Transcript Success Factors in Application Development: AWARE

New England
Vocational Rehabilitation
Quality Assurance System
7th Annual Summit
Performance Management in
Vocational Rehabilitation
September 8, 2014
The Charge
October 2013
 New England (NE) VR Directors
 NE Performance Evaluation and
Quality Assurance (NE PEQA) staff
 Develop a Quality Assurance Model
for the Region 1 VR agencies
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NE PEQA Working Group
Connecticut
 Maine
 Massachusetts
 New Hampshire
 Rhode Island
 Vermont
 NE TACE
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Key Resources
Institute on Rehabilitation Issues
Performance Management: Program
Evaluation and Quality Assurance in
Vocational Rehabilitation 2011
 Continuous Quality Improvement
(Deming, 1982)
 NE PEQA Knowledge and Experience
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The Model
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Seven Components
Definitions
 Elements
 Best Practices
 Interrelationships
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Self-Assessment
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Component #1:
Communication of Mission and
Values
Mission: Primary goal of the
organization
 Values: Principles that mission and
vision are based on
 Communicated via public
documents, web sites, intranets and
strategic plan; exemplified by
consumer success stories
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Mission/Values:
Best Practices
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Supported & reinforced through training
and aligned with procedures and
operational roles
Staff, consumers, partners, etc. are able
to verbalize mission/vision/values
Strategic Plan developed to meet needs
of all stakeholders; all staff know how
they contribute to mission and
organization’s success
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Component #2:
Organizational Goals, Objectives
and Timelines
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Long-terms goals established and
translated into measurable short-term
objectives and timelines
Planning is ongoing and based on
strategic & state plans & stakeholder
input
Project management, clear
roles/responsibilities and regular
monitoring are built into organizational
structure
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Goals/Objectives:
Best Practices
Multi-level, comprehensive strategic
planning defines goals/objectives
based on mission/vision/values
 Strategic Plan is “road map” with
objectives/outcomes/timelines and
measures and developed with
stakeholder input
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Component #3:
Measures
Tools, methods and processes that
are used to quantify and assess
past, ongoing and future goals and
results
 Outcome measures (rehab rate,
average earnings, etc.)
 Process measures (change in
education level, frequency of case
notes, etc.)
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Measures:
Best Practices
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Performance management system
includes broad range of measures
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Measures aligned with program
goals
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Measures are simple, easily
understood, effectively implemented
and include consumer characteristics
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Component #4:
Program Evaluation Data Systems
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Used by organizations to collect
quantitative and qualitative data
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Allows for the validation and
retrieval of data for evaluation,
analysis, & reporting
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Elements include Case Management
Systems and Operating Principles
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Program Evaluation Data Systems:
Best Practices
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Reliably stores Agency data & allows
data preparation for analysis
Includes data validation procedures
Allows for integrated data sets that
enable more extensive analysis
Has effective security protocols, roles,
and rules
Provides data dashboard that relays
data at the user level
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Component #5:
Analysis of the Data
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Process of transforming data into a
usable and reportable form
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Adds meaning and value to the
output of data collection tools and
methods
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Informs quality improvement efforts
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Analysis of Data:
Best Practices
Validate data
 Develop specific questions to aid in the
analysis of data
 Re-evaluate collection of data
periodically to ensure that what is
collected is valuable to the program
 Maintain awareness of developments
and best practices as they relate to VR
performance management
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Component #6:
Dissemination
The communication of results to
specific audiences (e.g., counselors,
staff, SRC members, CRPs, policy
makers, etc.)
 Assists stakeholders in making more
informed decisions that ultimately
lead to improved consumer
outcomes
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Dissemination:
Best Practices
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Practices should assure that all staff
have a clear, consistent
understanding of the Agency’s QA
approaches
There is a clearly defined and shared
dissemination strategy
Findings are developed & presented
in ways that are useful for the
intended users
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Component #7:
Cycle of Continuous Improvement
A developmental and routine
process
 It supports an ever-evolving
Strategic Plan
 Is an ongoing effort to improve
products, services and/or processes
 Widely used is Deming Cycle:
Plan-Do-Check-Act
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Continuous Improvement:
Best Practices
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Expectation and a requirement of
everyone in organization
Changes not made without stakeholder
input
Policy and procedural changes are well
considered and implemented strategically
and systematically
Project management mindset and tools
Success is celebrated
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Interrelationships of Core
Components
All seven components are closely
related to each other
 Each component impacts every
other and the overall quality
assurance system
 A successful QA system requires
recognizing and managing the
interrelated components
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State Self-Assessment
NE PEQA found that every state has
some pieces of each component
 All had good practices and those
that could be improved
 None had really worked on
identifying and managing them as a
whole
 A tool was created for this purpose
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Summary Discussion
It’s about continuous improvement
 It’s not about perfection
 Everyone in the organization needs
to participate
 A comprehensive QA system
prevents the sole focus from being
on regulatory compliance
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Thank You!
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Susan Wells, Vermont DVR
[email protected]
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Ella McAllister, New Hampshire VR
[email protected]
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Karen Fraser, Maine BRS
[email protected]
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