Key Learning: QSTG 1997-2004

• Quality Principles
• Increased Interest
• A Sector Pursuing Excellence in 2000
• Funders and Quality in 2001
• Piloting Quality in the North East (2001)
• Championing Quality in the Regions 2003-2004
• Quality in the Voluntary and Community Sector in 2004
• Improving our Performance (2004)
• The Future of Quality

Introduction

The Quality Standards Task Group (QSTG) was set up in 1997 in response to the Deakin Commission on the future of the voluntary sector which stated that voluntary organisations needed to engage with quality standards.

QSTG  was set up as a time limited project to act as a catalyst to help voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) engage in quality improvement. It aimed to provide independent, informed and impartial advice on quality issues. It was hosted by NCVO but had semi-independent status and was driven by an independent board comprising members from the voluntary and other sectors with a keen interest in, or expert knowledge of, quality systems.

Quality principles

In 1998 QSTG proposed a set of quality principles which all VCOs are encouraged to adopt:

A quality voluntary organisation:

• strives for continuous improvement in all it does;
• uses recognised standards as a means to continuous improvement and not as an end;
• agrees requirements with stakeholders and endeavours to meet or exceed these first time and every time;
• promotes equality of opportunity through its internal and external conduct;
• is accountable to stakeholders;
• adds value to its end users and beneficiaries.

Increased Interest

There has been an increase in the awareness of quality systems in the VCS in recent years as show in the Quality standards in the voluntary sector: levels of awareness (PDF 29.5kb) paper drawn from a VSNTO report in 2003.

Increased interest in quality systems in the VCS was also evidenced by QSTG's reach:

• QSTG's quarterly newsletter had a circulation in excess of 2,000
• QSTG sold over 3,500 publications
• In a 1-year period from January 2003 to January 2004 QSTG's Regional Quality Champions spoke at 44 events with total number of delegates exceeding 1,500
• Over 300 people attended QSTG's regional consultation events to feed into the Strategy for Performance Improvement.

A Sector Pursuing Excellence in 2000

 Research undertaken by QSTG in 2000, In Pursuit of Excellence: Measuring Quality in the Voluntary Sector, found that the attitude to quality improvement and management within the voluntary sector had changed radically in recent years. While it was often viewed as an optional extra in the late 1980s and early 1990s, by 2000 it was increasingly seen as a vital necessity. This demonstrated an important shift in focus from whether to adopt a quality management approach to organisational effectiveness to how to adopt a quality management approach.

The report found that the previous decade had been marked by a conspicuous change in the culture of organisations, namely an internally generated desire to bring about a culture of continuous improvement. This had arisen partly because of the increased customer focus within voluntary organisations. Also, as staff became more qualified and experienced they developed expectations of improved management systems.

The report concluded that issues of quality management were more crucial than ever for the voluntary sector.

The findings from the research are summarised as follows:

• Voluntary organisations take a pragmatic approach to existing 'off the shelf' quality systems, often tailoring them to meet their own needs. This can be highly effective in ensuring ownership of the approach
• There is a growing trend towards the use of quality standards within and across specific sub-sectors. Sometimes individual organisations are adopting these under pressure rather than voluntarily.
• There is still a long way to go in ensuring that both funders and voluntary organisations accept a shared responsibility for developing mutually acceptable quality indicators and other measures.
• Sources of support for implementing quality systems and standards for the voluntary sector are patchy. Knowledge of available funding sources to support quality improvement is also poor.
• Organisations do not appear to be taking up quality systems primarily to satisfy funders
• The voluntary sector should push for accrediting bodies and those responsible for non-accredited quality systems to recognise comparable components of each other's systems to avoid duplication of effort
• The sector needs to be more proactive in seeking financial support and development advice
• It is very important that voluntary organisations have access to objective, inexpensive information about the options available to them.
• Networking and partnerships can play a major role in ensuring that advice, guidance and support is shared across the voluntary sector. Umbrella organisations have a key role to play in this process
• There are benefits to be gained from collaboration between funders and purchasers and the sector on quality with the aim of improving accountability and reducing the burden of multiple demands from funders on voluntary organisations. There is an opportunity for the Compact on Funding to be used by NCVO and others to influence good practice by Government funding agencies.
• There is a need for a detailed mapping of where and how national occupational standards relate directly to specific quality systems
• Umbrella and resource bodies are increasingly playing a central role in promoting the use of standards and best practice within the sector. More work could now be done to create partnership working between these bodies to enhance the effectiveness of their memberships and to reduce duplication of demands on individual organisations that are members of more than one body.
• To impose a dedicated meaning for each term and ensure its application across the voluntary sector will be difficult to achieve given the current diversity of approach and the fact that organisations will continue to have specific needs and priorities. There is, however, a need for a shared understanding of how to approach quality systems and this includes clarity about terminology and concepts.
• Several organisations are in fact combining or considering a combination of more than two systems.

