Explanation of how to respond to each item in posting an Innovative Practice

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Explanation of how to respond to each item in posting an Innovative Practice

Instructions to institutions Composing Innovative Practice Descriptions

As you create the text that will communicate your Innovative Practice on the Innovation Exchange, think about what you write from the point of view of educators searching for practices that will help them solve problems. Include in your answers key words upon which others might be likely to search. (The Innovation Exchange’s search engine indexes every word in your answers to all questions, so there is no need to repeat key words.) Don’t attempt to force your institution’s name into the title or into your responses to questions 1-9. You can identify your institution and yourself completely in question 10.

For ideas, study others’ postings, AQIP’s “sample” Innovative Practice, and the help file.

Title & Category

Make sure that the title you assign your Innovative Practice is direct and will be easily understood by someone searching. Poetic or visionary titles (“La Vita Nuova for Advising”) do not communicate what a practice covers clearly. Use a simple, literal, direct, and concrete sentence of 10 or fewer words, built around a action verb in active (not passive) voice. Good examples are “Advisor training increases student persistence” or “Streamlined process cuts faculty search process time to four weeks” or “Succession policy prevents organization from losing valuable experiential knowledge.”

Assign a category to your Innovative Practice that best fits it. Use the AQIP Category item number under which this practice was identified as a strength in your Systems Appraisal feedback. If a Quality Checkup team or other process identified the Innovative Practice, choose the category that will make it easy for others to search for it.

1. What does this Innovative Practice do and how does it work?

Concisely describe your Innovative Practice in a way that other higher education faculty, staff, and administrators will be able to understand and appreciate it — and what makes it valuable. Don’t try to give all the details, but explain enough of the practice or process to show how it differs from less innovative approaches.

2. What motivated you to develop or adopt this Innovative Practice?

How did you identify the problem area(s) or process flaws that required your attention? Did you invent a new process or policy, incrementally improve one over time, or adopting one originally developed elsewhere?

3. How long did it take you to develop and implement this Innovative Practice?

When did you begin using the Innovative Practice? How long before that did you begin the work that resulted in the Innovative Practice’s development and implementation or adoption?

4. What did it cost you to develop and implement this Innovative Practice?

Realistically report or estimate what it cost you (in dollars, resources, people, etc.) to develop this Innovative Practice. Include the cost of initial implementation, but not ongoing operation.

5. What resistance did you face in developing and implementing this Innovative Practice, and how did you reduce or overcome it?

Change initiatives always face resistance. When you developed, adopted, or adapted this practice, what obstacles did you face? Explain briefly how did you surmounted them.

6. What does it cost you to maintain and operate this Innovative Practice, and what does it save you?

Realistically report or estimate what it costs you annually (in dollars, resources, people, etc.) to employ this Innovative Practice. Do not include the cost of initial development or implementation. What are the savings (in money, time, people) that resulted?

7. How do you measure or check whether this Innovative Practice performs the way you intend it to?

Explain the metrics you use to evaluate how well this Innovative Practice achieves the goals and objectives you had when you developed it?

8. What print or web documents are available to provide more detail and explanation about this Innovative Practice?

If possible, explain how someone interested can get additional documentation about your Innovative Practice — or see it in use. You can provide a web link here that will take people to additional information on your website. Tell how and by whom it was externally judged to be an innovative, best, or useful practice of your institution.

9. How does your organization currently use this Innovative Practice?

Briefly identify your organization and the traits relevant to use of this practice (e.g., size, location, scope, programs, stakeholders). If the Innovative Practice is not used organization-wide, identify the subunit, office, or area where it is used.

10. Whom at your organization should people should contact for more information or help about this Innovative Practice?

Provide the name, title, phone number, and email of the one person at your organization that others interested in your Innovative Practice should call or write.

Authored by: Stephen Spangehl This innovative practice has been viewed 4612 times so far.

Click Here to View all the innovative practices in Sample Innovative Practice Entry category.

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