Innovation Circles in the

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Innovation Circles in the Construction Knowledge
Exchange North West
Veronica Jones CKE North West Research Fellow
v.c.jones_at_salford.ac.uk
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What is an Innovation Circle

• Provides a practical method of solving real
  business issues
• Typically between 6 to 8 people
• Focus of action determined by practitioners
  (individual or collective)
• Supported by facilitator
• Accountability to take action and learn from it

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Who benefits?

• Individual enterprises of different sizes,
  working collaboratively to improve collective
  performance
• Project teams
• Experts from different business organisations
• Members of professional development groups to
  share and develop best practice
• Uses an Action Learning Methodology

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• ACTION LEARNING
• Action Learning is a method for individual and
  
• organisational development.
• It involves working in small groups (sets) of
  6-8
• people, where they tackle important
  organisational
• issues or problems.
• As a result of this, they learn from their
  attempts
• to change things.
• It brings people together to exchange, support
• and challenge each other in seeking to act and
  
• learn.

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• HOW ACTION LEARNING WORKS
• Each set member joins and takes part voluntarily
• Each must own a managerial or organisational
  problem on which they want to act
• Set members meet to help each other think through
  the issues, create options and above all
• Take action and learn from the effects of that
  action
• Action Learning can be viewed as a powerful
  triangulation of three distinguishable learning
  experiences.

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Action Learning Reflective Cycle
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INNOVATION CIRCLES IN THE NORTH WEST

• Regional CE Clubs
• North Manchester SME Group
• Women in Construction (Lancaster, Leyland and
  East Lancs)
• CITB Training Plan, Employer Network Forum and
  Diversity Groups
• Housing Developer Researching MMM
• Collaborative Working Learning Group
• Intelligent Building Technology Group

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Women in Construction Groups Leyland Lancaster Ea
st Lancs
CITB Cumbria Group
Staff Development Project Co-ordinator Action
Learning
Lancashire CE Club 1 Club Group
N Manchester CE Club 1 Club Group 1 SME Group
UCLAN CT Building
SCRI/Research House builder MMC Avanti
Group Honeywell Group
CITB 6 Training Plan Groups 1 Employer Network
Forum 1 Diversity Group 3 Further Groups
Cheshire CE Club 1 Club Group
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Examples of Issues Discussed

• Recruitment
• Marketing
• Training Plans
• Investors in People
• Employment Contract Law (ACAS)
• Appraisal Systems
• Partnering
• Off Site Manufacturing
• Lean Manufacturing
• Health and Safety
• Insurance

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Women in Construction Groups

• Create the opportunity for individuals
• To meet and network with like minded people
  (joint events)
• To share ideas and learn from each other
• To also learn from construction industry
  experts on for example tax issues (CIS), health
  safety, employment legislation
• Personal development and confidence

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CITB Groups

• Businesses work with CITB Construction Skills to
  produce training plan matrix
• Obtain grants for training
• Employer Network Forum discusses Management and
  Leadership issues in relation to the new
  Investors in People standard
• Diversity in Construction Group

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Summary

• Innovation Circles in the Construction
  Knowledge Exchange
• Builds up relationship between business and
  academia
• Develops relationship between academia and
  partners in the CKE
• Creates a safe environment for sharing of ideas
• Helps organisations adapt to change
• Gives participants time to reflect
• Additional support when requested
• Help organisations take action and learn from it