Funders and Quality in 2001

In 2001 QSTG researched the attitudes and practices of funders in relation to quality improvement in the VCS. The report from this research noted whilst it is primarily the responsibility of VCOs themselves to demonstrate and improve the quality of their work, funders can - and do - play a crucial role in influencing the nature of this work.

The report noted there was little shared understanding of the concept of quality among the funders interviewed. There were indications that this was also the case for VCOs. Consequently, meaningful discussion between funders themselves and between funders and voluntary organisations on this subject was difficult.

Many of the funders interviewed felt that they lacked the resources, skills and experience to measure adequately the quality of particular services or organisations. Funders identified four key items that would help them to tackle quality improvement and measurement in the voluntary sector:

• information on the different quality systems - including evidence from evaluation of their use, case studies demonstrating improvements in effectiveness and mapping of how different systems work together
• guidance on measuring outcomes, particularly in relation to funding programmes that are harder to measure, such as capacity-building and community involvement
• more opportunities for funders and fund-seekers to work together on establishing jointly agreed measures for determining the quality of the outcomes
• increased networking within the voluntary sector - greater sharing of information and experience within the voluntary sector would help funders: for example, via membership of appropriate umbrella bodies.

Critical success factors were determined as:

• Communication, consultation, commitment
• Integration of quality strategy into the funding process
• Clarity in reporting and assessment requirements
• Piloting
• Staged approach
• Appropriate 'bureaucracy'
• Provision of support

Piloting Quality in the North East (2001)

In 2001, with support from the Northern Rock Foundation, QSTG developed a pilot project in the North East to assist local voluntary organisations adopt the Excellence Model. The project provided face-to-face training, mentoring support and networking opportunities. Key issues to emerge from the evaluation were identified as follows:

• There was a need for organisational and financial support in order to successfully implement quality assurance in the VCS
• Mentors from the business and public sector could provide useful support for VCOs in the use of quality models
• Support for individuals with responsibility for engaging colleagues and introducing change in their organisations was vital
• The role of the funder was critical
• There was a need for research into the costs and benefits of the use of and outcomes of quality systems

Championing Quality in the Regions 2003-04

In 2002, QSTG appointed, and provided training to, a quality champion for each of the 9 regions of England. Quality champions were deliberately chosen from a variety of backgrounds with the main criterion for selection being experience of implementing a quality system in a VCO. Quality champions were contracted to work for QSTG one day per month speaking at voluntary sector events on quality improvement issues. The aims of the project were to:

• Promote quality improvement to VCOs
• Provide VCOs with independent information on the benefits and challenges of using quality systems
• Give VCOs an opportunity to hear first hand the experience of a local organisation that had implemented a quality system

Evaluation of the project concluded the following:

• There was a time lag between appointment of champions and demand for their services i.e. it took time to promote the quality champions, to make VCOs aware of the project and for VCOs organise events. There was a marked increase demand for quality champions in the final quarter period of the project
• Champions located in local development agencies had greater access to local networks, information and events. They were therefore better placed to more easily make contact with local event organisers
• There continues to be a demand for objective, independent and accessible information on quality improvement.
• Demand for face-to-face support is on the increase with organisations increasingly requesting support for implementation of quality systems.

