CQL’s individual professional designation/certification,
Certified Quality Analyst (CQA), develops expertise in creating information
from the numerous data collection activities present in most organizations and
systems. We focus on data interpretation and data presentation to meet multiple
data requirements at local, regional, state and federal levels. CQAs also help
build the internal capacity for data driven decision making and developing an
Integrated Quality Management System.
An integral part of the certification is the completion of a
Quality Management Project. The project can be on analysis and synthesis of
existing organizational data or could be on a pilot of new data collection.
Below are a few examples of the issues that candidates based their projects
upon.
Issue: Human Rights
Project focused on a survey of the human rights knowledge
base of the volunteers on HR committees and staff. Through the survey, they
learned which areas of rights knowledge were best and least understood by
committee members and by staff – and where additional training was needed.
Results: Recommendations resulting from the project included
enhanced training in use of medications for behavior management and
guardianship issues.
Future: Consideration for establishing an organizational
rights officer was also identified as a result of this project.
Issue: Complaints
During a period of rapid growth, the organization saw rise
in the number of complaints from both staff and people served regarding their
satisfaction with the services provided. In keeping with the goal of being a
“World Class” organization, the CQA candidate undertook a study of the types of
complaints received and the way they were resolved – over a three month period,
in four different program locations. A key question in the study was how well
staff recognizes the importance and value of documenting and addressing
complaints.
Results: CQA candidate determined that with increased staff
training, reporting and timely response to complaints increased dramatically.
Future: Further study is planned to learn more about the
impact of enhanced complaint data on the overall system of service delivery.
Issue: Employee Retention
In addition to its commitment to provide a person-centered
approach to people with autism, the organization strives to be staff centered
ensuring quality and satisfaction in work. The project addressed the questions
of “what variables impact employee satisfaction and retention?” and “what can
be done to improve overall satisfaction and retention?” CQA candidates used
surveys and focus groups to collect data for current staff – gathering both
quantitative and qualitative results.
Results: The findings led to a series of recommendations
regarding supervision, training and compensation that were presented to the
organization’s leadership, board and staff as a whole.
Issue: Exercising Rights
Two CQA candidates did an assessment of how staff was
supporting people with intellectual disabilities in exercising their rights.
They sampled staff in two locations where multiple services were provided. They
were brought into focus groups and asked to complete a simple open-ended
questionnaire regarding how they had supported people in exercising their
rights. The rights were categorized and compared to 11 key rights in keeping
with the organization’s mission, vision and values, and as established within
the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Half of the focus
group members were invited to attend a new training regarding Human Rights,
again based on the organization’s mission, vision and values and the Universal
Declaration. This training included a timed test on Rights, a 15 slide
PowerPoint presentation and a review of the timed test using a decision-making
tree as a point of discussion. The third phase was inviting all participants
back to take the original questionnaire.
Results: Staff were not aware of the Human Rights Committee,
its role or how to access the committee. The training increased the evidence of
staff advocating for individuals in regards to rights.
Future: Recommendations were made to establish an annual
rights training rather than the existing orientation training plus incidental
learning; to provide this training to people receiving services and families;
to increase the capacity and accessibility of the existing Human Rights
Committees; and to create the position of an ombudsman/human rights officer for
the organization.