The Investors in People Standard is a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people. It offers a framework (rather than prescribing any one method) for organisations to achieve the standard, working to the same criteria – or 'indicators' – as other organisations, but recognising that organisations will meet them in their own way. Research has shown that working towards the IiP standard offers real benefits, both for the organisation and its staff.

How Does it Work?

Like any employer, VCS organisations rely on people to provide products and services. Therefore, the most important investment any organisation makes is in the people who work (or volunteer) for it. IiP thus focuses on key aspects of an organisation’s capabilities as a good employer.

In particular it looks at:

The Investors in People Standard is based on three key principles:

There are 10 Indicators (or statements) which organisations have to fulfil under the three key principles:

1. 4 indicators under the heading “Developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation” (through its people)
2. 4 indicators under the heading “Taking action to improve the performance of the organisation”
3. 2 indicators on “Evaluating the impact on the performance of the organisation”

In effect the indicators investigate:

In order to be recognised against the Investors in People Standard, a VCS organisation is required to undergo an Assessment. Once an organisation has decided to work with the Investors in People Standard, it can embark on assessment at any time. The first step is to contact your local Quality Centre and complete an assessment application form.

An external assessor will come and visit your organisation and interview a representative sample of trustees, staff and (if appropriate) volunteers to collect evidence to match your organisation against the Standard.

How does the assessment process work?

An outside assessor meets with senior managers to plan a series of interviews with a representative sample of trustees, staff and volunteers. He/she will agree a date or dates when the assessment will take place and will go away with some of your written evidence to familiarise him/herself with your organisation. This might include:

The number of interviews will depend on the size of your organisation; assessors work to a formula relating to the number of staff/regular volunteers.

An organisation with IIP status has to be re-assessed every three years; the process is exactly the same, with the one exception that the Assessor can decide there and then that an organisation has been successful, without recourse to the Panel. One aspect that the Assessor for re-assessment will look at is whether you have taken on board any of the areas for improvement outlined in the previous report.

Unless you can obtain funding for IiP, it can prove quite costly. Assessor costs are around £550 + per day. For a small organisation, assessment will normally require 2 days (half a day preliminary visit, one day of interviews and half a day to write the report). For larger organisations the interviewing period may require two days or more. On the other hand most organisations report that the IiP process has been invaluable in sharpening up processes, focussing on staff and volunteer needs and creating a learning organisation.

Investors in People provide a wide range of online tools to help organisations work with the Standard. These tools are currently free to use and available for download or use online:

http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/standard/tools/pages/home.aspx

SAVO can offer assistance in helping organisations with IiP, through its online resources, toolkits and e-learning programmes. Recently Robin Hodgkinson, SAVO’s Training Manager, worked on an Investors East project, taking a number of organisations through the IiP process. Contact Robin for more information on 01473 275194.