A Guest blog from Strategic Partner: Barrie Wyatt https://nvisionconsulting.co.uk
PQASSO
Shortly after winning two significant contracts a CEO of a local Gloucestershire charity told me “When times are tough, the competition is tougher – and PQASSO gives you an edge”.
So what is PQASSO and why might it be suitable for you?
Developed in 1997, by voluntary sector organisations, PQASSO is the most used approach to quality assurance and management in the voluntary sector. It is an evidence based self-assessment tool that helps voluntary sector organisations take a thorough (see below for the full scope of PQASSO) look at what they do, identify areas where they are doing well and not so well, so that they can make improvements where appropriate.
Used systematically, PQASSO:
Enables more effective and more efficient organisational systems and procedures
Provides a framework for measuring outcomes
Results in better quality of services for users
Assesses performance against agreed standards
Promotes continuous improvement over time
Supports organisational learning
Promotes more creative thinking, enabling new perspectives and ways of working
Provides a health check of organisation and opportunity for quick wins
Improves communication among staff, trustees and volunteers
Improves motivation for staff, trustees and volunteers
In short, implementing PQASSO should enable an organisation to deliver even better services to their users and beneficiaries.
In addition PQASSO can be helpful in securing funding
PQASSO can demonstrate evidence for many of the elements required in PQQs
Charitable Trusts giving grants are increasingly asking for assurance around quality – and the PQASSO report can be used
Some local authority contracts require an appropriate quality standard, and PQASSO gives local authority additional confidence, enabling them to rely on an independent report when they themselves are strapped for resources
Whilst implementing PQASSO takes a commitment of time and effort, a good organisation does most of the stuff required by PQASSO anyway.
PQASSO consists of the following 11 ‘quality areas’:
Governance
Planning
Leadership and management
User centred service
Managing people
Learning and development
Managing money
Managing resources
External communications
Working with others
Assessing outcomes and impact
For more detailed information on PQASSO see https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/quality-and-standards/pqasso
