Improving Quality (IQ) Standard – Free Access

SOLA, the professional training and education initiative between the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI), the University of Limerick and Johnson & Johnson, have decided to make the full foundation level for the Improving Quality Standard (IQ) freely available to all DFI members and Element 4 to all non-members.

What Improving Quality is

IQ is a quality improvement Standard written specifically for small charities and not for profit organisations by people who work within it. IQ is based around 4 Elements - Welcoming, Accountable, Effective and Sustainable - and works at two levels: Foundation and Progression.

What it does

It supports an organisation to be able to evidence that it is operating legally and is fit for purpose. It also supports organisations to communicate this to their funders and stakeholders.

Why it is especially relevant now when faced by disasters like COVID19

During the current pandemic situation we have made the decision to make the Sustainable Element of IQ freely available to people, in the hope that they use it to capture their learning and work to make themselves more resilient for the future

Here is a taster, one of the four quality Elements

Most organisations consider risk in terms of physical risk assessments, but it is really important to consider risks to the organisation’s existence and ability to function. A risk register is a great way to do this. You consider risks and how you would mitigate them. The usual issues often include fire, flood and representational risks. Very few people probably had pandemic in their risk register but maybe it should be there for the future

How you can use it

This document and the full IQ Standard are designed to be used both as a self-assessment tool and for those organisations that want it, an external assessment is available.

Use the evidence grid at the back of the document to identify where you have evidence to show you meet the standard and where you need to make improvements.

People are incredibly busy just surviving at the moment, but this is exactly the time that organisations need to capture their learning and ensure that they are in a stronger place at the end of the current crisis and better placed to weather future crises.

If you are a DFI member and would like to try out the foundation level of the standard, you can request it through the following link: https://mailchi.mp/fdba0909d32f/iq-dfi

Organisations who are not a DFI member and would like to access Element 4 of the standard, you can request it through the following link: https://mailchi.mp/b67d31c4737c/iq

For more information on the Improving Quality Standard in general, please contact Dermot O’Donnell, the SOLA, Quality and Governance Development Manager, at the Disability Federation of Ireland:

dermotodonnell@disability-federation.ie – telephone: +353 86 780 8639.

https://www.disability-federation.ie/sola/about/improving-quality-standard-iq.html