Action with Communities in Rural England
 
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Performance Improvement Programme

Accredited Peer Reviewer Training

ACRE’s Peer Reviewer training has been further developed and expanded over the past few months and has now been awarded 4 credits at A level standard by the National Open College Network*.

ACRE’s Peer Reviewer training is available to staff and trustees of organisations that make up the Rural Community Action Network (RCAN) and the first accredited course will run in October this year.  It presents an opportunity for RCAN staff and trustees to gain nationally recognised learning credits.

* The National Open College Network is the leading credit-based awarding body in the United Kingdom and is recognised by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

ACRE began the Rural Community Action Network (RCAN) Performance Improvement Programme in February 2004, with support from Defra.  As a result, RCAN has an exemplar programme for performance improvement which has the capability of delivering national, network-wide benchmarking on quality. 

The main aims of the performance improvement programme are:
  • Supporting the capacity of the Rural Community Action Network in mainstreaming their activities and relationships at local, regional and national level
  • Building the capacity of the Rural Community Action Network and ensuring the commitment to continuous performance improvement
  • Promoting the role and capabilities of the Rural Community Action Network in key government policy arenas.

The ACRE Quality Mark

ACRE began the Rural Community Action Network Performance Improvement Programme in February 2004, with support from Defra.  As a result, the RCA Network has an exemplar programme for performance improvement which has the capability of delivering national, network-wide benchmarking on quality. 

The Rural Community Action Network (RCAN) has keenly adopted the programme’s requirement to implement quality standards, and have gained significant achievements.

External verification of achievement  -  The ACRE Peer Review process

The Performance Improvement Programme enabled ACRE and the members of RCAN to take the lead in the development and implementation of a robust and challenging Peer Review process.  The ACRE quality mark (the ACRE Standard) was extended from a system of self-assessment to one in which achievement can be externally verified by means of a Peer Review.

Peer Reviews of the ACRE Standard have been taking place since July 2004. Our experience in developing a system of Peer Review has been extremely positive and effective.

The ACRE Standard contains 3 levels of achievement and Peer Reviews take place against each of these levels. 

RCAN members have been formally accredited as achieving the ACRE Standard:

Level 1

Levels 1 & 2

Levels 1, 2 & 3

Buckinghamshire Community Action Bedfordshire RCC Cornwall RCC

CDA for Hertfordshire

Community Action (Avon)

Community Council of Devon

Isle of Wight RCC

Community Council for Berkshire

Dorset Community Action

Action with Communities in Rural Kent

Community First, Herefordshire & Worcestershire

Gloucestershire RCC

Tees Valley Rural Community Council

Cambridgeshire ACRE

Community Council for Somerset

Yorkshire Rural Community Council

Cheshire Community Council

Community First, Wiltshire

 

Voluntary Action Cumbria

 

Derbyshire RCC

 

 

Durham RCC

 

Essex RCC

 

Community Action Hampshire

 

 

Humber & Wolds RCC

 

 

Community Futures, Lancashire

 

RCC (Leicestershire & Rutland)

 

Community Lincs

 

 

Norfolk RCC

 

Northamptonshire ACRE

 

Community Action Northumberland

 

Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire

 

Oxfordshire RCC

  Community Council of Shropshire  
  Surrey Community Action  
  Action in Rural Sussex  
  Warwickshire RCC  

In addition ACRE has been formally accredited as achieving Level 1 of the ACRE Standard and the regional body SERCC (South East Rural Community Councils) has been formally accredited as achieving Level 1 & 2 of the ACRE Standard.

The Peer Review process

ACRE Peer Reviewers can be trustees or staff from RCCs, or ACRE staff.  All potential Peer Reviewers must attend a two-day Peer Review training programme delivered by ACRE, confirm that they meet ACRE’s Competencies for Peer Reviewers and abide by ACRE’s Code of Conduct for Peer Reviewers

The ACRE Peer Review process is robust and thorough.  It includes an initial desktop review of required evidence documentation for each standard, followed by a two-day site visit to the RCC in question, by two Peer Reviewers.  A mixture of staff trustees and volunteers are interviewed by the reviewers during the site visit.  If successful, a recommendation is made to ACRE that the RCC is formally accredited and certificated at the appropriate Level.

The compliance requirements of the revised ACRE Standards are rigorous and demanding.  Not all RCCs that have been Peer Reviewed have been immediately recommended for accreditation – a few have been asked to make further improvements in specific areas, which were be subject to further review before accreditation was granted.

A detailed report on the Peer Reviewers' findings is produced for each Peer Review that is undertaken.  These Peer Review reports highlight particular areas of good or excellent practice, which are communicated and shared amongst the Rural Community Action Network.  Peer Reviews also highlight what are known as ‘Observations’.  These are detailed in the Peer Review Report and list the areas that the Peer Reviewers consider are in need of further improvement, before the next Level of assessment is applied for.  These are minor omissions or weaknesses – not enough to withhold accreditation.  Again, these ‘Observations’ are communicated to members of RCAN as an attempt to share learning.

Evaluation of Peer Reviews

RCCs are asked to complete an evaluation following the review and the responses have been extremely positive.  RCCs consider that the Peer Review:

  • Added value to their RCC
  • Led to improvements
  • Identified issues that were relevant and important to their RCC
  • Was a fair and accurate reflection of the practice within their organisation.

Feedback from Peer Reviewers has also been extremely positive and all said that they would recommend other people to undertake the training and carry out Peer Reviews.  They all considered that they had personally benefited from the experience, as had their RCCs.

Level 3 Reviews

Level 3 Reviews are undertaken by ACRE.  RCCs are not eligible for a Level 3 Review until one year following a successful Peer Review at Level 2.  Thereafter, Level 3 Peer Reviews will be undertaken on a three-yearly basis. 

Level 3 Reviews check whether the requirements of Level 1 and Level 2 continue to be effectively implemented, and whether further review and improvements have been made to the way that the organisation operates. 

An important feature of Level 3 Reviews are the interviews with external stakeholders – funders, partners and users, by the ACRE Reviewer. 

The ACRE Standard

The ACRE Standard covers nine areas of organisational performance:

  • Business planning
  • User-centred service
  • Trustees and the Board
  • Managing activities
  • Financial management
  • Monitoring and evaluation
  • Managing and supporting staff
  • Training and skills development
  • Networks and partnerships

Click here for a copy of The ACRE Good Practice Quality Standard which details the full requirements at each Level of the nine standards

Each of the nine Standards are divided into two incremental implementation levels (Levels 1 and 2), plus a Level 3 ‘check, review and improve’ requirement.  Continuous improvement is embedded within the ACRE Standard and is also formalised by the Level 3 requirement to ensure that everything in Levels 1 and 2 continues to be effectively implemented, and to further review and improve the way that the organisation operates.


Click here for a Standards glossary


Level 2 Full Report for Community Lincs

Level 2 Full Report for Northamptonshire ACRE

Level 2 Full Report for Community Action Northumberland

Level 2 Full Report for Community First, Herefordshire & Worcestershire

 


 

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The ACRE Good Practice Quality Standard is copyrighted to ACRE and that it may only be used with ACRE's express permission. Please contact acrepress@acre.org.uk for permission.

 

 
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