Quality in the VCS in 2004

In 2004 QSTG, in partnership with Charities Evaluation Services (CES), published the results of a major study into the use of quality systems in the voluntary sector. This Study represents the largest and most comprehensive research into the use of quality systems in the English VCS.

The Study identified the following drivers for VCOs adopting quality systems:

• Awareness amongst VCOs of the general funding environment, and a recognition that funders have an increasing expectation that organisations they fund will have some way of measuring and ensuring quality
• Growing recognition of the need to demonstrate accountability to, and secure legitimacy with, a variety of external stakeholders
• The other main external driver referred to was the influence of the infrastructure bodies.
• VCOs are too ready to respond to external pressures and often lack confidence to question the approach being suggested
• The influence of funders, or more often the general funding environment, and an awareness that funders might at some point demand adoption of a recognised quality system, was clearly very significant. There is an element of wanting to be pro-active and adopt a system before being forced to do so.
• Internal drivers included the need to bring order and improve systems, a desire to achieve consistency, wanting to improve service quality
• Availability of resources and support had influenced their choice of system

Five critical factors

The Study found there were five critical factors for the successful implementation of a quality system. These were identified as:

• Stakeholder involvement
• Leadership
• An implementation plan and structure
• Integration with other processes
• Resources

The Study made the following conclusions:

• The introduction of a quality system has the potential to make an impact upon internal organisational structures and hence to improve efficiency. It also offers an opportunity for organisational growth, increased effectiveness and staff development. In addition, the presence of a quality system is perceived as giving an organisation more legitimacy with external stakeholders
• The majority of questionnaire respondents indicated that they would not only continue to use their current system but would also recommend it to other organisations.
• It is sometimes difficult to trace direct links between use of a quality system and improved services for users, and that it may take time for users to notice improvements.
• Use of a quality system can help organisations to improve the accessibility of their services, and their policies and procedures, to users. The adoption and use of a quality system may act as a catalyst and - by providing the opportunity for reflection and by focusing on professional practice - offer a valuable framework for addressing service improvements

'Improving our Performance' (2004)

In the summer of 2003, the Active Communities Unit at the Home Office commissioned QSTG to develop a strategy on performance improvement for the VCS. The strategy was published in April 2004.

The strategy contained the following core proposals:

1. More targeted information is needed by VCOs about different approaches to performance improvement and the issues that they best help VCOs address
2. More face-to-face advice and support is needed
3. Skills development and governance are key
4. Grant givers and purchasers should as a matter of course fund the performance improvement efforts of VCOs
5. Funder and regulator evaluation should support performance improvement in VCOs

The Future of Quality Improvement Post-QSTG

QSTG completed its five-year programme of activities in March 2004. Following development of 'Improving our Performance - a strategy for the voluntary and community sector', NCVO with CES and other partners (including Bassac, NACVS and Aston University) explored the development of a model for the delivery of a performance improvement national support service to identify and meet the needs of voluntary and community networks in England.

The Performance Hub was established in 2005 and operated until 2008 as part of the national ChangeUp programme.

Read more about using the idea of quality to improve the way you do things.

Appendix

Appendix A - List of QSTG Publications

• Map of Quality Standards (1997)
• White Paper' on Quality in the Voluntary Sector (1998)
• Approaching Quality: A guide to the choices you can make (1999)
• Excellence in View: A guide to the EFQM Excellence Model for the voluntary sector (2001)
• In Pursuit of Excellence: Measuring Quality in the Voluntary Sector (2000)
• Self-Assessment Workbook: Measuring Success (2000)
• Evaluating Quality in the Voluntary Sector - Report of a Voluntary Sector Quality Assurance Pilot Project (2001)
• Quality Matters: Funders and Quality in the Voluntary Sector (2001)
• The Adoption and Use of Quality Systems in the Voluntary Sector - A Literature Review (2003)
• The Adoption and Use of Quality Systems in the Voluntary Sector - Research Report (2004)
• The Adoption and Use of Quality Systems in the Voluntary Sector - A Briefing for Funders (2004)
• Getting Ready - Learning from Experience (2004)
• A Strategy for Performance Improvement for the Voluntary and Community Sector (2004)