What is the Quality Standards assessment process?

1. Meeting your Peer Assessors

Once any passports have been agreed and your organisation has been assigned an assessment team your Quality Standards champion(s) should arrange a meeting with them and agree an action plan and any key milestones and/or deadlines.  If your assessment team is unfamiliar with your organisation, it may also be useful to give them some information about who you are and what you do.

2. Initial Self-Assessment

Your organisation should initially assess itself against each of the Quality Standards, drawing together a portfolio of evidence that supports your self-assessment.

Your initial self-assessment may point to gaps and highlight areas where changes and improvements need to be made to reach the level you require.  If your organisation does not fully meet the requirements you should develop an action plan for how you will fully meet the Standard(s).
   
3. Self-Assessment Review

After your organisation has completed its’ initial self-assessment and developed an action plan for meeting any gaps, it is good practice to review your self-assessment with your assessment team.  At this stage your peer assessors may identify areas that are particularly strong or that need to be developed.  They may also help you with the further development of your portfolio and/or assist you with the design or review of any policies or processes.

4. Final Self-Assessment

Once you have completed any identified actions your organisation should carry out a final self-assessment against each of the Standards.  If you find there are any outstanding gaps you should again create an action plan on how they will be addressed.  Otherwise, if you are satisfied your organisation meets the required level for each of the Standards, and that there is clear evidence within your portfolio to support this, you should notify your assessment team and the Fife Rights Forum Co-ordinator that your self-assessment is complete.

5. Peer Assessment

The assessment team will look at your organisation’s self-assessment, examine the supporting evidence and assess your portfolio against the Quality Standards.  If the assessors require more evidence or clarification on an issue they may ask for another meeting with the Quality Standards champion(s). 

The assessors will then pass their outcome of assessment report to the FRF Certification Board.  The Certification Board will review the peer-assessment and recommend the award.

6. External Verification

In order to verify that assessments are carried out fairly and consistently across all of the assessment teams, Fife Rights Forum employs an independent external verifier to examine a sample of assessments.

7. Maintaining the Quality Standards Award

Although your organisation may have successfully achieved a FRF Quality Standards Award, the Quality Standards process itself should not end with the award.  You should periodically continue to self-assess against each of the Standards to ensure you are still meeting them.  If any gaps are identified action plans should be developed and the necessary changes implemented.

8. Renewal of Award

The Fife Rights Forum Quality Standards Award is awarded for a period of three years.  Towards the end of the three years an organisation should apply for a review assessment.  The FRF Co-ordinator shall agree a new assessment timetable and plan.  If the review assessment finds the Quality Standards have been successfully maintained the organisation will be awarded the FRF Quality Standards Award for a further three years.  Otherwise, the process will begin again.