On behalf of the voluntary and community sector, Elin Tattersall, Manager of the GRCC Performance Improvement for All Project (PIFA), asked for the perspective of commissioners.

Quality standards give a valuable framework against which an organisation can judge and improve its performance and provide evidence that it is fit for purpose. There is a range of quality standards that voluntary organisations could follow and before investing time and money into the process, organisations are keen to find out which ones are respected by those who will be ‘marking’ their tender/grant bids.

The Gloucestershire County Council commissioners’ position is that they do not recommend one specific standard which should be embarked upon but would prefer organisations to make the most suitable choice based on the services they deliver and the resources available to implement a standard. There are some sector specific standards - e.g. for legal advice, and attaining the relevant sector specific standard would be an advantage to organisations composing tendering bids. Some tendering and grant forms ask for evidence that specific policies and procedures are in place.

To help you make the decision about the right quality standard for your organisation, or to assess your policies, contact the Performance Improvement for All (PIFA) Project Manager, Elin Tattersall at GRCC, on 01452 528491 or email elint@grcc.org.uk.

Free specialist consultant help (e.g. HR or IT) is available through the PIFA project, which also offers cash bursaries to organisations working to achieve an accredited quality standard.

The PIFA project runs from April 2008 - March 2011 and offers mentoring and coaching support to voluntary and community sector organisations in rural and urban Gloucestershire on all aspects of performance improvement.

Click here for more information on the PIFA project.

The Performance Improvement For All (PIFA) project is funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.