Customisation of the Innovation Development Program: Delivery to JBS Australia

Summary

The Innovation Development Program (IDP) was a program that resulted from the existing Collaborative Innovation Strategies Partnership Program (CISP). The aim of the IDP was to expose identified leaders of the red meat industry to a process of Invention through identification, investigation and selection, followed by practical application through implementation within a specific plant-specific project.

Initially, the IDP covered the following units of competency over three workshops throughout a 12 month period. The second round of workshops were held in April 2017 over the course of three days, and featured a more compact program involving innovation methodologies, a study on what is innovation, examples of innovative thinkers and businesses, and tools that organisations and individuals may use to support innovative thinking and activities.

Each participant chose a challenge that was specific to their workplace. This allowed them to apply their theoretical knowledge within their workplace. All participants were actively engaged in developing their challenges beyond the completion of the IDP.

There are several implications for the program's sustainability within JBS Australia.  First, innovation and innovative thinking requires engagement at all levels of an organisation. All program participants in both intakes were at an operational, middle management level.  For the program's sustainability, it is recommended that consideration be given to alignment with either existing development programs, or how the program in its current format includes engagement with members in upper management.

Second, alignment with existing Organisational Development programs is critical for the sustainability of the program firstly in order to align with existing organisational strategy (for example, to support cascading themes and messages from the company's vision and mission/purpose), and secondly to ensure buy-in and engagement is robust from all areas of the organisation's hierarchy.  This allows for more effective change management and communication, and paves a clearer path for innovation sponsors and champions.