Transcript QUALITY STANDARDS IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

QUALITY STANDARDS
IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES
A Canadian Snapshot and an
International Perspective
CDSWG Report: 2010
Outline
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 Background and Importance of the project
 What is meant by Quality Standards?
 Involvement and Process
 The Results: General Observations, Canadian
Innovations & Canadian Challenges
 Next steps: Possible Future Directions
 Impact on Career Development
Background and Importance
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 Goal of CDSWG: Enhance the quality and effectiveness of
CDS.
 Funded a study to gather a “snapshot” of the state of
practice of Quality Service Standards in Canada and
internationally.
 Quality Standards = Quality Services
 The results would provide needed information on Quality
Standards, highlight promising practices, and suggest
recommendations to move the Quality Standards agenda
forward in Canada.
What is meant by Quality Standards
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 A Quality Standard is a statement of the expected level
of performance to be achieved.
 Quality Standards in career and employment services
may cover:
 The standards set for services and some way of
monitoring whether these standards are being met
 The qualifications/competencies of delivery staff
 The outcomes of services and a system for tracking
and reporting on outcomes
 Umbrella term: Quality Assurance (QA)
Involvement and Process
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 CANADA: A cross section of career & employment
services (provincial/municipal government, governmentfunded, community based)
 Key informant interviews
 7 provincial coordinators/3rd party coordinators
 4 third party providers
 2 community-based providers
 2 community-based umbrella organizations
Involvement and Process con’t
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Sample of questions for Service Standards
 Is a service charter or vision in place for the
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organization?
Are access and /or wait times for services specified?
Are clients informed about what services are available to
them?
Is a requirement in place that all clients have an action
plan and identified steps to take in order to achieve their
goal?
Is a system for dealing with client complaints in place?
Are times specified during which follow-up should occur?
Involvement and Process con’t
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 INTERNATIONAL: An overview of Quality Assurance
systems
 EU Quality Standards Working Group
The Results:
General Observations
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 The Canadian key drivers pushing the QA agenda forward
in Canada appear to be very similar to those cited
internationally:
 General trend toward introduction of QA systems across
all public services
 Shift in philosophy underpinning service provision (user
satisfaction becoming key element in design of services)
 Career development field becoming more
professionalized, with stronger identity
The Results: General Observations Con’t
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 Canada seems to take a hybrid approach to QA
(Administrative-centred, User-centred and Practitionerled)
 Common Threads:
 Recognize importance of impact assessment, but
current reporting limited to narrow quantitative
measures
 Need for collaborative development of QA systems
 EU Common Reference Tools can provide very useful
framework
The Results: Canadian
Innovations
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 A priority on staff development and their work and workplace
satisfaction as a necessary precursor to quality service and
achievement of outcomes
 A clear movement towards developing more meaningful
outcome indicators
 Tracking progress
 Employment equivalencies
 Assessing quality of work
 Degree of match between supply and demand
The Results: Canadian Innovations Con’t
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 A weighted client input model which recognizes that
achievement of successful outcome is more difficult with
some clients than others
 Certification of offices delivering employment services
 A shift from program centered to client centered services
The Results: Canadian
Challenges
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 Evidence/Outcome indicators are currently incomplete
and inadequate – contract compliance and QA need to
be differentiated qualitatively and quantitatively
 Data gathering tools and systems and limited
 There is almost no focus on the quality of the processes
of services (What does “good” service consist of?)
The Results: Canadian Challenges Con’t
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 There is secrecy about QA standards
 The use of the Canadian S & Gs as a tool for consistency
of service is growing, but still needs to expand
 There is still an imbalance in emphasis in the importance
accorded to the 3 dimensions of QA – service,
practitioner and outcomes.
Next Steps: Suggested
Directions
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 Create a mechanism whereby promising Canadian QA
approaches, tools and results can be shared – possible
partners include CRWG, CCCDA, ICCDPP
 Commission a study to give the Canadian public a voice
in assessing and influencing career & employment
services
Next Steps: Suggested Directions Con’t
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 Make building the evidence base for career &
employment services a high priority through supporting
research, on-line data gathering tools for common
indicators
 Promote models, approaches and research which
demonstrate a holistic, balanced approach to QA
(Balancing Service Delivery, Practitioner and Outcomes
Standards)
Impact on Career Development
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 Movement in the last years towards “proving” that CDS
work. Effective QA processes are an essential part of the
equation to providing that proof.
 QA approaches produce evidence, which in turn may be
used as the basis for policy decisions (decisions made on
gathered information and structured feedback)
Contact Information
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For full report and additional questions: Forum of Labour
Market Ministers
Heather Collier
Carol Forster
Director
Ph. 780-427-3975
Fax. 780-427-0354
Email. [email protected]
Senior Policy Analyst
Ph. 780-427-4741
Fax. 780-427-0354
Email. [email protected]