· put customers first;

· encourage access and promote choice;

· use new technology, especially IT, effectively;

· are open and accountable;

· work in partnership with others to ensure seamless delivery;

· use resources effectively;

· innovate and improve.

These objectives are also shared by the UK's most forward-looking companies.

This guidance shows you how quality schemes can help you meet these challenges and improve the standard of your organisation.

Each of these schemes has its own distinctive contribution to make.

Introduction <Top>

There is a variety of quality tools which can help your organisation meet the challenges ahead. The key ones include:

· Business Excellence Model;

· Charter Mark;

· Investors in People (IIP);

· ISO 9000.

They enable organisations to assess their strengths and weaknesses and encourage them to adopt best practice. But, all too often, managers and staff do not understand how they link together. It is vital that these tools are used as part of the drive for best practice rather than as an end in themselves.

All the schemes described enable you to judge your performance, and each scheme has its particular strengths.

Business Excellence Model
A framework to help assess your organisation's performance, both in its results and the processes needed to achieve them, and identify where improvements are needed.

Investors in People
A standard relating employee development to organisational goals and performance.

Charter Mark

The Government's award scheme which encourages and rewards improvement in public service delivery.

ISO 9000

A tool to help organisations ensure that their processes and documentation enable them to meet their customers' needs.

Links Between the Schemes <Top>

As you can see, all four schemes have their own specific characteristics. While the Business Excellence Model provides an overall framework for all of an organisation's activities, Investors in People, Charter Mark and ISO 9000 look in much more detail at ways of improving performance. You might say that the Business Excellence Model helps you ask the right questions, and the other three schemes help you to find answers. How you use them, and in what order, is down to you. The Business Excellence Model will give you an overview. The other schemes enable you to start by concentrating on a particular area.

Now we will look at the four quality schemes in more detail. At the end of each section you will find details of how to obtain more information.

Business Excellence Model <Top>

What is it?

The Business Excellence Model is a framework for assessing and then continuously improving the performance of an organisation across the whole spectrum of its activities. It was developed by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and 200 companies across Europe, and is widely used by private and public sector organisations of all sizes and for judging prestigious quality awards. The UK custodian of the Model is the British Quality Foundation (BQF), a not-for-profit membership organisation.

BiP GUIDANCE 1/2000
The model is based on the premise that: Customer Satisfaction, People Satisfaction and Impact on Society are achieved through Leadership driving Policy and Strategy, Management of People, Resources and Processes leading ultimately to excellence in Business Results. The percentage weightings represent a consensus view of the relative importance of the nine criteria, but are only of direct relevance to applicants for quality awards.

Do not be put off by the business terminology. Although initially designed for the private sector, the Business Excellence Model has also proved invaluable to many public and voluntary sector organisations.

The Model consists of nine criteria, divided into Enablers (the hows) and Results (the whats).

The Enabler criteria are concerned with how the organisation conducts itself, how it manages its staff and resources, how it plans its strategy and how it reviews and monitors key processes.

The organisation's Results are what it achieves. These encompass the level of satisfaction among the organisation's employees and customers, and its impact on the wider community.

What does it involve? <Top>

The starting point for most organisations is to conduct a self-assessment against the Model, which can range from a quick assessment to a fully evidenced and externally validated report. The typical outputs are a score profile against the Model, and much more importantly a prioritised improvement action plan. Consultancy support, publications, software and training are available for organisations which need them from the BQF and other sources licensed by them.

Self-assessment against the Business Excellence Model:

· identifies strengths and areas for improvement;

· provides year-on-year numerical assessment of performance against a widely recognised model;

· provides an excellent understanding of the whole business at a reasonable cost;

· provides a framework which makes sense of all quality and improvement initiatives;

· generates fresh motivation for improvement;

· gives an insight into world-class practice;

· facilitates comparison with a wide range of other organisations.

How much does it cost? <Top>

The resources required for self-assessment vary enormously according to the methodology chosen, the degree of rigour required and the level of knowledge about the Model which your organisation already has. As an example, first-time participants in the Public Sector Benchmarking Project typically devote about £4,000 and a total of 35 staff days, spread among ten people and over six weeks, regardless of the organisation's size. This includes materials, training and consultancy support. There is a large number of providers who offer a wide range of approaches, starting from the very basic at around £100 (involving no external support) and going up to the rigorous and intensive with commensurate prices.

Public Sector Benchmarking Project <Top>

The UK Public Sector Benchmarking Project aims to help organisations in the public sector to improve their performance by conducting self-assessments against the Business Excellence Model.

It enables organisations to benchmark their performance against each other and share best practice systematically with each other, the private sector and ultimately public services in other countries. Involvement in the project has been voluntary and over 100 public sector organisations have now taken part.

