GUIDE 4

A Methodological proposal To defining a Quality Mangement System for a E-learning Center

IMQ (Paolo Scavino) 10 may 2002

INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 THE AIMS OF THE GUIDE 1.2 GUIDES TARGET GROUPS 1.3 HOW IT IS STRUCTURED 1.4 HOW TO USE THE GUIDE 1 1 1 2

2. THE SCENARIOS........................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 STATE OF THE ART ON EACH TOPIC 2.2 OPEN PROBLEMS TO BE FACED 3 3

3. THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH PROPOSED ........................................................................ 4 3.1. SOME CONCEPTS ABOUT ISO 9001:2000 STANDARD 4 3.1.1 WHAT IS?.................................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1.2 WHAT THE TOPICS?.................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1.3 THE MODEL................................................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 HOW TO USE THE ISO 9000S MODEL TO DEFINE A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A ELEARNING MODEL CENTER? 5 3.2.1 DEFINE A METHOD TO ESTABLISH CUSOMER/USERS NEEDS....................................................................... 5 3.2.2 DEFINE A PROCESS MODEL TO FIX THE MAP OF PROCESSES ABOUT A E-LERNING CENTER........................ 5 3.2.3 CHOOSE A INSTRUMENT TO ANALYZE PROCESS AND PRINCIPAL FASES OF PROCESS.................................5 3.2.4 DEFINE PARAMETERS, INDICATORS, MEASURING INSTRUMENTS................................................................ 7 3.2.5 DEFINE INPUTS FOR MANAGING REWIEW................................................................................................... 7 4. SET OF TOOLS ........................................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 MATRIX OF CUSTOMER NEEDS 4.2 SET OF TOOLS FOR ANALYSING AND DESCRIBING PROCESSES 4.3 SET OF INDICATORS TO MONITORING AND MEASURING QUALITY OF PROCESSES 7 7 8

5. GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................. 9

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................................... 10

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1. Introduction
1.1 The ai s o! the guide
This uide deals !ith a methodological instrument to analyse "rocesses of #$ learning centre and to define a model of a Quality Management System according to standard IS% &000'2000( Its o)*ectives are' to "rovide a useful instrument to define a model of "rocesses a)out a #$learning centre to give indications for the develo"ment of the analysis of su) "rocesses in terms of' in"ut+ out"ut+ resources+ control tools and "arameters( to define a model of continuous im"rouving a)out a #$learning ,entre to encourage the ado"tion of the IS% &000 model in #$learning activities(

1." Guide#s target groups

This uide addresses first to schools and their res"onsi)le !illing to define an organisational instruments measuring and monitoring the -uality of results'

analysing "rocesses and critical lin.s to monitoring and im"rouving defining measura)le o)*ectives for each "rocesses defining res"onsa)ilities and increasing (consa"evole//a degli attori)

The "u)lic of this uide does not need to )e "rovided !ith any s"ecific com"uting s.ills+ )ut it su""osed to )e !illing to face innovation and )ecome familiar !ith the use of I,T(

1.$ %o& it is structured

The uide is divided in the follo!ing sections Introduction The Introduction focuses on the aims of the "u)lic It also "rovides use instructions uide and its

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"

%rganisational scenarios This section "rovides the conte0t in !hich the uide is set+ it deals !ith o"en -uestions on the themes "ro"osed and the state of art of the research concerning on$line learning The methodological a""roach "ro"osed This is the most articulated "art of the uide( It descri)es the methodology+ "ro"osed )y Sole Partnershi"+ for defining an organisational model for an # $ learning centre( Set of tools lossary 1i)liogra"hy It contains useful tools to analyse and descri)e "rocesses and su) "rocesses( Terminology used in the uide 2ist of "u)lications and Internet sites connected to the themes investigated in the uide

1.4 %o& to use the guide

To be written

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". The scenarios

".1 'tate o! the art on each topic
The greatest ()iggest) revolution in organi/ational theories has )een the Process 3""roach( Process 3""roach considers organi/ations li.e (organismi)+ smaller or )igger+ easier or more com"le0+ )ut li.e an ensem)le of "ersons+ instruments+ values+informations+ o)*ectives and strategies+ etc( This evolution follo!s a real change in relationshi" )et!een com"anies and the mar.et' until 405s the focus !as the "roduct+ the sells+ the "ro"erty( ,om"anies !ere )ig+ structured and !ith large investments in (im"ianti e macchine) after 405s there !as a revolutio in this conce"t' "roducts started to )ecoming services and relationshi" )et!een com"anies and customers )ecome a relation )et!een suoolirs and utili/ers( 3t the start of the ne! millenium this evolution can )e said com"lete' com"anies didn5t sell "roducts )ut rent goods to their customers and the "ro)lem is ho! to fideli/e them( 6or this reason the organi/ational methods are changed a lot and the aim of IS% &000 standards is to re"resent 7a ne! model of doing )usiness for the ne! century8(

"." (pen pro)le s to )e !aced

To be written after Partners contribution.

