Performance Improvement Programme
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:
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:
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:
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 covers nine areas of organisational performance:
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
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
|
Feedback - Access - Copyright - Privacy
