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Self-Assessment Tools

You would like to assess how your organization is performing? You would like to improve, but you do not know which specific areas of your organization need to be upgraded? You need some tools to identify these areas? The OA Tools database is what you need!

We have included over 60 practical tools for you to be able to conduct your self-assessment, whatever your sector, your interest, or your experience. These tools are classified in the following database from which you can search for the ones most appropriate to your organization. You can search the ideal tool:

  • by keywords
  • by type of organization (profit, non-profit, donors/grantmakers, governmental agencies/organizations)
  • by area of the Universalia IOA Model (organizational capacity, external environment, organizational motivation, organizational performance)

A description is provided for each tool, detailing the aspects of the assessment it is concentrating on and whom it addresses to. We hope you find the tool you need to conduct your assessment. Feel free to suggest us new tools.

We also suggest that you try the Universalia-IDRC Development Agency Performance web-based self diagnostic tool.  This tool will help you rate your own organization's capabilities on a set of selected factors that influence performance, this in entire confidentiality. Upon the completion of the diagnostic assessment tool, you will receive a summary report via email. The results will give you an overview of where your organization is now and will establish what areas would be most useful for you and your individual situation to focus on.

CFL Leadership Toolkit

—Website, free

Two short online surveys are available on this site for you to assess your organisational effectiveness and performance. The Organizational Effectiveness Survey (47 yes-no questions) looks at the place your organization gives to its mission, human and financial sustainability, customers, entrepreneurial aspect, outcomes, and adaptability. The Organization Performance Survey (55 yes-no questions) measures the level of importance the organization gives to its mission, ethics and accountability, external environment, strategic planning and management, leadership, human resources, internal and external communications, financial management, evaluation and performance management, and information technology. While you can see them on your screen right after completion, the results of both surveys can also be sent to you by email for further consultation. You might wish to print the surveys so that you could use their listed indicators to improve your effectiveness and/or performance.

http://www.centerpointforleaders.org/toolkit.html
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity, Motivation, Performance
Keywords:
Indicators, Performance, Customer, Leadership, Management, Entrepreneurial aspect, IT, Communication, Adaptability, Ethics, Accountability, Mission, Financial sustainability, Outcomes, Effectiveness, Strategic planning, Online survey, Human resources

CIDA's Organizational Assessment Guide

—PDF, free

Prepared by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)'s Evaluation Division Performance and Knowledge Management Branch and by Universalia, this "Organizational Assessment Guide" (2006) intends to guide and facilitate carrying OAs. It provides a "common framework for consistent application and guidelines for achieving an organization's capacities, its 'track record' in demonstrating performance, its ability to function effectively within its external environment, [...]." (CIDA, 2006) "The CIDA Organizational Assessment Guide serves as an ideal companion piece to CIDA's guide on 'How to perform evaluations'. It is intended for use by Agency staff and consultants involved in the performance of organizational assessments. This easy-to-follow reference sets out a consistent and comprehensive approach to organizational assessment planning and design, implementation, reporting and the sharing of results." CIDA, 2006

http://documents.reflectlearn.org/Offline%20Docs%20for%20Your%20Introductory%20Guide%20to%20OA/OA%20Guide-E.pdf
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
All four areas (comprehensive tool), Capacity, Environment, Motivation, Performance
Keywords:
Results analysis, OA Guide, Management, Report, Data collection, Planning

Community Tool Box (CTB) - Guide to Building Culturally Competent Organizations - Competency Building Toolkits

—Website, free

Building Culturally Competent Organizations is an online guide "providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills" regarding "cultural competence in a multicultural world." This guide is only one among the multiple ones available on the Community Tool Box website concerning many different aspects of communities/organizational management. While it is addressed to a large public, community leaders or aspiring ones will find the website particularly useful. The website contains tones of other capacity building resources that will help you better communicate your ideas to your community, reinforce its health and equality, and eventually bring change and improvements. To explore the rest of the website, start by clicking on the following page and follow instructions: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/LearnMore.htm.

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
Community
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity, Motivation
Keywords:
Communication, Capacity building, Cultural competence, Guides, Community-buidling skills, Community development, Community leaders, Equality, Improvement, Community health, Practical skills, Human development, Change

Cornell University BeneQual Organizational Assessment Tool

—Website, free

BeneQual is a comprehensive and user-friendly online survey (approx. 50 questions) that helps you determine the quality of your Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPA&O) Projects with the help of some indicators. More specifically, the survey covers the following areas of your projects: leadership, strategic planning, customer needs and satisfaction, work organization and flow, human resources, and organizational performance and results. On the webpage, you will be provided three important tools: 1) a general guide to familiarize yourself with organization assessment; 2) a specific guide to freely register and conduct the online BeneQual survey; 3) the access to the Benequal survey itself. 