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$. The

ethodological approach proposed

$.1. 'o e concepts a)out I'( *++1,"+++ standard

3.1.1 W at is! 3 set of System and "rocess re-uirements that an organi/ation has to esta)lish+ im"lement+ document (!hen re-uested) and maintain if that organi/ation !ishes to demonstrate that it can meet customer and regulatory re-uirements and sustain continual cost$effective "erformance im"rouvement( 3.1." W at t e to#ics!
C (N TI N U A/ IM 12 (3 EM EN T (. U A /IT0 M A N AG EM EN T '0 'TEM

I n t e r e s t e d 1 a r t i e s 2 e 4 u i r e e n t s

Managem ent responsibility Resource management M ea surement , ana lys is, improvement

' a t i s ! a c t i o n

I n t e r e s t e d 1 a r t i e s

In put

Product realization

(u tp ut

1rod u ct

- ig . 1 M o de l of th e pr o cess ap pr o ach .

Strong em"hasis on 7customer needs analysis and customer satsfaction %rgani/ation structure is )ased in activities (!ich that add value) 9um)er of documents needed to control "rocess 3.1.3 T e $o%el This International Standard encourages the ado"tion of the "rocess a""roach to manage an organi/ation( The model of the "rocess a""roach in 6igure 1 illustrates a generic -uality management system( The model recogni/es that interested "arties "lay a significant

Sole Project GUIDE 4 role during the "rocess of defining re-uirements( Satisfaction measures are used as feed)ac. to evaluate and validate !hether the re-uirements have )een met(

$." %o& to use the I'( *+++#s odel to de!ine a .ualit6 Manage ent '6ste !or a E-learning odel center7
:e have to define a "lan and the instruments to im"lement the model in Sole Pro*ect( The ste"s could )e this' 3.2.1 Define a method to establish cusomer users needs The "rocess model could )e useful if customers;users needs are !ell and certainly defined( The first ste" should )e to )uild a matri0 )et!een re-uirements (1) and critical or im"ortant "rocess in e$learning center( 3 sim"ly instrument to use could )e 7Quality function de"loyment matri08 to analy/e re-uirements im"act on activities( 3.2.2 Define a process model to fi! the map of processes about a e"lerning center 3ny activity that receives in"uts and converts them to out"uts can )e considered as a "rocess( 6or organi/ations to function effectively+ they have to identify and manage numerous interlin.ed "rocesses( %ften+ the out"ut from one "rocess !ill directly form the in"ut into the ne0t "rocess( The systematic identification and management of the "rocesses em"loyed !ithin an organi/ation and "articularly the interactions )et!een such "rocesses is referred to as the 7"rocess a""roach8( (IS% &000'2000) 3n organisation is a result of many "rocesses and !e have to use an instruments to descri)e and ma.e more easy to read this com"le0ity( The aim of this ste" is to define' <ori/onal Processes (or 1usiness or =ey "rocesses) Processes that "roduce a 7"roduct8 (2) for e0ternal customer Su""ort Processes (or >ertical Processes) Processes that su""ort other "rocesses( They "roduce a result for an internal customer Im"rouvement Processes These are "rocesses that could im"rouve organi/ation5s "erformances

3.2.3 #hoose a instrument to analyze process and principal fases of process

Sole Project GUIDE 4 6or e0am"le the follo! method' Process ste"s are descri)ed as follo!s'

In"uts (internal;e0ternal) 9ecessay in"uts from "receding (internal) "rocess ste"s+ from other su)"rocesses and from e0ternal "rocesses+ s"ecifying the relevant milestones( The list encom"asses all necessary in"uts+ even if some of these are already mentioned as in"uts in earlier "rocess ste"s( This is necessary to su""ort the re-uired degree of "arallelism across the "rocess ste"s and the use of chec.lists( 3ctivities 3ll activities necessary for achieving the end results (out"uts)

?esults (out"uts) %ut"uts achieved for su)se-uent (internal) "rocess ste"s and for e0ternal "rocesses( These out"uts are availa)le for other (su)) "rocesses at the synchronisation "oints( 6unctions The functions involved in achieving end results( ?es"onsi)ility for the individual ste"s al!ays lies !ith the "erson currently e0ecuting the ste" in -uestion (7functions involved8)( Tools 3ll Instrument used to achieve end results ?es"onsi)ility The "erson res"onsi)le for achieving end results( ?es"onsi)ility in terms of "lanning+ trac.ing and controlling "rogress of the "rocess+ continues to lie !ith the "erson res"onsi)le for the "roduct (P?) throughout the entire life cycle of the "roduct

Sole Project GUIDE 4 3.2.$ Define parameters, indicators, measuring instruments

Processes anlysis has this im"ortant conse-uence' activities can )e monitoring and measured and the data of activities can )e registered to "ermit a 6actual a""roach to decision ma.ing The effective decisions are )ased on the logical or intuitive analysis of data and information( (?e-uirement 4 of IS% &001'2000) $.".5 De!ine inputs !or anaging re&ie&

%ne role of to" management is to carry out regular systematic evaluations of the suita)ility+ ade-uacy+ effectiveness and efficiency of the -uality management system !ith res"ect to the -uality "olicy and o)*ectives( This revie! can include consideration of the need to ada"t the -uality "olicy and o)*ectives in res"onse to changing needs and e0"ectations of interested "arties( The revie! includes determination of the need for actions(

4.

'et o! tools

4.1 Matri: o! custo er needs

To )e !ritten

4." 'et o! tools !or anal6sing and descri)ing processes

To )e !ritten

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; onitoring and easuring 4ualit6 o!

4.$ 'et o! indicators to processes

To )e !ritten

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5. Glossar6
Indicators Descriptors

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1+

8. <i)liograph6
To be written. Eac #art is &in%l' as&e% to sen% contributions.