Program and Implementation

Plans for the next 90 minutes and beyond! Define quality assurance for a program Implementation plans Utilization of tools Calibration-practice and method What to do when you leave the conference

What is Quality Assurance? Call Quality Assurance is a practice by which you, the agency, can ensure that your inquirers are receiving the best possible service. Contact Center Resource IVR Contract Compliance

Why is Quality Important? Consistency Contract award and compliance AIRS standards Accreditation national *Most important, your community deserves quality service!*

2-1-1 US Mystery Call Campaign Demonstration of importance to listen to calls and call your Inconsistent outcomes across the county Need for more national training and application of training Potential loss of opportunity So, what can we each do to improve our quality of service delivery?

US Mystery Call Recommendations Some actions to consider: Talking around some of the issues would be a great subject for an extended team meeting. How are we doing this? Can we do this better? Would trying something new make a difference?)

Methods for call handling Quality Assurance

Keeping it simple Get started… Define your ideal call regardless of current protocols or training, but rather for the ideal call handling. You can develop protocols and deliver training based on your needs.

QA form development Keep the form simple Include the most important elements AIRS standards Contract requirements Best practices Community needs Revisit the form on a regular basis

QA guide Each element requires a clear description of how to score Include examples Edit and modify to limit the variance in scoring (its a living document) Get input from more than one perspective

Monitoring best practices Get buy-in from all levels of the organization Test your form, guide, and policy Allow time for adjustment Train on areas of opportunity throughout the organization Listen to a call more than once to properly score Use your guide! Double check accuracy CALIBRATE! Provide results, use the results, and coach your staff!

Lets listen, score and calibrate! Call # 1 Call # 2

Calibration Why spend the time to calibration? Calibration is the best way to ensure consistent, fair scoring and prevent allegations of inequity and favoritism. When calibration is achieved, it will not matter who did the evaluation because the outcome would be the same. Once this is achieved the emphasis can be on coaching for improved performance rather than whether or not the call was scored correctly. What is call calibration? Call calibration is the process by which you limit variation in the way performance criteria are interpreted.

Steps for Successful Calibration Determine participants Designate a facilitator (make sure their role is defined) Select a call Provide parameters Provide date for completion of scoring Calibration meeting Review/re-cap call Discuss areas of discrepancy Discuss areas of big picture training opportunities *It is not important that everyone AGREE on a final score. The point is to come to an understanding of the accepted criteria for a successful high quality call, and apply that understanding to evaluating calls in the future.*

Implementation Plan Gain buy-in Score form development and testing Guide development, editing, and testing Policy Reports Calibration plan Determine who is evaluating calls Training needed prior to full implementation I & R Specialists QA Specialists ***Develop your plan-these steps do not have to happen in this particular order, determine what is best for your organization***

This Quality Assurance structure will work for other areas of your organization! Resource Contract Compliance Phone System What about everywhere else?

Amy Latzer Chief Operating Officer