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped/benequal/
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity
Keywords:
Performance, Appraisal, Quality improvement, OA Guide, Benequal user guide, Customer, Outreach, Work flow, Assistance, Leadership, Strategic planning, Online survey, Human resources, Planning

Cultural and Linguistic Competence Policy Assessment (CLCPA) - National Center for Cultural Competence

—Website, free

Cultural competence embraces the principles of equal access and non-discriminatory practices in service delivery. The CLCPA particularly concentrates on cultural competence of community health centers. The tool gives clear definitions and instructions.  It aims to (1) improve health care access and utilization, (2) enhance the quality of services within culturally diverse and underserved communities, and (3) promote cultural and linguistic competence as essential approaches in the elimination of health disparities. The tool examines cultural and linguistic competence in four dimensions: values, policy, structure, and practice, verifying knowledge of communities, organizational philosphy (mission, linguistic diversity, etc.), human resources, etc. The CLCPA requires approximately 30 minutes to complete.  Other self-assessement resources for both organizational or individual assessments are available at www11.georgetown.edu.

http://www.clcpa.info/
Type of Organization:
Governmental agencies / departments / organizations, Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs)
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
Health care
Area of the IOA Model:
All four areas (comprehensive tool), Capacity, Environment, Motivation, Performance
Keywords:
Mission, Cultural competence, Equality, Knowledge management, Value, Structure, Non-discriminatory practices, Practice, Policies, Linguistic competence, Organizational philosophy, Diversity, Human resources, Community-based health center

David Skyrme Quick Knowledge Management Organizational Assessment Tool

—Website, free

David Skyrme Associates promote knowledge management (KM), i.e. the better use of your people and organizational knowledge so to achieve greater outcomes. The following link directs you to a short 10 questions survey that you can fill offline to assess if your organization makes good use of all the knowledge available to it. You might wish print the questionnaire and distribute it to your colleagues so to discuss further how the knowledge could be better managed in your organization.

http://www.skyrme.com/tools/know10.htm
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity
Keywords:
Offline survey, Knowledge management, People knowledge, Organizational knowledge

Discussion-Oriented Organizational Self-Assessment (DOSA) Tool

—Website, free

The DOSA is dedicated to helping organizations develop new methods to identify organizational strengths and weaknesses, interpret highly valuable data generated by the process and to translate findings into action plans for meaningful change.  The DOSA tool builds capacity by bringing staff together in cross-functional, cross-hierarchical groups for open exchange. It identifies divergent viewpoints to foster growth. It aims to create consensus around future organizational capacity and selects, implements, and tracks development strategies according to the organization's mission and market place. A facilitator is essential to conduct the self-assessment as DOSA tool uses a facilitated technique.

http://www.edc.org/GLG/CapDev/dosapage.htm
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs)
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity, Motivation
Keywords:
Mission, Capacity building, Development strategies, Strengths, Weaknesses, Marketing, Change, Focus group, Facilitator, Growth, Consensus creation

Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool - Leader to Leader Institute

—Website, approximately US$60

The link brings you to discover The Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool, which is composed of a participant workbook and a process guide. Both books can be bought online. The Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool focuses on clarifying the mission, client expectations, strategy and performance of the organization. It comes with a clear, structured methodology including guidelines for group discussions and client surveys. The tool will help you improve your organization through answering five important questions: What is our Mission? Who is our Customer? What does the Customer Value? What are our Results? What is our Plan? The tool is best used at the early stages of an organizational assessment when the crafting of a strategic direction is the main priority; it can be most useful in devising action plans. It can also be seen as a support tool for strategic management especially in small or mid-sized NGOs. You might find it useful to consult the rest of the website to see if other resources are of any interest for improving your organization leadership.

http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/tools/sat/index.html
Type of Organization:
Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs)
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
Capacity, Motivation
Keywords:
Results analysis, Customer, Mission, Workbook, Process guide, Development strategies, Value

EDUCAUSE CONNECT Information Security Governance (ISG) Assessment Tool for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)

—PDF, free

This assessment tool aims to help Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) to increase their performance with regard to Information Security or cybersecurity. "This Tool is not intended to provide a complete and detailed list of information security policies or practices one must follow. Rather, it is intended to help a president or institutional leadership identify general areas of concern as they relate to the ISG Framework."  The tool overviews organizational reliance on IT, the risk management, the people, the processes, and the technologies used to secure IT in the organizations. The assessment tool can also be helpful to increase information security in other sectors than education.

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/sec0421.pdf
Type of Organization:
Governmental agencies / departments / organizations, Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All, Education, IT
Area of the IOA Model:
Performance
Keywords:
IT, Processes, Cybersecurity, Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), Information security, Organizational reliance, Risk management, People, Technologies

Enhancing Organizational Performance: A Toolbox for Self-assessment - Universalia Management Group and International Development Research Center

—Website, free

Based on Universalia's innovative and thoroughly tested model for organizational evaluation (the IOA Model), this self-assessment guidebook (can be read online, downloaded, and even ordered) provides tools and tips that go beyond measuring the impact of programs, products, and services. The tools integrate techniques of formative assessment, in which the assessment team becomes involved in helping its organization become more effective in meeting its goals. The tools and techniques are flexible, and the model can be adapted to any type or size of organization. Worksheets and hands-on exercises are included. The toolbox is useful for any organization that is initiating a process of self-assessment, internal change, or strategic planning. Also available in French and Spanish.

http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-9370-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
Type of Organization:
Donors / grantmakers / funders, Governmental agencies / departments / organizations, Non-profit / civil society organizations (CSOs), Profit
Size of Organization:
Large, Small
Sector:
All
Area of the IOA Model:
All four areas (comprehensive tool), Capacity, Environment, Motivation, Performance
Keywords:
Guidebook, Impacts, Program evaluation, Services provided, Techniques, Goals, Flexible, Worksheet, Hands-on, Exercises, Strategic planning, Internal Development, Change, Tasks officers