Committed to Excellence- Project Validation Applicant Guide 2015 www.qualityscotland.co.uk Quality Scotland, West End House, 28 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 7RN Tel: 0131 225 5765
The objective of this guide is to help you prepare for the EFQM Committed to Excellence Project Validation. Following the advice in this guide will help you present your organisation's achievements effectively and help maximise the value added by the feedback report you receive at the end of the process. What is Committed to Excellence- Project Validation: Committed to Excellence- Project Validation is the first level of recognition offer by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). It is designed to help organisation begin their continuous improvement journey, providing a structured approach to implementing self-assessment and the EFQM Model. The scheme validates the implementation of three improvement projects, which deliver improved results. The focus on the three improvement projects teaches organisations how to practically apply the principles of the excellence model to their management approaches and improvement planning. The projects which your organisation implements are not prescribed by the scheme, enabling the organisation to focus on its priorities whilst implementing the EFQM model. All of EFQM s recognition schemes celebrate organisational success and create an enthusiasm systematic improvement. A team of trained Quality Scotland Assessors will then validate your projects against the EFQM Excellence Model using the RADAR methodology. Successful organisations will receive a certificate and logo confirming that they have been recognised as Committed to Excellence 1* star, which is valid for two years. Quality Scotland s Levels of Excellence Programme: Committed to Excellence Project Validation - 1 star Committed to Excellence Assessment - 1 star - 2 star Recognise d for Excellence - 3 star - 4 star - 5 star European Scottish Excellence Award for Award Business Excellence 2
C2E- Project Validation Process Overview: The validation will require you to demonstrate that following a self-assessment you have implemented 3 improvement projects using the principles of the EFQM Excellence Model. These projects will demonstrate to your staff and customers that you are serious about continuous improvement and give you a practical approach to introducing the Excellence Model. A team of trained Quality Scotland Assessors will then validate your projects against the EFQM Excellence Model using the RADAR methodology. Following your validation you will receive a written report that will provide feedback on your performance, including strengths and areas for improvement and we recognised as Committed to Excellence 1* Star. 3
Self-Assessment Self-Assessment enables organisation to determine where that are on their journey towards excellence and plan out next steps. Self-Assessments can be completed using a variety of approaches, it is important to design your selfassessment to give a good analysis of your organisation without making the process resource intensive. Quality Scotland has developed SABER a business improvement tool which will enable you to conduct an effective selfassessment and prioritise improvement activities. Quality Scotland can also facilitate your self-assessment and help you plan the event. Please contact your Account Manager if you would like more information on these services. Key Characteristics of Self-Assessment Open and honest discussion about the organisation Cross-section of the organisation to be involved Self Assessment Use EFQM Model to structure discussions and to give an objective benchmark Not about problem solving 4
The Three Improvement Projects Following your self-assessment you will have identified lots of improvement projects. It is important to go through a prioritisation process to reach a consensus about what projects to start first. Below are tips for completing your improvement projects. Key Characteristics There is a clear objective for the project Strategically important and relevant to the organisation at this time Aligned to Business Goals Deployed in a structured and systematic way Processes are in place to monitor the deployment and effectiveness of the project Implementing the Improvement Projects Use existing approaches to project management and communication Use the Submission to plan your improvement project Use the GANTT Chart to identify key task set completion dates The Submission uses the RADAR methodology to help you to plan the projects Potential Sources of Support for Completing the Improvement Projects Skills and Knowledge within your organisation Board Members Quality Scotland Professional Networks Key Partners Online Resources 5
Completing the Submission Document Implementing your improvement projects should take between 6 9 months. You can take any approach to implementing you projects but Quality Scotland would recommend that you use the submission document, which includes a Gantt chart to plan your improvements. Using the submission document will ensure that you are following the RADAR methodology which will be used to assess your organisation. The Submission is made up of three sections: Description of your organisation and operating environment Description of your self-assessment methods Description of you improvement projects The final part of the Submission is designed to completed in two stages; Version 1 should be completed following you self-assessment, during the planning stage and describes how you are intending to complete the projects. Your Account Manager will give you feedback on your project and completing the submission up receiving this first version. Version 2 is produced once the improvement projects have been implemented as preparation for the site visit. Version 2 should reflect what actually happened and any changes or learning which was gained during the process. Please submit Version 2 of your submission at least 2 week before your site visit. Version 1 Version 2 Completed following Prioritisation of Projects Explains what you are planning to do and hoping to achieve Completed once projects are implemented Explains what actually happened and any changes or learning gained during the process 6
Organising you site visit: Your site visit will only be carried out upon your request approximately 6-9 months after you completed your Self-Assessment and your three improvement projects are complete or nearing completion. This visit should be organised through your Account Manager who will agree a date for the site visit. A team of two EFQM European Trained Assessors from Quality Scotland will visit you and will validate the deployment of the improvement projects detailed in your submission Preparing for your validation site visit: On the day of the validation the assessors will conduct interviews with the leaders of the 3 projects and a focus group. Project 1 Project 2 Project 3 Focus Group Project Owner Project Owner Project Owner Cross-section of those involved in the self-assessment or who have been impacted by the projects The interviews will follow the structure of the submission, and project leader will be asked about how they have planned and implemented their chosen project. The focus group provides the assessors with the opportunity to evaluate how the improvement projects have been implemented within the organisation. We would ask that you ensure that you make as many of the top team including Board members who were involved in the improvement projects available on the day of the site visit. The site visit is an evidence-based evaluation and your Quality Scotland Assessors will require the following information: Your completed Action Plan; this should be sent to your Account Manager a minimum of two weeks before your validation Outputs from your self-assessment Evidence of how each improvement project has been planned and deployed. This could include communications briefs, progress review meeting action points, etc 7
Feedback At the end of the site visit the Quality Scotland Assessors will provide you with feedback as to whether or not you have been successful. They will also provide you with an overview of the key themes they have identified during the validation. This feedback will be supplemented with a formal feedback report which will give a more detailed evaluation. The reports will include: Feedback on the self-assessment process undertaken An overview of key strengths and areas for improvement across three improvement projects Detailed feedback on the Results, Approach, Deployment and Assessment & Refinement of each of the three improvement projects A rating is applied to each project Recognition Successful organisations will we be awarded as Committed to Excellence 1* Star. To recognise this achievement you will receive: Certificate, dated and valid for 2 years Logos promoting the organisations achievement of C2E Invitation to the Scottish Awards for Business Excellence held in June A formal feedback report on your application detailing you key strengths and areas for improvement 8
Support Available from Quality Scotland We can facilitate your self-assessment Advise you on your improvement projects Use our membership to help you complete the projects Read drafts of your Submission Advise you on preparing for the assessment/ validation Next Steps Six months before the expiry of your certificate your Quality Scotland Account Manager will contact you and discuss your organisations next steps. Many successful organisations benefit from reapplying for Committed to Excellence- Project Validation because it helps to consolidate an understanding of organisational assessment and reinforce a culture of continuous improvement. Other organisations that are more established in their excellence journey may move on to the next accreditation Committed to Excellence- Assessment or Recognised for Excellence. Your Account manager will be able to provide you with more information on the Recognised for Excellence accreditation. 9