P ractical Quality System for Small Organisations

Tony Farley was the chief instigator and lead author of PQASSO, ( Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations),

PQASSO is far and away the quality system of choice within the UK voluntary sector.

Over 6000 charities are already using the PQASSO approach that was first produced in 1997. Over 4.000 copies have been sold, seven national and umbrella organisations have adopted it for use in their membership and a number of local authorities are either encouraging or requiring the organisations they fund to use it.

PQASSO was specifically designed to help small and medium organisations - or projects within larger outfits – to achieve continuous improvement. Designed as a work pack, it is simple to use, offering a flexible and staged approach to running an organisation effectively and efficiently.

PQASSO has been used by organisations in many different ways. Very small organisations use it as a guide to establishing systems and procedures as they grow. Small to medium-sized organisations use the system to review performance in terms of service provision and function. Very large, federated or umbrella organisations use PQASSO for smaller projects or charities, (while using the EFQM excellence model for improvements to head office). The standards in the PQASSO second edition have been reviewed and developed to facilitate this; in particular the 'results' standard was developed to help organisations to measure performance in key areas.

Organisations such as the CRE (Commission for Racial Equality), NCH Action for Children, NACAB (National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux) and Crossroads Caring for Carers have appreciated the PQASSO approach and consequently tailored the system to fit their own purposes, in negotiation with CES.

PQASSO can be purchased from CES - www.ces-vol.org.uk