Quality Principles

The BCN Quality Management System formalises the accountability and credibility of BCN consultants. Rigorous entry requirements and continuous assessment of projects provide a foundation for the active management of the consulting process to ensure quality. Critical analysis and declaration of objective performance measurements allow all stakeholders to evaluate clearly the acceptability of BCN consultant services. A primary objective is to operate a system that demonstrates quality and continuously improves it. Quality is primarily a function of the relationship between the consultant and the client; it cannot be “inspected in” to the consultancy process, so our aim has been - “to put in place processes that remind us and help us to manage ourselves”.

Design Principles

Our basic principles in designing the system are that it should:

• be simple and practical to implement, and should not place an unnecessary burden on clients
• manage quality at all stages in the relationship between consultant and client
• be integral to the consulting process, not just a “bolt on” extra
• be based on continuous development and improvement of both technical and consultancy skills
• be transparent

There are three main elements to the BCN Quality Management System: Process Measurement, Peer Review, and Process Improvement & CPD.

Process Measurement

All projects conducted under the BCN Quality System are measured. The data collected is treated statistically to show both trends and areas of relative strength and weakness. Process measurement is conducted with and by clients and is both quantitative and qualitative using 15 performance criteria to assess client satisfaction with the project in key areas.

Peer Review

On each project, the Project Review information collected from clients is then peer reviewed by a panel of consultants. This provides a forum for group learning on managing projects and for best practice transfer as well as quality control.

Improvement and CPD

Process Measurement and Peer Reviews provide information to enable consultants to focus on any areas needing improvement. All members of BCN are committed to Continuous Professional Development, and BCN runs a structured series of CPD workshops on a monthly basis.