Creating and Managing Improvement Actions

Overview

Improvement Actions are the operational tasks that help your organisation achieve its strategic objectives and strengthen systems, processes and practices over time. They provide a structured way to manage continuous improvement by assigning responsibility, setting priorities and monitoring progress through to completion.

Unlike Objectives, which describe the strategic outcomes your organisation is working towards, Improvement Actions define the individual activities required to achieve those outcomes. Actions may arise from self-assessments, benchmarking, Secret Swimmer assessments, AFSA assessments, audits, incidents, inspections or general operational reviews.

Improvement Actions can be created directly within the Improvement Plan or while reviewing an individual assessment question within the Assess section of Assessment Manager. This allows improvement opportunities to be captured as they are identified, ensuring they are not overlooked and can be managed through to completion.

What Information Can Be Managed?

Each Improvement Action includes:

• Action

• Responsibility

• Priority

• Status

• Start Date

• Due Date

• Assessment Section (Optional)

• Module (Optional)

Linking actions to an Assessment Section and Module provides additional context and makes it easier to understand why an action was created. It also helps organisations monitor improvement activities across different assessment areas and operational functions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open the Improvement Plan

From the Improve menu, select Improvement Plan, then open the Actions Register tab.

The Actions Register displays every improvement action that has been created for your organisation and provides a central location for creating, managing and monitoring improvement activities.

Step 2: Create a New Improvement Action

Select the Add Action button to create a new improvement action.

Enter a clear description of the activity that needs to be completed. Action descriptions should clearly describe the outcome that needs to be achieved so that anyone reviewing the register can easily understand the purpose of the action.

Alternatively, if you identify an improvement opportunity while completing an assessment, you can create an Improvement Action directly from the individual Question Page within the Assess section. This allows improvement opportunities to be captured immediately without leaving the assessment and automatically links the action to the relevant Assessment Section and Module.

Step 3: Assign Responsibility

Assign the improvement action to the person responsible for completing the work.

Clearly assigning responsibility helps maintain accountability and ensures every improvement action has an owner who can manage progress, provide updates and coordinate completion of the activity.

Step 4: Set the Priority

Assign an appropriate priority to the improvement action.

Priorities help organisations focus their attention on the most important activities first and provide managers with a clear understanding of which actions require immediate attention and which can be scheduled over a longer period.

Step 5: Set the Start and Due Dates

Enter a start date and target completion date for the improvement action.

These dates assist with planning, monitoring workloads and identifying actions that may be approaching or exceeding their target completion date. Regularly reviewing due dates helps ensure improvement activities remain on track.

Step 6: Link the Action to an Assessment

Where appropriate, link the improvement action to the relevant Assessment Section and Module.

Linking actions to assessments provides valuable context and allows organisations to understand which operational areas are driving improvement activities. It also strengthens the relationship between assessment findings and continuous improvement initiatives.

Actions created directly from an assessment question will automatically include the relevant Assessment Section and Module.

Step 7: Update the Status

As work progresses, update the action status to reflect its current stage of completion.

Maintaining current status information ensures the Improvement Plan Dashboard accurately reflects organisational progress and allows managers to monitor workloads and outstanding actions more effectively.

Step 8: Complete the Action

Once the improvement activity has been completed, update the action status accordingly.

Completed actions remain within the Actions Register as a permanent record of improvements that have been implemented. This provides valuable evidence of continuous improvement and helps demonstrate organisational commitment to strengthening systems and practices over time.

Tips and Best Practice

Create Improvement Actions as soon as opportunities are identified rather than waiting until the end of an assessment or review. Capturing actions immediately helps ensure valuable improvement opportunities are not forgotten.

Whenever possible, create Improvement Actions directly from the individual Question Page. This automatically links the action to the relevant Assessment Section and Module and makes it much easier to understand why the action was created when reviewing it in the future.

Assign every action to a responsible person and establish realistic priorities and due dates. Clear accountability is one of the most effective ways of ensuring improvement activities are completed successfully.

Regularly review the Actions Register and update action statuses as work progresses. Keeping information current provides managers with an accurate picture of organisational progress and supports effective continuous improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do Improvement Actions come from?

Improvement Actions can be created directly within the Improvement Plan or from an individual question within the Assess section of Assessment Manager.

Actions may arise from self-assessments, benchmarking reviews, Secret Swimmer assessments, AFSA assessments, audits, incidents, inspections or any other activity that identifies an opportunity for improvement.

Can I edit an Improvement Action?

Yes. Improvement Actions can be updated at any time, including the action description, responsibility, priority, dates, linked assessment information and status.

Do I need to link an action to an Assessment Section?

No. Linking an action is optional when creating it manually. However, it is recommended as it provides additional context and helps connect improvement activities with assessment findings. Actions created directly from an assessment question will automatically include this information.

Can I change who is responsible for an action?

Yes. Responsibility can be reassigned at any time to reflect changes in staffing, workloads or operational responsibilities.

Why should completed actions remain in the register?

Completed actions provide a valuable record of improvements that have been implemented and demonstrate your organisation's ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. They also provide historical evidence that can support future assessments, benchmarking and external reviews.