Improvement Capability Program Curriculum — Tiers, Competencies, Assessments & Coaching Toolkit

Purpose and approach

This curriculum turns training into routine capability by combining short learning sessions, deliberate on-the-job practice, embedded coaching, and clear assessment criteria. It is role-based (operator, team lead, coach, leader), competency-focused, and designed to be adapted and owned locally.

Who this serves

Use this curriculum to develop internal improvement coaches and leaders who can sustain continuous improvement, reduce waste, raise quality, and make better operational decisions. It supports frontline workers through senior leaders.

Tiers and core competencies (matrix)

Each tier has 4–6 core competencies. For each competency, define observable behaviors, minimum evidence, and practice milestones.

Operator (foundation)

• Standard Work & Visuals: Follow and suggest improvements to standard work; use visual management.
• Problem Detection: Identify defects, stops, or abnormalities and report with data.
• Kaizen Participation: Contribute ideas and complete small improvement experiments.
• Safety & Quality Habits: Demonstrate required safety checks and quality verifications.

Team Lead (applied)

• Coaching on the job: Observe, give feedback, and coach to standard work.
• Daily Management: Run effective huddles, use visual boards, and escalate issues.
• Problem Solving: Lead short A3s or 5-why investigations and implement countermeasures.
• Performance Measurement: Track team KPIs and take corrective actions.

Coach (specialist)

• Adult Learning & Facilitation: Design sessions, run learning cycles, and adapt content.
• Coaching for Transfer: Structure on-the-job practice, observe, and scaffold skill transfer.
• Capability Building: Create competency maps and mentor team leads.
• Change Coaching: Support sustainment and scale-up of improvements.

Leader (system)

• Strategic Alignment: Set improvement priorities and protect time for improvement work.
• Resource & Culture Stewardship: Remove barriers and reward improvement behaviors.
• Governance & Metrics: Use meaningful KPIs to guide decisions and investments.
• Sponsorship & Modeling: Actively sponsor coaching, standard work, and learning cycles.

Session outlines (examples)

Design short, focused sessions (45–90 minutes) followed immediately by application on the job.

Operator — Standard Work Quick Lab (60 min)

1. Brief context and desired outcome (5 min).
2. Demo and breakdown of standard work (10 min).
3. Pair practice with checklist (20 min).
4. Immediate on-shift application assignment + coach observation slot (20 min).

Team Lead — Daily Huddle & Escalation (90 min)

1. Practice running a huddle using a real board (20 min).
2. Role-play escalation conversations (30 min).
3. Set two-team improvement experiments for the week (20 min).
4. Schedule coaching observations and metrics review (20 min).

Coach — Coaching Clinic (half-day)

1. Micro-teaching: run a 15-minute session and receive feedback.
2. Observation calibration with video / live observation (60 min).
3. Coaching plan design for a pilot team (60 min).

On-the-job coaching tasks & practice milestones

Pair every learning session with explicit OJT tasks and evidence requirements.

• Observation & Feedback: Coach observes two shift cycles and completes an observation form.
• Experiment Lead: Participant leads a kaizen experiment and records pre/post metrics.
• Standard Work Update: Participant proposes and tests a standard work change with required approval.
• Huddle Facilitation: Lead runs five consecutive daily huddles with documented escalation actions.

Assessment rubrics (sample)

Use a simple 1–4 scale where 1 = Needs Development, 2 = Emerging, 3 = Proficient, 4 = Exemplar. Define observable criteria for each competency.

Example — Coaching on the job (Team Lead)

• 4 (Exemplar): Provides timely, specific feedback using evidence; helps coachee practice until habit forms; documents outcomes.
• 3 (Proficient): Observes and gives actionable feedback; documents one coaching session and outcome.
• 2 (Emerging): Attempts feedback but lacks specificity or follow-up.
• 1 (Needs Development): Rarely gives feedback or feedback is not actionable.

Assessment evidence can include observation forms, before/after KPIs, completed experiment reports, and peer feedback.

Certification checkpoints & acceptance criteria

Certification should be evidence-based. Examples for each tier:

• Operator Certified: 3+ observed sessions at Proficient or better on standard work and defect detection; completed two documented kaizen suggestions with measured impact.
• Team Lead Certified: 5 observed coaching sessions with average >=3; runs daily management consistently for 30 days; completed a documented team problem-solving cycle with measurable result.
• Coach Certified: Demonstrated ability to train and coach two teams to sustainable improvement, peer-reviewed coaching assessment >=3.5, and submitted a coaching plan and portfolio.
• Leader Certified: Sponsorship evidence (resources/time approved), KPI improvements sustained for a quarter, and active participation in learning governance.

Observation checklist (starter)

• Was the coaching moment specific and evidence-based? (yes/no)
• Did the coachee demonstrate a practiced behavior after coaching? (yes/no)
• Was there clear follow-up assigned? (yes/no)
• Was a metric identified to measure impact? (yes/no)

Collect completed checklists as part of certification evidence.

How to tailor and deploy

1. Start with a pilot group (one line/team) and adapt competencies to your language and risks.
2. Keep sessions short and schedule protected OJT time.
3. Assign a coach buddy and require documented observation evidence for each step.
4. Use simple dashboards to track certification progress, coaching observations, and experiment outcomes.

Templates & artifacts to create now

• Competency matrix template (spreadsheet) with behaviors and evidence columns.
• Session plan template (objectives, activities, practice assignment).
• Observation & coaching form (short checklist + notes).
• Kaizen/experiment report template (problem, countermeasure, metric, owner, date).

These artifacts should be included in your domain/toolkit so teams can copy and adapt them.

Next steps

1. Choose a pilot team and map current gaps against the competency matrix.
2. Run the first session, schedule OJT observations, and collect evidence via the observation form.
3. Review results with sponsors after 6–8 weeks and iterate the curriculum based on feedback.

For long-term success, embed the curriculum into local onboarding, performance conversations, and leadership reviews.

Further resources

Include links or attachments for: competency matrix template, session plan, observation form, kaizen report, and sample assessment dashboard.