Quality is a strange word - a bit like the word community - as it can mean lots of vaguely good but different things to different people. The usual definition is "fitness for purpose", with the idea that a quality service is one which does what it is intended to do and is responsive to the needs of the user.

Quality implies standards, but in the past beneficiaries have rarely been involved in defining what counts for quality, and what they expect and value in services.

A quality framework brings together the standards and the methods and ways we can show where we are living the standards, and the areas needing further work.

The QSTG (qstg@ncvo-vol.org.uk) recommends the adoption of a set of Quality Principles for all voluntary organisations which would describe their fundamental beliefs and form the basis for their management ethos.

It believes that a quality voluntary organisation:

• strives for continuous improvement in all it does;
• uses recognised standards or models as a means
• to continuous improvement and not as an end;
• agrees requirements with stakeholders and
• endeavours to meet or exceed these first time and every time;
• promotes equality of opportunity through its internal and external conduct;
• is accountable to stakeholders;
• adds value to its end users and beneficiaries.

There are many quality systems around in the voluntary sector at present most of which are very demanding for smaller voluntary and community organisations.

Some of these systems are focused on strengthening internal systems in the organisation and looking at performance- examples would include the Excellence model, PQASSO, Quality First, Quality Mark, Guidance standards, Other systems are focussed more on the outcomes (results ) and impact and the experience of users and beneficiaries. Another dimension to the systems is the degree to which they are inspection and control focused or learning, change, improvement, and development focused.