Sustain and embed improvements

This standard is about sustaining improvements and embedding effective practices to support performance, wellbeing and organisational outcomes. You determine the information you need, gather and analyse evidence and monitor how improvements are being applied in practice. You communicate clearly, promote inclusion and shared understanding and collaborate with colleagues to support people to adopt, maintain and refine improved practices. You monitor progress, identify issues that may affect sustainability and adapt your approach when conditions change. You apply relevant leadership, management and improvement-sustainment theories and models to strengthen long-term impact.

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Determine the information you need to sustain improvements and embed effective practices to support organisational outcomes.
2. Gather and analyse information from relevant sources to understand progress, challenges and contributing factors.
3. Communicate in ways that support inclusion, dignity and shared understanding of improvements and expected practices.
4. Explain the purpose and expected outcomes of improvements to support clarity and engagement.
5. Support colleagues to apply and maintain improved practices in your area of responsibility.
6. Monitor how improvements and practices are being applied to assess consistency and reliability.
7. Analyse the impact of improvements to identify progress against expected outcomes, performance and wellbeing.
8. Identify issues that may affect the sustainability of improvements and take proportionate action to maintain progress and reliability.
9. Collaborate with colleagues to reinforce improvements and embed effective practices to support long-term consistency.
10. Adapt your communication, behaviour and support to reduce barriers that may affect people’s ability to adopt and maintain improved practices to strengthen sustainability.
11. Respond constructively to concerns raised by colleagues in line with organisational procedures to maintain trust and momentum.
12. Monitor behaviours and the working environment to identify factors that may affect improvements and respond in line with organisational procedures to maintain a positive working environment.
13. Develop actions that support the continued application and refinement of improvements to strengthen long-term impact.
14. Share insights that help colleagues understand how improvements are contributing to outcomes to reinforce effective practice.
15. Maintain accurate records that support the sustainability and embedding of improvements.
16. Apply relevant leadership, management and improvement-sustainment theories and models, and reflect critically on your performance and behaviour to strengthen how you sustain and embed improvements.

1. The meaning and purpose of sustaining improvements and embedding effective practices in your area of responsibility.
2. The factors that influence whether improvements are sustained and how these affect organisational outcomes.
3. How sustaining improvements influences performance, engagement and organisational outcomes.
4. How to determine and gather the information you need to sustain improvements from relevant sources.
5. How to analyse information to understand progress, challenges and contributing factors.
6. How to communicate in ways that support inclusion and shared understanding of improvements and expected practices.
7. How to adapt your communication, behaviour and support to reduce barriers that may affect people’s ability to adopt and maintain improved practices.
8. How to explain the purpose and expected outcomes of improvements.
9. How to support colleagues to apply and maintain improved practices.
10. How to monitor the application of improvements and practices to assess consistency and reliability.
11. How to evaluate the impact of improvements on performance, wellbeing and outcomes.
12. How to identify issues that may affect the sustainability of improvements and take proportionate action.
13. How to collaborate with colleagues to reinforce improvements and embed effective practices.
14. How to respond constructively to concerns and recognise behaviours that may affect improvements in line with organisational procedures.
15. How leadership, management and improvement-sustainment theories and models can strengthen how improvements are sustained, and how to reflect critically on your performance to identify opportunities for improvement.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Integrity - acting consistently with organisational values when sustaining improvements.
• Openness - sharing information to support clarity and understanding.
• Inclusion - valuing diverse perspectives when embedding new ways of working.
• Respect - interacting with people in ways that uphold dignity.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of your role in sustaining improvements.
• Stewardship - protecting progress and organisational outcomes.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with integrity, aligning your actions with organisational values.
• Be inclusive, valuing diverse perspectives when embedding improved practices.
• Act with respect, interacting with people in ways that uphold dignity.
• Communicate openly, supporting clarity and shared understanding.
• Be collaborative, supporting colleagues to sustain improvements.
• Take accountability for your role in sustaining improvements and embedding effective practices.
  Consider wellbeing, recognising how sustainment activities affect people’s workload, confidence and engagement.