Guidelines for Consultants

Consultants

Framework

Consultants support the Award Association’s workshop leader in planning, carrying out and following up of on-site visits. It is crucial that the consultant has a clear understanding of the role of consultation in the context of the Association’s Support System. (See also description of on-site visits and of support system in the Handbook v.3: Working with the Award.)

A central principle of on-site consultation is to ensure a positive and open atmosphere in which the members of the Operating Authority are able to identify strengths of their Award work, potential areas for improvement as well as collectively extend the Development Plan. Apart from highlighting any issues the team may have overlooked, the consultant acts primarily as facilitator in this process.

Consultants are helpers rather than inspectors – they often support the implementation of Pilot Projects for Award extension. Thus it is important to establish a supportive relationship leading up to and during the visit. Just as the participants “own” their individual programmes, the Award team “owns” any problems that may be identified. The consultant supports the process of finding solutions and always recognizes and values the previous work of the team.

Skills

In accordance with this description, the consultant is more of a facilitator than a doer. In addition to the knowledge and understanding of quality development gained through his/her consultants training, a consultant must have strong facilitator and people-handling skills in order to enable productive relationships and processes.

These skills cannot be picked up in two or even five weekend workshops. Thus the role of consultant depends, more than any other role, on previous experience and continuous development through practical engagement. Ideally, consultants will already be successful trainers and be able to serve in at least two on-site visits per year.

Guidelines and Help

Consultants will work with the following essential documents:

1. Handbook v.3: Working with the Award – especially chapters on Award development *

2. Instructions in the Leader’s Manual – On-Site Visits (including sample schedule), Documentation, Pilot Projects, Development Plan as well as Self-Evaluation (including accompanying documents in the Library.)

A folder with instructions for the different components of on-site visits is under development. Each consultant should build up his/her own repertoire of workshop facilitation skills. Reference books for the development of these skills can be found in the Alte Bahnmeisterei.

On-Site Visits

Fundamentals

1. Goals: On-site visits consist of consultation workshops with the purpose of updating the Operating Authority’s Development Plan. Normally, on-site visits take place as part of Award installation, licence extension (Gold or multiple Award Units) or licence renewal, but an Operating Authority or the Award Association may also initiate an on-site visit at other times.

2. Main components: Introductory session with the team, meeting with the head of the organisation, observation of a practice tour or qualifying venture, interview with participants, evaluation session with the team

3. Duration: 2.5 days

4. Leadership of the visit: German Award Association

Components and Goals (listed as sub points)

1. Introductory session

   1. Introduction of visit

   2. Introduction of workshop members

   3. Presentation of the organisation, Award work and self-evaluation

   4. Question and answer session

2. Meeting with the head of the organisation

   1. Recognition and valuing of Award work

   2. Possible mention of problems

3. Summary 1

   1. Interim conclusions

   2. Time for internal summary

4. Observation of a practice tour or qualifying venture

   1. Planning

   2. Observation

   3. Evaluation

5. Summary 2

   1. Interim conclusions

   2. Time for internal summary

6. Interview with participants

   1. Recognition and valuing of achievements

   2. Getting to know participants

   3. Finding out the participants’ perspective and personal experience of the motto

7. Summary 3

   1. Interim conclusions

   2. Time for internal summary

8. Evaluation session

   1. Continuation of the Development Plan

   2. Conclusion

* Currently under development. Until further notice, the EFQM brochure is applicable for consultants.