Abstract
1. The Housing Corporation identifies Continuous Improvement (CI) as a strategic objective for all housing associations. This paper offers an opportunity to discuss the implications and the impact of CI in the sector.
2. CI is defined as ongoing process innovations that are focused on the strategic goals of the organisation. The fine-tuning and ongoing adaptation to organisational process required to achieve CI positively affects the performance of an organisation.
3. CI performance measures need to embrace outputs and outcomes. Attention needs to be focused on outcomes and developing measures of impact, formal effectiveness and equity. Future CI targets should ensure that decision-making is fact-based, proactive and linked to strategy.
4. There will be many routes to CI. However, the key 'lever' to achieve CI is the development of CI capabilities and behaviours. If CI is to become 'away of life', the evidence suggests that the greatest challenge comes when organisations move from a structured and systematic approach to CI to an overarching strategic approach.
5. In seeking to achieve CI, associations will also have to consider a wider number of levers, including human resource management practices (management styles and approaches to problem solving), business processes (techniques to promote the cycle of improvement) and organisational structure (the balance between specialist CI staff and generic CI approaches).
6. A number of challenges exist for the housing association sector if it is to develop CI capabilities. These are centred on the way targets are set, the role of CI tools, the resources required to attain CI and how the benefits of CI are to be demonstrated.
7. Two major questions emerge for the housing association sector. Can it lead the development of CI in public service organisations and can it develop systems of knowledge transfer which ensure that the resulting CI gains are available across the sector?
8. Seven discussion questions are posed in this discussion paper.
2. CI is defined as ongoing process innovations that are focused on the strategic goals of the organisation. The fine-tuning and ongoing adaptation to organisational process required to achieve CI positively affects the performance of an organisation.
3. CI performance measures need to embrace outputs and outcomes. Attention needs to be focused on outcomes and developing measures of impact, formal effectiveness and equity. Future CI targets should ensure that decision-making is fact-based, proactive and linked to strategy.
4. There will be many routes to CI. However, the key 'lever' to achieve CI is the development of CI capabilities and behaviours. If CI is to become 'away of life', the evidence suggests that the greatest challenge comes when organisations move from a structured and systematic approach to CI to an overarching strategic approach.
5. In seeking to achieve CI, associations will also have to consider a wider number of levers, including human resource management practices (management styles and approaches to problem solving), business processes (techniques to promote the cycle of improvement) and organisational structure (the balance between specialist CI staff and generic CI approaches).
6. A number of challenges exist for the housing association sector if it is to develop CI capabilities. These are centred on the way targets are set, the role of CI tools, the resources required to attain CI and how the benefits of CI are to be demonstrated.
7. Two major questions emerge for the housing association sector. Can it lead the development of CI in public service organisations and can it develop systems of knowledge transfer which ensure that the resulting CI gains are available across the sector?
8. Seven discussion questions are posed in this discussion paper.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Cardiff University Press |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Print) | 1902647386 |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |