The Quality Maturity Model

1. The Quality Maturity Model (so far) Frankie Wilson Brunel University, UK.

2. Structure of this talk • Initial premises • Description of the research • Results (so far) • The emerging Quality Maturity Model • Questions (for you) • Open floor

3. Definition • Quality = Total Quality Management, continuous improvement • Culture = the beliefs, behaviours, norms, dominant values, rules and climate in the organisation. • Quality culture = “The way quality gets done round here”. Influences PMs selected and attitude of library management, library staff and parent organisation to these measures.

4. Assumption 1: Meta-Quality • Agile environment - shifting goalposts. • Quality of quality processes - can they cope? • Not an alternative to many & varied methods of quality assurance - next level of abstraction.

5. Assumption 2: Performance Measurement • The most important element of any library is the people who work there … … and people are people … … so the performance you get depends on what you measure. • If all things talked about at this conference are important - why not ubiquitous? Some difficult to measure

6. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will do.” Chinese proverb “If you don’t know where you are, a map won’t help.” Watt S. Humphrey Aim of this research to develop a quantitative measure of this “fuzzy” (qualitative, non-evidenced) concept, and so promote wider engagement.

7. The research context • PM6 - presented research on long term impact of benchmarking, to which QMM was an aside - v positive response to QMM (so it is all your fault!) • QMM presented was closely based on Capability Maturity Model of SEI. • QMM presented was merely a proof of concept.

8. The research design • Research design = Design Science (aka Design Research, Simon,1969) • Alternative to Qualitative or Quantitative • Design; Engineering; Architecture; Information systems (and Librarianship, at its inception) • “Wicked problems” • Iterative • Product is an artifact (“thing”) • Not assessed against ‘truth’ but by utility • Perfect paradigm to bridge research and practice divide (but that is another story)

9. Research iterations • Phase 1 - QMMa from literature • Phase 2 - QMMb from data • Phase 3 - QMMbeta (amalgamated) • Test for validity and utility of QMMbeta • QMM fully characterised • Online self-assessment tool

10. Atkinson Baldridge Crosby Deming EFQM Garratt Handy Juran McKinsey 7 S Oakland Peters Peters & Young Senge Swieringa & Wierdsma ………. Phase 1 - literature

11. Phase 2 • Grounded theory (from Straus & Corbin) • Semi-structured interviews (vertical slice) and documentary analysis • Interview Qs from Phase 1 QMM • 10 HE libraries so far (9 UK; 1 SA) • From data - categories; properties (specific or general attributes of categories); dimensions (location of property on range).

12. Results (so far) • Central construct is culture • 35 elements - group together into 7 facets • 6 facets from both literature and data (8 facets in total) • Elements stable - it is how they group that differs

13. Quality Culture • A culture of quality is: • Doing things right • Doing the right thing • Learning • Suited to the ‘business’ environment (change seeking in an agile environment) • Explicitly and appropriately aiming to improve quality • The culture is created by: • Strong leadership • The people of the organisation

14. Alignment is the glue

16. Management of the organisation • Strategic plan generation • Management alignment (achieving SP) • Progress monitoring • Performance measurement • Project management processes

17. Environmental sensing • Customers (bottom up) • Gathering feedback • Collation of feedback • Action as a result of feedback • Organisation (top down) • Gathering feedback • Influencing organisation

18. Wider context (inside out) • Gathering feedback • Involvement of staff in profession • Contribution to profession

19. Learning organisation • Staff empowerment • Staff involvement in change • Nature / level of learning • Attitude to mistakes • Attitude to risk • Staff encouragement to innovate

20. Attitude to change • Attitude to change • Perception of drivers for change

21. Attitude to quality • Definition of quality (inc locus of control) • Attitude to quality improvement • Perception of responsibility for quality • Type of quality improvement initiatives (“sexy” vs. “vanilla”)

22. Leadership • Vision and value setting • Trust • Inspiration and motivation

23. Investment in staff • Attitude to staff (as an asset) • Training provision • Development of staff • Recognition of staff

24. Alignment • Vertical alignment • Horizontal alignment • Consistency • Communication flow • “little cogs” - staff see where they fit • Structure • Alignment of attitude to quality • Alignment of attitude to change

25. The Quality Maturity Model

26. Research into practice • Aim is to make tricky-to-measure concepts measurable. • Can’t just be theoretically interesting - has to be useful to practitioners. • Testing this utility is part of the research … so over to you …

27. Questions - general • Would you find the QMM useful? • How should I tell?

28. Questions - specific 1 • What would you find most useful as a measure of performance: • a single number (“3”) • An average - mean (“3.245”); mode (“3”); median (“3”) • A profile (“management of organisation = 3; attitude to change = 4; alignment = 2” etc) • A total out of 40 (8x5)

29. Questions - specific 2 • What do you think of the 8 facets? • Management of the organisation • Environmental sensing • Learning organisation • Attitude to change • Attitude to quality • Investment in staff • Leadership • Alignment

30. Your thoughts / comments

31. Thank You for taking part in my research frankie.wilson@brunel.ac.uk • Any thoughts / ideas / suggestions / criticisms very gratefully received.