Advice notes

Quality systems

People often approach the Baring Foundation for funding to use quality systems. These advice notes are based both on the experience of the Foundation in making these grants and on the experience of organisations which have been funded in this way. They are designed to help applicants when they apply for grants and to help organisations once they are supported. They will be useful to organisations that wish to explore the potential of such systems, and specifically those that wish to raise funds with which to do this. The notes are not intended to substitute for the guidance that is available from the various accrediting and quality organisations. Contact details for some of these are at the bottom of these notes.

The experience of adopting such systems can be very beneficial for voluntary organisations. It is for this reason that the Baring Foundation is prepared to consider proposals for funding. It can also be a negative and wasteful one. These advice notes are designed to help voluntary organisations funded by the Baring Foundation to become intelligent and capable consumers of the various quality systems around. All organisations wishing to develop quality systems are advised to gather as much information as possible about the different approaches.

The Baring Foundation is committed to helping organisations to improve so that they can do their job more effectively. These are the questions our assessors will ask when reviewing your proposal. They may also be helpful for you in making your plans.

1. Motivations for quality systems

• Why are you looking for a quality system?
• What are the problems or issues that you think this will address?
• What do you think will be the advantages of using a system? And what will it offer you that simply improving management performance could not deliver?
• Is there a funder or commissioner requiring you to adopt a system? Have they set a deadline for completion of this work?
• What do your trustees think about this work? How involved have they been in deciding to adopt this approach?

2. Choosing a system

• Have you decided which system you want to use?
• If so, how did you choose it?
• If not, how will you make the choice?
• Have you talked to others in your part of the sector about the systems they use?
• Is there one that is currently used in your part of the voluntary sector? Is that the one you are using?
• Are you aiming for a system which involves self-assessment or accreditation?

3. Your links with other voluntary organisations

• Voluntary organisations are very different from each other, both in their size and in their activity. There are some quality systems that have been developed specifically for small organisations and others that are specific to service areas. Have you chosen a system that relates to your service area?
• What has been the experience of other voluntary organisations using this one? ·
• Have you explored sharing the costs of this work? Are there any other ways you can work together with other organisations?

4. Managing a system

• Who will take charge of the quality process?
• How will trustees be involved?
• What targets or milestones have you set for the work?

5. Funding for quality

• Do you think that you have funders/commissioners who require you or would like you to do this? Are they contributing to it? ·
• Do you have any reserves? Are you committing any of these reserves to this process? ·
• Quality systems take time from managers. How will you resource this? What will you choose not to do instead?

6. Outcomes

• What will you regard as being a successful outcome for this work? ·
• How will you judge whether this has been achieved? ·
• What will be the key practical benefits for your organisation?

7. Useful contacts

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is a good source of information.on the quality systems which are already being used by voluntary organisations. Contacts for specific systems are listed below:

Other Baring Foundation advice notes:

• Setting up a website
• Using consultants
• IT projects