Key learnings from the pilot virtual surveys 

Evidence: We need to work closely with each organisation to identify the additional evidence that now needs to be made available in advance of the survey and also to ascertain how the organisation can demonstrate their compliance for specific criteria which would normally be validated on-site.  

Survey team: We need to allocate a survey team in similar time zones to the client organisation to facilitate the organisation of the survey during the client organisation’s normal working hours.  

Survey schedule: As interviews will be taking place virtually it is important that the client organisation receives the survey schedule in sufficient time in advance of the survey to allow them to make the necessary arrangements and in particular to contact and organise internal staff and external stakeholders (e.g. client organisations) to attend for virtual interviews. It is also important to build in time in the schedule for: 

• the survey team members to connect and discuss any issues which may arise during specific interviews or over the course of the day
• the survey team lead to connect with the organisation representative to discuss any matters arising
• the survey team lead to connect with ISQua EEA to discuss any matters arising.

Both virtual surveys were undertaken in a week thanks to the survey team being based in similar time zones to the client organisations. However, translators were not required for either of these surveys and so this may add to the length of interviews and the possible timeframe for the survey.  

Critical path: As additional evidence will be required in advance of the organisational survey the critical path dates for the organisation may need to be adjusted to facilitate the organisation to update their self-assessment and to collate and upload any additional evidence which may be required after the technical review.  

Participation: The virtual methodology allowed more staff and other stakeholders (e.g. client organisations, surveyors) to be involved in the ISQua EEA accreditation process than might previously have been the case. This was a positive development and feedback is that it should be incorporated into the survey methodology going forward.  

What does this mean for organisational surveys in 2021? 

All organisations due to have an organisational survey in 2021 are being contacted to ascertain if they wish to proceed with their survey in 2021 and offered survey dates if they do so. 

Organisations are advised if they are suitable for a virtual survey and the arrangements if they are not. 

For example, organisations undergoing their first organisational survey are currently not suitable for a virtual organisational survey and so have been offered survey dates in late Quarter 3 or Quarter 4 2021 for now as it is hoped that international travel may have resumed by that time. 

Surveyors will be provided with similar information. 

We will assess the situation closely with COVID-19 over the coming months and will keep in close contact with both our client organisations and you, our surveyors to advise of any changes. 

What does this mean for me as a surveyor? 

If you are a surveyor who undertakes organisational surveys and you have expressed an interest in participating in virtual surveys we will be reaching out to you in the coming months to ask if you would be available to participate in specific virtual surveys. 

We will be contacting you directly as the survey teams for virtual surveys need to be based in a similar time zone to the client organisation. 

2021 is looking to be a busy year for surveys as many organisational surveys were postponed from this year and so we may be asking you to participate on more than one virtual survey. 

We will endeavour to ensure that your surveys will be scheduled several months apart if we do ask you to participate on more than one virtual survey.  

What about the standards and surveyor training programme surveys? 

We will be issuing an online SurveyMonkey questionnaire to you all in the coming weeks with the 2021 scheduled standards and surveyor training programme surveys and we would ask you to indicate your availability to participate on these and any validation reviews (if applicable) for 2021. 

We will then coordinate your individual commitments to ensure that you are not double-booked for surveys or do not have back-to-back survey commitments.  

Does this mean that organisational surveys will only be virtual surveys going forward? 

Like most external evaluation organisations we are adapting our survey methodology in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

At present we anticipate that we will take the learnings from the virtual organisational surveys and that we will incorporate these and some virtual assessment methodologies into our organisational surveys going forward. 

Even if an organisation undergoes a virtual survey an on-site follow-up or mid-cycle review may be required in due course depending on the survey outcome (and particularly the number of risks identified) and the organisation’s accreditation cycle (e.g. second organisational survey). 

Although we may undertake primarily virtual organisational surveys in 2021 we cannot say if this will be the case going forward.