, it’s okay to have a variety of responses or not know the answer! The process of giving an answer and unpacking the reasons for it will support your team in all aspects evidence-based decision making.

Let’s look at some ways to deliver the team facilitation activity. You might:

1. Ask your team to complete the reading in LEAP prior to the team discussion, and during your team activity you will only discuss the questions contained within the module.
2. Ask your team come together and complete the reading in LEAP together, before starting to discuss the questions.
3. Ask your team complete the reading in LEAP and prepare some dot-point answers for each question prior to the team discussion.
4. Realise that only two of the questions included in the LEAP module are relevant to the performance of your team, and have them discuss only those two questions.
5. Decide to have everyone discuss each question in one big group, or you might decide to have people break into smaller groups to discuss one question per group, and share their answers with the group at the end.
6. Ask your team to vote on how they want to approach the team discussion.
7. Decide to use a different method each time.

These are just a few of the options available to you when deciding how to facilitate your team discussion! At the start take your time to consider what works for you and your team. Cl Connect Champions and your leadership team can also help you work through the options.

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Assigning and scheduling peer-to-peer shadowing

Please refer to the information sheet about peer-to-peer shadowing and ensure your team have a chance to read and reflect on the principles of shared learning.

When you begin assigning buddies and scheduling your team for peer to peer shadowing, consider the skillset and strengths of each member of your team. You will also need to think about the relationships between the members of your team. It is also a great idea to provide context and explain why you have made your decision about the assignment of buddies.

Over time, you might make an arrangement with another team to have the people in your team buddy-up with people from a different team.

To start, let’s look at some options. You might:

• Decide to assign buddies who will shadow each other in an ongoing arrangement.
• Decide to assign different buddies in each Cl Connect cycle, according to the Cl Connect topic.
• Decide to assign buddies who have similar strengths so they can compare their techniques and work practices.
• Decide to assign buddies who have very different skillsets in order to develop particular skills.
• Decide to let your team choose their own buddies.

Again, there are lots of options available to you — including ones not on this list. Take your time to figure out what works best for you and your team, and reach out to the Cl Connect Champions and your leadership team if you would like to discuss your options.

Resources and flowchart of activities

Below you will find a quick flowchart of the steps to implement Cl Connect.

Join the monthly Cl Connect community of practice, where you can discuss coaching approaches, share your successes and learn from other leaders in your state.

A Yammer page called Continuous Improvement Connect will be available to all staff, where you can post questions and share experiences, and where you will find supporting documents in the Files section. Please encourage your staff to join this page.

Find more on the Cl Connect intranet page which is launching soon.

Reach out to your Cl Connect Champions and your leadership team if you would like to know more.

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Team Leader Module and CI Connect Checklist

• Familiarise yourself with the Team Leader Module and CI Connect checklist
• Facilitate team discussion and identify learning opportunities
• Schedule coaching conversations for Week 2 and Peer-to-Peer shadowing for Week 3
• Conduct minimum of two coaching conversations and complete coaching logs
• Complete the LEAP questionnaire

Performance, Learning and Change

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CI Connect data and action…together

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CI Connect

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CI Connect

CI Connect delivers a National approach to structured learning and coaching in your team, with topical content informed by insights from the Agency’s data.

Content incorporates technical skills as well interpersonal skills, using solution based learning principles.

The four week CI Connect program includes a targeted team-based engagement session, individual coaching conversations, peer to peer shadowing opportunities, and a community of practice.

How to use this Q&A document:

This Questions and Answers (Q&A) document is for internal use by the CI Connect team to provide information and context about the CI Connect program and its use in Participant Experience Delivery teams. This document is not for external distribution.

Contents

• CI Connect ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
• CI Connect for team leaders …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
• CI Connect for team members ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

CI Connect for team leaders

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What topics will my team cover in CI Connect?

• The first topic is Writing R&N Justifications. Upcoming topics in May and June are in development and will cover sustainability and R&N Outcomes.

My team mostly works on PiTC plans. What if the CI Connect topic isn’t relevant to what they do?

• CI Connect topics are relevant to all decisions made by staff. CI Connect topics are identified using the Data Framework and prioritised by the Participant Experience Delivery Executive Leadership Team. As you read through the Team Leader Pack which is available in LEAP, consider how you will discuss the topic and make it relevant to their work. The CI Connect topic team activity discussion points and information provide a variety of learning opportunities relevant across all work level standards and structures. You can choose how to facilitate the team discussion according to the solution that best meets your teams’ needs.

