What is a self-assessment?

A self-assessment is a structured process that allows an organisation or partnership the chance to evaluate performance, highlight areas for improvement and plan for future change.

 

How does the self-assessment process work?

The self-assessment involves three facilitated sessions, organised by the TSI.

 

The first is the Awareness Session. This is where TSI staff, third sector representatives and Community Planning Partners are invited to attend a presentation on what the self-assessment involves.

 

The second is the Consensus Session. This is where those involved in the self-assessment meet to discuss and arrive at consensus on the checklist results.

 

The final session is the Improvement Planning Session. This is where the prioritised areas for improvement are discussed with the aim of assigning ownership, cost, timescale and measures.

 

What do you need to complete the self-assessment?

• Access to online survey software (e.g. Smart Survey, Survey Monkey)
• Access to PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel
• Facilitation skills/facilitators

 

Who should be involved in the self-assessment?

The Partnership checklist should be issued to all CPP Partners. This ensures maximum buy-in as well as giving a more reflective, inclusive self-assessment. The Third Sector checklist can either be sent to all third sector organisations within the local authority area, or a smaller selection to create a focus group approach.

 

What happens at the end of the self-assessment?

The main output of the self-assessment process is the creation of an improvement plan, a template of which can be found in the Improvement Planning section of this toolkit. It should contain a list of prioritised actions as well as associated timelines, ownership, timelines and costs. It is important to stress that the improvement plan is not the end of the self-assessment journey; it is actually the beginning of a process of change and organisational development.