Quality Management Koenen And Kunz

Consultancy. Project development. Training.

Community of Practice for Inclusive Entrepreneurship II

Baseline Study on Quality Management – first findings

COPIE 2 Partner Meeting,March 5-6, 2009, Cologne


Content

1. Background Copie II and planned Work Group

Quality management

2. Baseline starting point: previous EU projects

on QM in business start-up support

3. Baseline starting point: existing QM /

accreditation schemes in Member States

4. Proposal for Work Plan


COPIE 2: Basic facts

• EU Partnership Network with 10 public authorities from seven different EU countries

• Goal: improvement of regional start up support conditions by identifying and transferring good practices from across Europe; providing recommendations for action for participating regions

• Work groups in 4 thematic fields:

• Promoting entrepreneurial spirit

• Quality management

• Coaching and Mentoring

• Finance


COPIE 2: WG Quality management

Goals

• Provision of high-quality start-up support services for all – when

starting the business, in terms of access to finance and to stabilise

and/or grow the businesses

This includes in particular the accreditation of business advisors and

the provision of tailor-made options for further training and

qualification in start-up support advice.

• Transfer of good practice to participating regions


COPIE 2: WG Quality management

Tasks:

• Analysis of existing training and certification/accreditation schemes

for start-up advisors and organizations; identification of good

practice approaches

• Needs assessment: Analysis of demand for advise and support

• Design of training profiles for start-up advisors

• Development and introduction of modular training courses for start-

up advisors / development of training materials

• Design and dissemination of practical guides on implementation of

quality management procedures (Sample target agreements,

contracts, documentation and evaluation systems)


WG QM: Baseline starting points – previous EU Projects

LEONARDO: ECON-IT 2007 - 2008 (1/2)

• Partner: GB, EBN (Belgium), Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Poland

• Goal: Determination of training needs of business advisors, mainly regarding the provision of advice for growth-oriented small businesses / development of a training package

• Results of the market studies:

• Specification of the job profile is generally required

• Training need mainly revolves around social skills (client-relationship)

• A blended learning approach is recommended (Web and presence)

• On the EU-level, there is existing no formal training or accreditation program for start-up advisors yet


LEONARDO: ECON-IT 2007 - 2008 (2/2)

• Product:

• Transnational competence framework

• Online-Training-Tool (6 modules)

1. Source of finance

2. Client relationship management

3. Interpersonal communications

4. Strategic planning

5. Business planning

6. Innovation management

• Self-assessment, Provision of information, interactive forum



INTERREG: DEBATE, 2005 – 2007

• Partner: Finland, Estonia, Greece, Hungary,

Italy, Latvia, Sweden

• Goal: Improvement of the quality of business support services as one instrument of regional development

• Results:

• Reports on the situation of business advisors in partner countries (evaluation of statistics)

• Description of markets (private/ public)

• Educational background and age of business advisors (interviews)

There is generally a strong interest in further training for business advisors and some form of accreditation is welcomed.



EQUAL: ON TARGET transnational network 2005 - 2007

• Partner: Scotland, Spain, Germany

• Goal: Definition of requirements for start-up advisors, development of baseline for a transnational accreditation system

• Results:

• Development of a set of competencies „Standards for business advisors and informers“

• Evaluation of the set of competencies through interviews with people interested in starting a business, young businesses, advisors and business informers in the participating regions

• Product:

• Final report on work results (available on CD-ROM or download)



LEONARDO: Upskilling Business Advisors in Europe (UBA)

2008 - 2010

• Partner: UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republik

• Goal: Improvement of advisor skills; provision of adequate training tools

• Approach: Evaluation of SEFDI advisor manual “How to be a brilliant community-based business advisor”, application, testing and transfer to other regions

• More information: www.uba-europe.net



WG QM: baseline starting points – existing QM schemes

sfedi (UK)

• Organisation: sfedi Ltd. (acknowledged UK accreditation body)

• since1996

• Definition of standards for start-up advisors, for business starters and small company owners

• Improvement of framework conditions for SME

• Services:

• Development of standards

• Provision of tools and information for business support services, business starters and small business owners

• Accreditation of „sfedi centers of excellence“

• Accreditation of products, programs and services for business starters and SME


Prowess Flagship Quality Award (UK)

• Organisation: Prowess Ltd.

• Initiative to improve the start-up framework conditions for women / awarded as good practice

• Formal requirement to get accreditation is Prowess membership

• Offers:

• Provision of a quality mark for

• Start-up support services

• Services for established businesses

• Networking for businesswomen

• „Commitment to Flagship-Status“ can be obtained as first step towards accreditation

• Accreditation process: self-assessment, check of personal documentation, auditing on the spot



Accreditation system for start-up advisors (DE)

• Organisation: National Association of Start-Up Support Initiatives (VDG) e.V., since 2006

• Quality assurance for (public sponsored) advise services for business starters and SMEs

• Services:

• Provision of information

• Creation of transparency of self-assessment criteria

• Accreditation of start-up advisors (assessment of personal documentation)

• 2 years of professional experience, educational and case study references

• Assessment of standards (guidelines, processes, tools)

• Signing of code of conduct



Premier Adviser (Scotland, UK)

• Organisation: Scottish Enterprise

• Training programme for start-up advisers and service for continuous professional development of individual competencies incl.

• Business-related skills

• tools

• Provision of advisory services

• Online-tool for self-assessment

• Provision of support workshops and coachings

• Networking of advisors



European Pre-Norm CEN/TS 99001

• Determination of basic elements for Business Support Services of adequate quality

• Services of this kind are to be tailored to the specific expectations of the respective companies.

• It focuses less on form or content of the service but on the actual process of service deliverance.

• As of the end of 2008, the norm is existing: The requirements which have been defined by the CEN are tested within the next two years in order to be transferred into an acknowledged norm.



1. Decision and determination of work group participants (regions)

2. Standard description of participating regions

in terms of:

• Relevant actors in the field of start-up support

• Existing support programs for business starters

• Specific support schemes for different target groups

• Existing quality assurance approaches

WG QM: Work plan proposal (1. step)


3. Systematic, standard description of existing quality management models

Criteria:

• Organisation

• Background/ regional context

• Target group

• Type of offer

• Requirements

• Process/ course

• Costs



3. Analysis of schemes and background regarding:

• Training or accreditation?

• Offer targeted at organisations or individuals?

• Is there an acknowledged job profile „start-up advisor“?

• Are there any public support programmes for start-up promotion?

• Are there any public sponsored support measures for business starters?

• Are there any additional or exclusively private support agencies?

• Are existing quality marks formally acknowledged (by whom)?

4. Identification of favourable and impeding development factors



Thank you very much for your attention!

Stephanie Koeneniq consult gmbh

Muskauer Straße 2410997 Berlin

[email protected]

www.iq-consult.com