Should a team leader or a technical leader/expert facilitate the team discussion and coaching?

• CI Connect can be used by any leader to build a coaching culture in your team. Although CI Connect provides opportunities to coach about the CI Connect topic in particular, leaders may use coaching to discuss any performance aspect relating to a team member’s role.

Will Partners in the Community receive this training?

• CI Connect will cover a multitude of learning topics over time. Partners in the Community will be included in CI Connect in 2021, and will have the same access to CI Connect current and archived learning topics as National Delivery teams.

How many hours per week will I have to put into CI Connect?

• CI Connect estimates team leaders will invest between 2-4 hours across each CI Connect cycle, however this will depend on the knowledge and skills of your team, the number of coaching conversations you conduct, and how much time you need to spend scheduling activities. Over time, as leaders and team members become familiar with the approach of team discussion activities, coaching regularly, and the structure of materials, this investment will pay dividends in terms of time spent.

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What resources will we have for our teams?

• A CI Connect team member briefing pack is available and can be used when discussing the topic using the LEAP module. There is also information in the Team Leader Pack about the program. A CI Connect intranet page will also be available, and it will include reference documents (including this Q&A), information sheets about CI Connect, and information about the activities within CI Connect.

What will I do if I have questions about CI Connect?

• CI Connect champions have been nominated for each state and territory, and their names will be shared with you. In the first instance, please ask your CI Connect Champion or your local leadership team about CI Connect.

  It’s also very important to note that CI Champions are not technical experts on planning. To maintain a nationally consistent approach, the Practice Guides and SOPs must remain the single source of truth for all processes relating to planning. CI Champions will refer any technical questions, including requests for clarification regarding processes for completing planning tasks, to the appropriate team, such as the Technical Advisory team or to the Service Guidance and Practice team. These teams will remain responsible for answers and updating any required Practice Guides and/or SOPs, as per the protocols already in place which ensure a nationally consistent approach to planning.

Will CI Connect topics cover the information in the recent R&N-Setting the Standard training?

• The first CI Connect topic is Writing R&N Justifications which will build on the learning outcomes from the R&N Setting the Standard program. The information in this topic does not repeat information covered in the R&N-Setting the Standard program as it provides information about writing R&N justifications.

Will CI Connect be used by teams other than planning teams?

• CI Connect topics are based on Participant Experience Delivery content, and mandatory for planning roles. Individual learning topics may be relevant to all teams, and teams from other Branches may request access to learning topics or access topic content via the CI Connect intranet page. As a platform, CI Connect supports a coaching culture, and in turn builds a continuous improvement mindset, which is relevant for any team.

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Do team leaders or technical leads attend the Community of Practice?

CI Connect Community of Practice encourages a network where all team leader and technical leads can develop their coaching and team leader skills. Coaching is not only for performance, and team leaders can use this opportunity to engage in the Community of Practice to learn and share their experience and skills with other NDIA team and technical leaders.

Who will be responsible for the quality of content for the state-based CI Connect topics?

States will have access to the CI Connect platform and templates to design local learning content. The state-based staff who develop the state materials may continue to reach out to a variety of sources to discuss their learning topic and review it for accuracy.

CI Connect for team members

I already know the information about a CI Connect topic. Do I have to do the Team Member Module?

Yes. The CI Connect national topics are mandatory, and you will have the opportunity to share your skills and knowledge with others during the team activities and discussion.

How many hours per week will I have to put into CI Connect?

CI Connect estimates team members will invest between 2-4 hours over the CI Connect cycle of four weeks. Over time, you become familiar with team discussions and activities, coaching regularly, and the structure of materials, and this investment will pay dividends in terms of time spent by reducing rework and errors.

Can I request to change the CI Connect topic?

No. CI Connect topics are identified through the Data Framework using reports from across the Agency, and prioritised and scheduled by the Participant Experience Delivery Executive Leadership team. You can provide feedback and information to your CI Connect Champion who will share it through the national forum.

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Will upcoming CI Connect topics take into account larger change pieces across the Agency?

 The Participant Experience Delivery Executive Leadership Team have access to the Forward View of Change when prioritising and scheduling CI Connect topics, but CI Connect will not be used for new change pieces across the Agency.