The ability to drive innovation and change is an essential skill for a professional consultant. Innovation defined simply as ‘doing something new or different’, is a powerful catalyst for change. It can revolutionise an organisation’s operational activities, create dynamic new opportunities, and contribute to the achievement of strategic goals. Change occurs in many forms and professional consultants must be able to lead changes, which may be radical, incremental or evolutionary.

The aim of this unit is for professional consultants to understand creative, contemporary and traditional approaches to innovation and change in a consulting role and how these may be applied. They will know how to develop a strategy to lead and manage change through professional consulting. On successful completion of this unit, professional consultants will have the knowledge and skills to create an environment which engenders creativity, agility and innovation.

By the end of this course you will:

1. Understand creative, contemporary and traditional approaches to innovation and change

2. Know how to develop strategy to lead and manage change through professional consulting

1.1 Discuss the rationale for innovation and change delivered through professional consulting

1.2 Critically appraise creative approaches to innovation in a consulting context

1.3 Critique contemporary and traditional approaches for strategic change management