The project uses a framework agreement with four leading providers licensed by the BQF to offer services to public sector organisations at a reduced rate. A database held by the Civil Service College stores the outputs of self-assessments confidentially. Aggregated data are published, so organisations can compare their performance with others, and the College can put organisations in touch with others performing better than they are in a particular area.

The UK Quality Award for Business Excellence and the European Quality Awards <Top>

Run by the BQF and EFQM respectively, these prestigious awards for Business Excellence are based on self-assessment against the Business Excellence Model. Each applicant submits a 75-page document which is considered by a team of assessors. Following the paper assessment shortlisted candidates receive site visits, before a jury examines the reports and comes to a decision.

Regional Quality Awards <Top>

Various organisations operate quality award schemes in different parts of the UK. Contact the BQF for details of a scheme in your area.

How can we find out more?

The British Quality Foundation, 32-34 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2QX. Tel: (0207) 654 5000. Fax: (0207) 654 5001.

E-mail: mail@quality-foundation.co.uk.

Website: www.quality-foundation.co.uk

Public Sector Benchmarking Project, Benchmarking Team, Cabinet Office, Horse Guards Road, London SW1P 3AL.
Tel: (0207) 270 6440. Fax: (0207) 270 6132.

E-mail: nextsteps.ops@gtnet.gov.uk

Website: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/eeg

Investors in People <Top>

What is it?

Investors in People (IIP) is a national Standard for effective investment in the training and development of people in order to achieve organisational goals.

Investors in People is a standard based on four key principles:-

· A commitment, from the top, to develop all employees.

· A regular review of the training and development needs of employees and a plan to meet those needs.

· Action to train and develop individuals throughout their employment.

· The measurement of the organisation's success in using its investment in training and development effectively.

IIP is open to any organisation of any size from any sector. Individual units of, for example, a large Government Department or local authority may pilot the Standard as part of an overall strategy for achievement, or may go for the standard in their own right if they have the authority to do so from their parent department.

What does it involve? <Top>

Becoming an Investor in People involves a number of stages:-

· Information gathering-
- including finding out more about the Standard and talking to your local Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) in England and Wales, Local Enterprise Company (LEC) in Scotland or Training and Employment Agency (TEA) in Northern Ireland.

· Initial assessment-
- to identify how your organisation measures up to the national standard and identify action to close any gaps.

· Develop people and processes as necessary.

· Further assessment - once your organisation meets the Standard it will be formally recognised as an Investor in People and can publicise this through use of the logo.

· Re-assessment - an organisation can either be re-assessed after three years or by using the 12-15 month option. Both should ensure that continuous improvement becomes an integral part of the Standard.

What does it cost?
IIP Assessors charge about £550 per day but the total cost of assessment will depend on the size of the organisation, the number of employees and the number of sites involved.

How long does it take?

The length of time between making a commitment to achieve the Standard and being recognised will vary from typically six months to two years, depending on the extent of development needed in the organisation.

The benefits of IIP <Top>

The benefits of IIP can be seen both for the organisation and the individuals within it:-

For the organisation

· a more systematic approach to training;

· a clearer focus on training based on business needs;

· improved employee communications;

· a better understanding of the business among employees;

· a higher level of motivation among the workforce;

· a more skilled workforce;

· better value from their training spend;

· increased profitability.

For the individual

· increased job satisfaction;

· the training and development to enable them to do a good job;

· recognition and structured development;

· a greater sense of pride in the organisation;

· improved motivation and commitment.

How can we find out more?

Investors in People UK, 4th Floor, 7-10 Chandos Street, London W1M 9DE. Tel: (0207) 467 1900. Fax: (0207) 636 2386.

E-mail: information@iipuk.co.uk

Website: www.iipuk.co.uk/

Charter Mark <Top>

What is it?

Charter Mark is the Government's award scheme for encouraging and rewarding improvement in public services. Those services that are assessed as providing an excellent standard of service get the public recognition of the Charter Mark Award. Every applicant gets an expert independent assessment and detailed feedback on how to improve.

Charter Mark focuses on the outcome for the customer. It is the only major public service award that concentrates on the quality of service that users actually receive. It is a flexible, easy to understand and applicable to all sizes of public sector organisations delivering services direct to the public. Charter Mark is a standard of excellence, not a competition. There is no limit to the number of winners and the numbers continue to grow.

Some 4000 organisations have now applied for Charter Mark, and nearly 1200 currently hold the award. Those who fall just below the award standard receive a certificate of commendation.

Organisations are assessed against ten criteria which deal with aspects such as service standards, access and choice, fair treatment, the effective use of resources and an accessible complaints and redress system.

