How will your organisation be assessed?
To achieve the PQASSO Quality Mark, your organisation will undergo an external assessment which involves gathering evidence, reviewing documentation and interviewing staff, Board members and volunteers. The external assessment will be carried out by PQASSO Quality Mark peer reviewers – members of the voluntary and community sector who are specially trained and supported by CES to carry out reviews of organisations against the PQASSO standards.
There are seven steps to achieving the PQASSO Quality Mark:
Step 1 Implement PQASSO
Purchase the PQASSO workpack and complete your self-assessment against the PQASSO standards at your chosen level.
It is important not to apply for the PQASSO Quality Mark until you have carried out your self-assessment against your chosen PQASSO level and prepared all the necessary evidence.
Step 2 Application
Complete and submit the PQASSO Quality Mark Application Form to CES. You must decide at this stage which level you wish to be assessed against. PQASSO Quality Mark reviews are available against PQASSO 2nd edition or PQASSO 3rd edition.
Step 3 Peer reviewer contact
CES matches your organisation with two fully trained PQASSO Quality Mark peer reviewers. A peer reviewer will contact you and agree dates for the next steps of the process – the desktop review and site visit.
Step 4 Desktop review
Collate and submit required documents to the peer reviewers assigned to conduct your review. The peer reviewers will carry out a detailed review of these documents and will decide whether your organisation is ready for the site visit.
Step 5 Site visit
The peer reviewers visit your organisation to carry out interviews and look at additional evidence in order to assess whether your organisation has achieved the PQASSO standards. You will be informed of their findings at the end of the site visit.
Step 6 Reporting
The peer reviewers recommend to CES whether or not to award the PQASSO Quality Mark. You will receive a report detailing the outcome of the process. If you have not met all of the PQASSO standards, you may be required to carry out improvement actions before you are awarded the PQASSO Quality Mark.
Step 7 Concluding the review
If your organisation is successful in achieving the PQASSO standards you will be awarded the PQASSO Quality Mark by CES. The PQASSO Quality Mark will be valid for 3 years.
How much does the PQASSO Quality Mark service cost?
