Agreeing on quality standards and approaches

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Different quality improvement models and approaches

There are a number of different quality assurance models, including:

• off-the-shelf systems
• in-house or tailor-made systems
• national occupational standards
• sub-sectoral systems
• no formal system but a culture of review and change.

The focus may be different, with some standards focusing on management processes and some on outcomes.

The assessment method may be different, with some using external assessment and external recognition, with awards and accreditation, while others are based entirely on self assessment.

Finding quality standards to fit your organisation

There are many different options available, and it is important to get the right ‘fit’ between the quality standards and your organisation. The questions to ask include:

• how far does the system address our main concerns?
• how easily can the system be integrated with existing working practices?
• how sensitive is the system to the culture of the organisation?
• how simple or complex is the system? How does that fit our organisation?
• how resource intensive is the approach to implement?

Getting the right approach to quality standards

• Off-the-shelf approaches: there is a wide range of off-the-shelf quality standards that can be very useful in providing a quality benchmark that will be understood and valued.
• The in-house approach: organisations may want standards that reflect particular activities. Developing an individualised set of standards can be a potentially complex task. One solution is to use an off-the-shelf system, and to develop some additional standards that address particular areas.
• Sub-sectoral standards: these are systems developed for a particular field of work or for networks of organisations, and some are a requirements of funding. Organisations adopting sub-sectoral systems generally use them as part of a multiple system approach.
• Multiple system use: some organisations use multiple systems. This can involve several different off-the-shelf systems, a mix of off-the-shelf and sub-sectoral systems, or a combination of an in-house approach and an off-the-shelf system.

For more information, see Quality systems and frameworks.

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