All applicants automatically receive a feedback report from assessors identifying areas of weakness and making suggestions for improvement . Applicants can also attend a feedback meeting where they can discuss their application in more detail.

What does it involve?

Organisations submit a twelve page application which must be supported by evidence (no more than a box file). This is to show a high standard of service provision against each of the ten criteria. Help is available to intending applicants in the form of an assessor helpline and a programme of seminars where experienced assessors describe the evidence required and Charter Mark holders describe their experiences and give advice. After submitting an application and being assessed, nearly all organisations receive a visit from an assessor who tests the evidence, follows up issues raised in the application and talks to users and staff. The final decision is taken by an independent judging panel.

How much does it cost?

There is currently no charge. The main cost to an organisation is time spent preparing the application.

How long does it take?

5-6 months from receipt of your application.

Benefits

· Free audit: experienced assessors give detailed feedback on the organisation's performance. A recent study showed that 92% of winners implemented assessors' feedback recommendations.

·Benchmarking: measured against the best public services.

· Recognition and positive publicity: national and local.

· Motivation and team-building: rewards front-line staff and can give a big boost to morale.

How can we find out more?

Charter Mark Awards, Service First Unit, Cabinet Office, Horse Guards Road, London SW1P 3AL. Tel: (0207) 270 6343/6362 - for general enquiries only. Fax: (0207) 270 6362.

Tel: (0845) 30 40 430 - for the application helpline.

Tel: (0345) 22 32 42 - for copies of Charter Mark documents and other Service First guides.

E-mail: servicefirst@gtnet.gov.uk

Website: www.servicefirst.gov.uk/index/markhome.htm

ISO 9000 <Top>

What is it?

ISO 9000 originated in the UK as BS 5750, the British Standard for quality management systems. It is now the established worldwide standard for quality management systems to support supplier customer relationships, having been adopted by 50,000 companies in the UK and over 127,000 worldwide.

It is a tool to help organisations ensure that their processes and documentation enable them consistently to meet their customers' needs and expectations.

What does it involve?

To become registered to the standard an organisation needs to review and document its procedures in accordance with the requirements of this international standard, then prepare a quality manual and submit its management system to a third party for assessment. In other words organisations must:

· say clearly what they do;

· capture this in a quality manual;

· ensure they do what they say;

· make sure their actions are effective;

· make improvements to what they do.

Once the quality system is in place and established there is an independent assessment by a certified body to check conformity with the requirements of the Standard and to ensure that declared procedures are working in practice. Once the organisation is successfully registered it will continue to be visited at regular intervals each year to ensure that the standard is maintained.

ISO 9000 is sufficiently flexible in its application and can be implemented successfully in any public sector organisation. Its application range can be from council chambers to a simple customer service role.

How much does it cost?

Depends on the size and complexity of the organisation, but a typical organisation of between 60 and 70 people could expect to pay in the region of £1,500 - £2,600 for the initial assessment and £1,400 each year for the continuing assessment audits.

How long does it take?

The length of time leading up to assessment depends entirely upon the current state of the organisation's management system and the need to develop consistent working practice to comply with the Standard's requirements. Frequently the process of implementation through to assessment can be completed in 6 to 9 months.

Benefits

The initial pressure from customers is inevitably overtaken by the internal energy created by working in a better managed organisation. Real benefits include:

· improved efficiency;

· better use of time and resources;

· improved consistency of service performance and therefore higher levels of customer satisfaction;

· improved public perception of organisation's image;

· improved communication, morale and job satisfaction: staff understand what is expected of them;

· transparent communication and processes.

How can we find out more ?

British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 AL. Tel: (0208) 996 7327. Fax: (0208) 996 7400.

E-mail: info@bsi.org.uk

Websitfe: www.bsi.org.uk

For details of accredited certification bodies

United Kingdom Accreditation Service, 21-47 High Street, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 4UN. Tel: (0208) 917 8400. Fax: (0208) 917 8500.

Website: www.ukas.com

Conclusion <Top>

The Government is committed to ensuring that efficiency is combined with a higher quality service that satisfies customers of all public services. As we have seen, there is a number of tools that can help, but there is no right route through the quality maze. The path you choose for your organisation will depend on its particular circumstances.

You will need to ask yourself whether you want:

· an overview of performance: Business Excellence Model;

· to improve your customer service: Charter Mark;

· to develop staff: IIP;

· to improve the way you manage your processes: ISO 9000.

Many organisations find it helpful to embark on more than one scheme at the same time. They are essentially complementary. Collectively they can help improve all aspects of your operation and they all encourage you constantly to review performance and improve.

All information in this guidance is checked and believed to be correct, but cannot be so guaranteed and the publishers shall not be liable for any loss susuffered directly or indirectly as a result of its use.