Quality Improvement in 7 steps

7 steps to Quality Improvement

Quality Improvement (QI) in Charity improvement must be done at a core process level. It is the  essential re-thinking and radical redesign of business techniques to achieve advances in critical methods of performance, such as cost, service and method of delivery. It seems like a lot and that there may be as many steps to it as there are Dalmatians, but it’s not really the case.

Its also not ‘fixing things’, does not involve anything vague and should not result in platitudes. Its about change.

It’s important to understand the principles behind Quality Improvement (QI) especially in the core processes of your Charity.  I hope we can offer a useful construct for leaders who wish to understand the systems behind a successful process improvement cycle.

N.B.

1.identify the process or procedure for change,

2. ensure your leader or leadership team are happy to embrace change and understand the reasons,

3 EVERYONE must understand that certainly at the beginning that the costs will outweigh the benefits. (in a an environment with a low risk appetite this can be challenging and resistance to change may be embedded.)

The 7 steps to holistic quality improvement

1. Any justification for improvement summarises what’s happening to the business enterprise or industry, what’s changing and what current priorities are.
2. The justification must highlight the business problem that is a cause for concern and signalling change
3. There must be audit and analysis to demonstrate why the business has not improved already to meet business need.
4. There must be specified results from the QI, so you have a measurable
5. What cost will inaction bring – the results of not changing must be made clear
6. Key performance indicators (for success) are identified, along with clarity around those areas being directly changed and those not changing at all.
7. Communication is all, so those supportive of the change must be identified and along with your leadership or a specialist QI leader be encouraged to support the change as a change for the better.

7 ideals to recognise Quality improvement 

1. It’s all about the process, and the process may take you across organisational boundaries, or task boundaries.
2. Quality improvement really is ambitious: minor advancements aren’t enough;
3. Quality Improvement is creative
4. Quality improvement is  innovative, continuous innovative organisations will not face major challenges
5. QI And  core process improvement expects great big audacious aims
6. It breaks the guidelines: assumptions of field of expertise, collection and timing are intentionally ignored.
7. QI removes bottlenecks and uses IT and digital strategy.

It may upset the apple cart. You will have to manage the change.

But then how do I recognise we have made an improvement?

Improved processes have these  these characteristics:

• 7 ways with employees you know you have quality improvement 
• Employees can make decisions,
• There is a reduction in audit and administration.
• Processes must be flexible and versatile, so each process must have multiple options,
• Have a system in place to choose which option fits the circumstance.
• Work is conducted where it creates the most sense,to be able to get rid of hand-offs and spend less in both time and money
• There is a single contact point for any case, project, or client

• 7 ways with the work itself , you know you have quality improvement
• Jobs get rolled into one.
• Jobs become multidimensional and are prepared by education rather than training (long-term inputs not short-term)
• Roles are not managed but empowered
• Performance becomes results driven and measurable,
• Rewards, can be in income, promotion or recognition, not just one.
• We pay for performance, promote for ability. and understand the difference between performance and ability.
• Core Values and behaviours are as important as competencies. Client satisfaction is as import as provision.

• 7 ways with management you know you have quality improvment 
• There is an increase in service management,
• Managers coach and motivate staff (rather than supervise and control)
•  The management structure will flatten
• Executives empower and do not manage
• Executives offer leadership

The next steps in quality improvement are where you look for the opportunities to improve and how to get it wrong all in part 2