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Defining Quality

Defining quality

“Defining quality” means articulating the characteristics or parameters of services that will lead to the desired outcomes. Quality care for vulnerable children can be defined as the degree to which the services provided to children, families and communities maximise benefits and minimise risks, so that children may grow and develop. Quality care implies that the correct mix of services is offered based on current best practices and indigenous and expert knowledge. Defining quality requires a client-centered approach to ensure services are relevant to needs and context.

A step-by-step process for establishing service standards has been developed and tested in three countries (Ethiopia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe) and is currently being used by many others. This process uses a number of key inputs:

• Existing evidence, best practices and existing related standards
• Youth input : information from clients themselves on what is important to them
• Articulation of the dimensions of quality

These inputs are then used to identify essential actions and guidelines that comprise the service standards. The result of this process is OVC stakeholder consensus on essential minimum actions that constitute each service area. Agreement on standards will increase consistency, especially when reporting on number of children served.

Quality has many dimensions including safety, access, effectiveness, technical performance, efficiency, continuity, compassionate relations, appropriateness, participation and sustainability. The dimensions of quality can provide a powerful lens to look at how well care is being provided now and how activities can be implemented with increased quality.

Once quality standards are defined, moving standards to the field and operationalising them is the next challenge. Read how countries are dealing with these challenges in Latest from the field.

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