The Department’s
Innovation Model
Innovate Here website
The Department's Innovation Model was developed from innovation research and field trials conducted by the
Department between 2007 and 2011.
The focus of an innovation project can vary greatly depending on the form it takes. Such forms include practitionerled, system-led and expert-led innovation.
Field trials are a form of practitioner led action research requiring significant support from the Department including
funding, expertise, coordination and evaluation. At a school level the trials involved small groups leading whole
school participation, innovation and change.
The Innovate Here website uses a framework derived from the Department’s Innovation Model to support
practitioners to innovate independently in their own settings, without the direct support that was offered to the
Department-sponsored field trial settings.
Innovation can be undertaken for a range of purposes. It can meet local or system needs and be locally driven or
system led. Examples of large scale system led innovation include Performance and Development Culture and the
Leading School Fund. Practitioner led innovation may be undertaken on behalf of the system or to meet a local need.
All innovation requires planning, evaluation and managing change.
The Department's model of innovation comprises three stages:

Stimulate – system level reflection. Look at what’s happening and what’s been tried. Explore new ways and
add new ideas.

Incubate – local level action. Test ideas and develop the ones that work. Support change leadership and
create communities of practice.

Accelerate – system learning. Share what has been
learned and scale-up the ideas that worked.
Innovate Here www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/innovatehere
Stimulate
The innovation model recognises that next practice in education stems from
work at the practitioner level, as teachers, early childhood workers , tertiary
educators and the Department explore new and better ways of addressing
current system challenges.
The ‘Stimulate’ stage of the model is where innovation research activities are
undertaken to support the generation of these ideas. These innovation
research activities include:

Horizon scanning to identify upcoming areas for next practice focus

Searching for innovation best practice in other jurisdictions, other countries and other sectors

Identifying the elements of best practice.

Articulating best practice, to make it useful and available for practitioners across the system

Developing and maintaining relationships with innovation experts (from within and outside the education
sector) – establishing an expert panel to test and challenge thinking about the innovation focus .
At this stage ideas are discussed and we ensure that the focus for the innovation project aligns with system priorities
and will contribute policy options for the system.
Innovate Here www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/innovatehere
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Incubate
The ‘Incubate’ stage of the model is where the focus for the innovation is
clarified, the methodology applied, the practitioners’ readiness determined and
finally the project undertaken.
Innovation and Next Practice (INP) Division uses a practitioner led action
research methodology to achieve the twofold aim of

nurturing the capacity of schools to develop and implement their own
innovative approaches to learning and teaching

trialling and evaluating specific innovative practices for their potential
to influence policy and practice on a wider scale.
Innovation Methodology for Practitioner Led Research
Each action research project follows a model underpinned by the following key principles:
1.
There is an authorising environment for the project
Consultation at senior leadership levels ensures that the project is linked to the strategic objectives and
priorities of the organisation and is embedded in business planning. A project sponsor will have
responsibility for the business outcomes and help to devise a research question which will provide tools,
resources and policy options for the system.
2.
The research is practitioner led
Each action research project is a partnership between the central agency of DEECD, schools, clusters and
other partners. Participating schools or clusters are chosen on the basis of willingness and capacity to
undertake work on behalf of their school community and the system. The projects must be both locally
relevant to specific school communities and build the capacity of the schools to develop and implement
future innovative practices. This is achieved by giving practitioners within schools the support and tools to
plan, develop and lead their own contextually relevant projects, within the general framework of the Project
Charter.
3.
The project uses the Department’s Project Management framework
Each project has its own Project Charter, which specifies key objectives, outputs, outcomes, and
performance indicators. These core project elements provide the basis for planning activities, establishing
milestones and allocating resources. Risk, stakeholder, and communication management plans address and
contribute to the development of each stage of the project plan.
4.
The research has a formative evaluation component
An Evaluation Framework is developed with a research and evaluation partner at the front end of action
research projects to establish clarity of focus for the project and performance indicators for key outputs and
outcomes. The evaluation considers the needs of stakeholders and incorporates qualitative as well as
quantitative measures. Each trial site or school requires its own specific evaluation framework based on the
overall Evaluation Framework.
5.
The research is informed and guided by an expert panel
A range of experts from the private and public sectors are contracted to support the work of the project. The
nature of the expertise depends on the focus of the action research and site needs. This expertise provides
rigour, builds capability, imparts knowledge and stimulates thinking to enhance project outcomes and ensure
system benefits.
6.
The outcomes and research findings are disseminated
Reports demonstrating project progress and formative evaluation are presented to the Project Board at
regular intervals. In order to influence system wide policy development and practice, appropriate processes
for sharing the final outcomes and findings of each project are identified during the project establishment and
implementation phases.
Innovate Here www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/innovatehere
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Practitioner Readiness
Evaluation of small and large scale projects indicates that regardless of the innovation focus or education setting,
alignment of an organisation’s culture, capability and connections will enhance the innovative potential of education
practitioners. These three key elements are critical to the pace and progress of innovation and lead to further
student, school and system benefits.
Culture

Provide an environment and leadership within the Department, the education system and within schools that
legitimises and encourages targeted innovation
Capability

Provide practitioners with access to opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills

Facilitate practitioners’ access to resources

Provide encouragement and guidance that builds confidence
Connections

Provide access to experts and research in relevant fields

Provide access to leading edge practitioners from around the world

Encourage networking opportunities
Implementation
Once the innovation focus, methodology and readiness of the potential practitioner have been established the
implementation of the project can commence. Elements of structured approach could include:

A project charter

Formative evaluation

Access to an expert panel

Innovation leadership

An induction program for participants

A rigorous change management program

Professional learning opportunities for practitioners.
Innovate Here www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/innovatehere
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Accelerate
Successful innovation requires the effective transfer of innovation knowledge.
The third, ‘Accelerate’ phase of the model is about supporting innovators to
share big ideas and products resulting from their innovation. In some cases
this will involve scale-up of successful ideas across the system.
Document
Documenting the innovation and its outcomes will have already started during
the ‘Incubate’ phase. During the ‘Accelerate’ phase the documentation is
finalised and developed into something that can be shared. The format can
vary greatly but common examples include case studies, digital stories,
research reports, and blog posts.
Publish
In order to share the ideas or products effectively it is important to publish in an appropriate place. Innovation project
findings can be published in a range of places is available to suit the format and audience including:

formal face to face events including showcases and expos

use of local, regional, national and international forums and networks to promote innovative ideas

development of partnerships with stakeholders

use of digital resources including:
o
a repository of innovation research and resources, including case studies, tools and resources
o
a database of innovation activity
o
online professional network / community of practice.
Promote
Promotion and publication require careful thinking and planning about the target audience. Once the ideas or
products have been published, promotion has to occur to make the intended audience aware of them as resources.
This promotion can be directed to many audiences but key to the successful sharing is promotion to the communities
of practice / interest who would use or collaborate on the resources or to other stakeholders with a vested interest in
this particular innovation.
Promotion also requires ongoing work beyond projects and trials to support a range of communities of practice /
interest, through which innovation experience can be shared.
Scale up
Each practitioner needs to take responsibility for showing research findings, taking a system view. Successful ideas
may be scaled up so that they can be applied more broadly and become mainstream practice. This scale up may be
to a local, regional, or even system wide level. In order to successfully scale up an innovation, the findings of field
trials will need to be disseminated and used to influence key decision-makers such as the policy sponsor of the
project, other key stakeholders, innovation leaders and experts in the field.
Innovate Here www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/innovatehere
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