Key learnings from the pilot virtual organisational 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 may need to be adjusted to facilitate organisations 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.
I have an organisational survey scheduled for 2021? What does this mean for me?
We will be reaching out to all of you with a scheduled 2021 organisational survey in the coming weeks regarding the arrangements for your survey. If you meet the requirements for a virtual survey you will be notified of this and we will provide you with information on what to expect and the logistics for your survey. If your critical path dates need to change you will be notified of this and we will also advise of the additional evidence which may now be required in advance of your survey.
At present, we do not consider organisations who are undergoing their second organisational survey as being suitable for a virtual survey assessment. Therefore, for now we will offer you survey dates and will proceed on the basis that it will be an on-site assessment. However, this will depend on the ongoing situation with COVID-19 and your survey may need to be converted to a virtual survey if the situation is not improving with COVID-19. We will monitor this closely and if this is the case will give you ample advance notice of this and the requirements for a virtual survey.
Please note that first-time organisational surveys are also not considered suitable for a virtual survey assessment at this time. Therefore, for now we will offer you survey dates in Quarters 3 or 4 2021 and will proceed on the basis that it will be an on-site assessment. If the situation with COVID-19 does not improve over the course of 2021 we will review this and will be in touch regarding alternative arrangements.
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.
It is important to note that even if an organisation undergoes a virtual survey in 2021 an on-site follow up or mid-cycle review may be required in 2022 or subsequent years depending on the survey outcome and particularly the number of risks identified. Follow-up on-site visits will be required for organisations undergoing their second organisational survey particularly if they have been assessed via a virtual survey methodology. The follow-up on-site visits would be scheduled in 2022 / 2023 for organisations surveyed in 2021 depending on the survey outcome.
As it is likely that international travel restrictions will remain in place for part of 2021, we may undertake primarily virtual organisational surveys in 2021. However, at this stage we cannot say if this will be the case beyond 2021.
What about standards and surveyor training programme surveys?
As these are desktop or remote surveys these will be proceeding as normal in 2021.
We will continue to liaise with all of you who have standards or surveyor training programme surveys scheduled for 2021 to ascertain if you are in a position to proceed with the survey (s) in 2021 and to identify suitable dates.
As several surveys scheduled for 2020 were postponed to 2021 it is shaping up to be an extremely busy year.
We will do our best to schedule surveys on your preferred dates but this may not always be possible due to demand and so we would ask you to bear with us on this.
We would also ask that you contact us in the coming weeks if you are interested in getting any additional products accredited in 2021 and that you indicate your preferred survey dates so that we can try and accommodate your request.