• Performance management - performance management processes and recognition & reward systems directly linked to innovation objectives
• Management process - effective, transparent and accessible innovation process, supported by other management processes 
• Tools and techniques - availability of proven and constantly updated and replenished tools, techniques and approaches that support innovation activity

• Having a defined process for rewarding people for their contribution to innovation initiatives
• A plan in place which clearly demonstrates how the business is going to deliver its objectives for innovation and where the accountabilities and responsibilities sit for the successful delivery of the plan
• Ensuring that the element of the business plan covering innovation is supported by a balanced scorecard which establishes clear key performance indicators that are used to monitor progress
• Innovation actions and behaviours being fully embedded within the organisations overall performance management process
• Ensuring the performance management system is seen as a key tool in driving innovative actions and behaviours throughout the organisation
• Communicating the business plan widely across the organisation
• Ensuring the planning and budgeting processes encourages innovative ideas and propositions

Having a highly effective, transparent and accessible end-to-end innovation process that is fully supported by other related management processes.

This will include:

·          All relevant employees fully understanding the basis by which ideas and solutions are selected and prioritised before the process begins

·          Clarity as to how the overall innovation process works and who has responsibility for ensuring it effectively drives ideas and potential solutions through to commercially successful conclusions

·          Making the overall innovation process widely accessible to staff across the organisation, potentially embedded within the organisations intranet such that it provides accessibility to the widest possible employee audience

·          Having a clearly defined individual within the business who has responsibility for ensuring the innovation process effectively delivers the requirements of the business

·          Having a process for selecting the ideas and potential solutions which best meet the needs of the specific organisation challenge which can be flexed to meet the specific nature of the challenge being faced

·          Full visibility as to the status of the ideas, potential solutions and implementation programmes flowing through the innovation pipeline

·          Ensuring there is a process that actively looks for external intelligence and that can be used to challenge the status quo and stimulate new ideas.

·          Applying an effective benefits realisation process during the delivery of innovative solutions

·          Using a common and effective project and change management approach for delivering innovative solutions