Self Assessment

SELF ASSESSMENT FOR YOU

Ann Pike

30th September 2010

A comprehensive, systematic and regular review by the organisation of its activities and results referenced against a model of Excellence

Allows an organisation to discern clearly its strengths and areas in which improvements can be made and culminates in planned improvement actions that are then monitored for progress

Self-Assessment – The EFQM definition

- Compliance against a standard

- Can tend to be negative-corrective action

- Usually done by an “outsider” or “specialist”

- Gives an historical view

- Positioning against a framework

- Usually positive-strengths and areas for improvements

- Best done by yourself, perhaps facilitated by a specialist

- Both historical and forward looking

- Aim is to be motivating for those involved

- Is a competition

- Marketing tool/Publicity

- Is a way of recognising a level of achievement

- Involves a judging process

- Gives an historical view

- Motivating for those receiving the award

Communicating the Message – Possible Issues: Relationship between Audit, Self-Assessment and AwardAudit Self-

assessment Award

QUESTIONNAIRE

ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP

Proforma

AWARD SIMULATION

COMBINATIONS

BASED ON YOUR DESIRED OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS, HOW WILL YOU?

•Collect evidence/data

•Document evidence/data

•Assess evidence/data

•Document results

•Present results

Plan Self-Assessment - Choosing your Technique

QUESTIONNAIRE

ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP

Proforma

AWARD SIMULATION

COMBINATIONS

MANAGEMENT MEETING / EVENT

•To consider the S-A outcomes

•To prioritise actions

•To produce improvement plan

•To agree what to communicate

•To recognise the efforts of others

Plan Self-Assessment - Different Techniques, Same Destination

Characteristics:

1.This technique can be one of the least resource intensive.

2. An approach that is completed very quickly, provided an existing and proven questionnaire is used.  3. It is an excellent way of gathering information on the perceptions of people within an organisation.

4. Some organisations use simple yes/no questionnaires, other slightly more sophisticated versions that use a rating scale

 

The Questionnaire Technique

Quick and easy to use - basic awareness training being sufficient to get things started

Can readily involve many people within the organisation

Enables the organisation to receive feedback which can be segmented by function and by level

Can be used in conjunction with an Assessment Workshop to provide a more balanced view of deployment for the management team

Can be used to facilitate group discussions between teams on the opportunities for improvement within their unit

The Questionnaire Technique - Benefits

A list of strengths and areas for improvement is not necessarily immediately generated

Accuracy depends upon the quality of the questions asked

Excessive use of questionnaires in an organisation may result in a low return - what response rate is a valid return?

Wide circulation can raise expectations which, if unfulfilled, may de-motivate

Questionnaires tell you what people think, not why they think it. You must investigate further to find root causes

The Questionnaire Technique - Risks

Does not allow for comparison with scoring profiles of Regional, National or European Quality Award Applicants

There is no direct link between the questions in the questionnaire and the criteria parts of the Model

3.11 The Questionnaire Technique – Risks (cont’d)

Selection Criteria - Maturity/Effort Differences

MATUREORGANISATION

Appropriate Questionnaire

AssessmentWorkshop

Proforma supported by Peer evaluation

Award Simulationor

Award Application

ON THE WAY Questionnaire & Workshop

Facilitated Assessment Workshop

Proforma

Facilitated AssessmentWorkshop

Pilot Award Simulation

STARTING ON THE EXCELLENCE

JOURNEY

Elementary Questionnaire

More detailed Questionnaire

CustomisedQuestionnaire

Facilitated Assessment W/shop

LOW EFFORT MEDIUM EFFORT HIGH EFFORT

Benefits From Self Assessment

• Improved awareness of strengths and areas of concern/weakness across your whole organisation

• Good way of involving people/improves knowledge of the organisation

• You are in total control of what you need to do to improve/ no need for others to tell you

• Linked to strategic & business planning avoids overlap/duplication of effort

• Linked to strategic planning- feels less like ‘just another initiative’

QUESTIONS?Discussion

• Example of a short questionnaire to aid discussion

• Example of HAME guide

Characteristics:

1. An Assessment Workshop is an event, typically 1.0 and 1.5 days that involves members of a team in a discussion and decision making process linked to assessing evidence and data presented and reaching consensus on Strengths and Areas for Improvement.

 2. A second discussion and decision-making process would be used to prioritise the list of potential improvement actions, assign ownership and agree timescales for delivery of the improvements.

 3. The team involved can consist of anyone from within the organisation – one of main advantages of this self-assessment method is the opportunity to gain the active involvement of the management team.

   

The Assessment Workshop Technique for Self-Assessment

The Assessment Workshop Technique for Self-Assessment (cont’d)

Characteristics:

4. Typically, each member of the team will take responsibility for one or more Criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model and will ensure that data and evidence relevant to his/her area of responsibility is gathered before the Assessment Workshop.

5. At the workshop team members present to their peers the data and evidence gathered. This provides the start point for the team to discuss and reach consensus.

 6. Consideration needs to be given to the order in which the nine criteria are addressed.

An excellent way to get the team to understand the Model and gain their commitment to it

Discussion and agreement by the team on the strengths and areas for improvement helps to build a common view

Ownership by the team of the outcomes, subsequent prioritisation and agreement to action plans

An opportunity for team building

An agreed list of strengths and areas for improvement is produced which will drive improvement actions

The Assessment Workshop Technique - Benefits

Needs excellent preparation and facilitation

Personal perceptions can make evidence of the deployment of an organisation’s processes difficult to assess

There is scope for an unrealistic assessment

The Assessment Workshop Technique - Risks