Section 5 - organizational effectiveness Flashcards
Board of Directors
The I&R service has (or is part of an organization that has) a governing body (e.g., a Board of
Directors) that is convened according to the laws of its jurisdiction and its own bylaws. The
governing body represents the diverse interests of the community and oversees the
implementation of goals and objectives that ensure service quality and program sustainability.
Code of Ethics
The I&R service has a Code of Ethics that establishes fundamental values and professional standards of conduct for all staff. These principles address relationships with colleagues, managers, the communities they serve, and other human service professionals with whom they work. The Code of Ethics is approved by the governing body and included in the employee handbook or equivalent. All staff review and sign this document to demonstrate their understanding and agreement.
What if there is no board of directors?
If the organization operating the I&R service does not have a Board of Directors or if that Board
is remote from the operation of the I&R service, an Advisory Committee of local stakeholders
provides appropriate oversight.
What kinds of things does the governing body help with?
- having enough staff to meet key performance
indicators (KPIs) - Financial and Technical support and audits done
by independent, public accountants - Promotes the value of I&R services; and gives accountability, transparency and business continuity within organization
Public Policy
The I&R service should participate in public policy activities that focus on issues important to the community and its stakeholders.
Discrimination
The I&R service has a statement approved by the organization’s governing body prohibiting
discrimination in all forms and provides training for all staff that addresses anti-discrimination practices to ensure understanding and compliance.
The nondiscrimination statement should include equity and inclusion principles.
Cyberethics
The I&R service has information technology, cybersecurity and cyberethics policies and
practices that address threats to inquirer privacy; safeguard critical client and resource data by
controlling access, sharing, retention and disposal of data; secure physical IT assets; and
provide related training for all staff.
All policies are reviewed and updated at least every two years.
Personnel Management
Quality indicators include:
- Organizational charts
- Succession Planning
- Having job descriptions for all employees and
reviewing every 2 years - Hiring diverse, qualified staff
- Provide ongoing supervision, mentoring, and
evaluations
Ergonomic Analysis
The I&R service conducts a comprehensive workplace ergonomic analysis at least every three
years to identify and mitigate risk factors.
The evaluation considers work activities, repetitive
movement patterns, workstation design, workplace seating, work tools and equipment and the
posture of staff.
Promotion and Outreach
Some (there’s more!) quality indicators include I&R services that:
- The I&R service operates an outreach program to increase public awareness of the organization, the
services it provides and the value and impact of I&R on individuals, families, and the broader
community. - . The I&R service improves public relations by communicating regularly with community service
providers, government officials, and local planning bodies and by participating in various
community activities - When multiple I&R services operate in the same media market, they keep each other informed
about any pending awareness, marketing, and public relation campaigns prior to the
campaign’s launch. - The I&R service publicizes its services to people in the community who may experience barriers
to accessing services due to factors such as disabilities, social isolation, housing instability, and
language or cultural barriers.
Quality Assurance - Call Center
The I&R service (Call Center) identifies, defines, and regularly measures program and key performance
indicators for service delivery, that are aggregated and averaged on a regular basis. These
indicators may include:
- Call volume.
Abandoned calls.
Average abandonment rate.
Average abandonment time.
Occupancy rate.
Average speed of answer.
Service level.
Incoming call patterns.
The I&R service identifies, defines, and regularly measures program and service key
performance indicators (KPIs) for their Community Resource Specialists which may be reviewed
for individual staff as well as aggregated and averaged. These indicators may include:
Average call handling time.
Average talk time.
Call quality.
Customer satisfaction.
Data completeness.
Quality Assurance - Database Curators
The I&R service identifies, defines, and regularly measures program and key performance
indicators for resource database curators, which may be reviewed for individual staff as well as
aggregated and averaged. These indicators may include: New Agency/Program outreach.
Interim data changes.
Resource database record audits.
Resource database responsiveness.
The I&R service annually gathers feedback from organizations included in the resource
database to measure the organization’s level of satisfaction with the accuracy of the
information contained in their record, their familiarity with the I&R service’s resource database,
and their assessment of interactions with the resource department. This feedback may be
gathered as part of the annual update process or through a separate survey. Results are used
to improve the resource database and the update process. Survey questions may include:
How satisfied are you with the listing of your organization’s information in the resource
database?
How satisfied are you with the update process?
Are you aware of the online database?
Do you or your staff use the online database? If so, how often?
How would you rate your experience using the online database?
If you have interacted with the resource database department, how would you rate
your experience?
More good Quality Assurance practices -
The I&R service also involves representatives and members of the community in their quality
assurance process and uses the feedback received to make improvements and program
modifications. Methods may include:
- Online surveys with community agencies and/or the general public.
- Focus groups.
- Community meetings.
- Third party research and reports.
Technology
The I&R service uses technology that supports the ability of staff to meet operational goals, improve
access, accommodate the communications preferences of inquirers, remove barriers to information and overall assure a positive client experience. Includes:
- Telephone and Communication Systems (such as ACD’s)
- Self-service mechanisms - like automated attendant or interactive voice response systems
