Please use this space ONLY to ask questions about the webinar content. If you have comments about the quality of the webinar or future webinars then use the forums. Below is a list of questions that there was not time to answer:

Who is doing the reviews? Central team or are staff in services involved? How are staff in service supported? Asked by Sally Priestley, Stirling Council

Who identifies benefits of improvement activities? Do customers understand these? Asked by Louise Cardno, Abertay University

So time has been filled with other tasks within the services? Has morale increased? Asked by Kenny Low, Orkney Council as a follow up to a question previously asked "How do you remove the rime realising savings in terms of posts and cash?"

Question How do you decide when to use lean and when to use model for improvement - Any conflicts with the Early Years Collaborative agenda? Answer Although the Early Years Collaborative methodology (Model for Improvement) has a different approach to Lean, they do share the same underpinning principals and can complement each other as both focus on improving processes and systems, and utilise the same tools, for example in process mapping. Where they differ is the Model for Improvement focusses on small tests of change with three key “thinking questions” being asked before undertaking any changes. This could go through a number of Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles which provides quick turnaround, with the effect being evidenced by run charts as part of the improvement journey. This provides evidence to decide whether the idea or change is adapted, adopted (and scaled up) or abandoned. Using this method may reduce the likelihood of making changes, thought to be an improvement, (ie guess work) which are adopted without first being tested. The Lean approach is applied when undertaking larger, more complex improvement projects with improvement professionals providing support and guidance to project managers, working with teams to facilitate the improvement journey. As the Model for Improvement target group is frontline, operational teams, with the focus being to transfer skills so employees become self-sufficient in utilising a recognised improvement methodology; there is potential for the Model for Improvement to go beyond the EYC agenda. This method may contribute to embedding a continuous improvement culture across organisations, integrating improvement into everyone’s day job. This is an area we are planning to test with a couple of teams within Business Services, one being a legal team. If anyone is already applying the Model for Improvement in different parts of their organisation we would be keen to hear about the experience, any learning points etc. Asked by Michelle Cochlan, Perth & Kinross Council

In order to staff-up project team – are these from service secondment – I assume there was resistance initially – has this improved? Asked by Kenny Low, Orkney Council

Has the data you’ve been gathering for this process had any influence on corporate performance reporting – is it the data just used internally or can it be used for other external reporting? Asked by Judith Richardson, Clackmannanshire Council

What were the main challenges flagged up when implementing the processes across housing and finance and also the work with social work financial assessments? Asked by Sandra Sankey, Improvement Service