Participating in the Decision-Making Processes - Assignment Example

Assessment Task One: Short Answer Questions 1. All consumers should be given opportunities to participate in the decision making processes that affect them. a) List at least 2 benefits of involving consumers in the planning stage of a service program. 1. Increases chances of customer satisfaction 2. Makes the products competitive in the market b) Describe two suitable methods you could use to communicate with and encourage consumer group participation. 1. Face to face method: I can meet the consumers by organizing a meeting to make discussions concerning various issues. 2. Social media: I can create a social media platform that is necessary for encouraging the consumer group to participate c) List 4 key skills required to effectively facilitate discussion with consumer groups. For each one, describe a way you could demonstrate this skill. 1. Communication skills: these skills can be demonstrated by communicating in a way that can be properly understood. 2. Listening skills: are demonstrated by paying attention to the message communicated by the other people. 3. Negotiation skills: they are demonstrated by being in a position to ensure successful discussions of issues. 4. Decision making skills: they can be demonstrated by being able to make a decision that is effective and able to offer a solution to the problem. 2. It is important to identify and address any barriers to communication with consumers so that any effect on participation is limited. a) List 3 indicators that might suggest a consumer is lacking motivation or is disengaged 1. Increased complaints 2. Negative feedback concerning the products offered 3. Poor communication b) Explain 3 reasons that could cause consumers to become disengaged as a result of poor communication channels. 1. Failure to be engaged in making various decisions 2. Failure to meet the needs of consumers in communication 3. Use of ineffective channel of communication c) What could you do in order to enhance communication between yourself and an individual who speaks very little English? Suggest at least 5 possible options. 1. Being attentive 2. Creating good relationship 3. Improving listening skills 4. Using simple word when communicating 5. Avoiding any barrier of communication 3. Consultation needs to occur both with the individual accessing the service, and between other services and/or networks that can offer support. a) Give 2 reasons why it is important to monitor consumers’ needs on a regular basis 1. To keep track of the progress of the company 2. To identify areas that the company is not functioning properly b) Provide 2 examples of how the needs of a client could change over time 1. The needs can change through lifestyle 2. The preferences can also make the needs of consumers change c) Consultation can occur through a range of communication channels such as face-to-face meetings. Suggest 3 other ways you could gain input from stakeholders. For each answer, give a reason why you would choose this particular method over others 1. Social media: it is effective and efficient 2. Teleconferencing: it is less costly as the stakeholders need not to travel 3. Emailing: is an easy way of sharing information with the stakeholders d) You are developing a program for young offenders who have been released on parole. List at least 5 different services and networks that could work together to address the multiple needs of this client group 1. Counselling services 2. Integrating them with the society 3. Training them on ways they can use to earning their living 4. Motivating them to engage in productive behaviours 5. Making them aware of the need to develop good relations with the people in the society 4. By focusing on a particular area of service delivery such as disability or youth services, organisations can focus their attention on a specific area of expertise. Use this statement above to help explain the importance of interagency collaboration (Hint: Will all organisations always be able to support a client who has multi-faceted needs?) Not all organizations can be in a position to support the clients with multi-faceted needs. This is because an organization can deliver the best services by specializing in a certain area of expertise. The focus can be improved by ensuring that the organization has specific area of operation that it seeks to offer a solution to the problems. 5. Information and input for a particular program can be obtained from a variety of sources. a) List 4 different stakeholders you could involve during this process 1. Communicating to stakeholders concerning the program 2. Giving stakeholders the chance to give their views 3. Ensuring constant updates to the stakeholders 4. Encouraging stakeholders to give their opinions b) Describe at least 3 aspects of the program development that you would hope the above personnel would contribute to. 1. The intended function of the program developed 2. The necessary features that the program need to have to ensure proper functioning 3. Improvement that need to be done in the future c) You have decided to organise a meeting for all key stakeholders involved in a new service program you are developing. In detail, explain the potential benefits that this could have to the success of the program. List at least 4. 1. The new service program can be able to achieve the set objectives 2. Resistance during implementation can be eliminated as the stakeholders are made aware of the benefits of the program 3. Chances of success of the program can be increased by engaging the stakeholders 4. The new service program can achieve the set objectives. d) Describe another way (other than arranging a meeting) that you could engage consumers in the management process I can also engage the consumers by giving them a chance to communicate their views through the social media platforms. I can create a Facebook account where the consumers can be in a position to share their ideas. 6. Resource availability is a key factor to service success and needs to include financial, physical and human considerations. a) Describe the 3 types of resources above and provide at least two examples that each type could relate to. 1. Financial resources include the capital needed when starting a business to meet the costs for start up 2. The physical resources include the buildings, structures and fixtures that are used in supporting the business operations. 3. Human resources include the employees and the expertise necessary for ensuring business success. b) Human services programs are usually government funded, and run within a not-for-profit framework. In your own words, describe what this means. The government offer services to its citizens where it has the responsibility of ensuring the essential human services are provided. The intension of the government is not to make profit but to meet the needs of its citizens. c) Describe a simple method that organisations can use to monitor and keep track of any government funding they receive. (Hint: You can draw a diagram in the space provided below if you wish) Auditing: the use of funds by the government can be audited to ensure that there is no misuse of the public funds. 7. The organisations systems and procedures form the ‘governance’ of a program or service. a) List three key principles associated with good governance 1. Accountability 2. Transparency 3. Fairness in resource distribution b) Explain the importance of establishing clear procedures in the workplace. Clear procedures help in making sure that the right thing is done in the work place to avoid mistakes. As a result, an organization can easily achieved improvement in productivity. c) Describe the role of sustainability in relation to supporting governance for community organisations. Sustainability makes sure that the resources available are used in an efficient way. It ensures the future generation can benefit from the same resources. d) Describe at least 10 things that need to be documented in any service program. 1. Objectives 2. Vision statement 3. The mission statement 4. The future plans 5. The strategies to be used 6. The stakeholders 7. Responsibilities of different stakeholders 8. Sources of funding 9. The management 10. Success indicators e) List 6 criteria that all service program records should follow in order to ensure quality and compliance 1. Conducting research 2. Identifying the factors affecting service program 3. Identifying the targeted beneficiaries 4. Engaging the beneficiaries of the service program 5. Designing the service program 6. Delivering the planned services f) Using your answers from above and in your own words, explain the importance of keeping all records up to date. Keeping records up to date helps in achieving the set target. Besides, the services offered can be made relevant as the service program try to be updated in the operations. 8. Obtaining feedback regarding service delivery is essential in order to ensure the continued effectiveness and quality of a service program. a) Describe the main objective of continuous improvement. The main objective of continuous improvement is to ensure competitiveness through offering high quality to the consumers. b) List 4 methods you could use to collect feedback from those using the service/other stakeholders 1. Emails 2. Social media 3. Text messages 4. Meetings c) Assume you were wanting to collect some feedback from people who are accessing a service program you have developed. List 6 generic questions that could be included in a client satisfaction feedback form. 1. Is the service program able to meet your needs? 2. Are there ways you think the service program can be improved? 3. How do you compare the service program with others? 4. Is the service program effective and efficient in offering solutions? 5. What other ways do you think the service program can be managed to improve the service delivery? 6. Are you satisfied with the services of the program? d) Discuss the importance of having processes in place to respond to consumer feedback in an appropriate and timely manner. (100-200 words) (Hint: It might help to think about the following questions: What are the benefits of monitoring feedback regularly? How can monitoring improve service delivery? How does monitoring link with the desired goals?) Processes are important in the process of responding to the feedback of the consumers with the aim of improving the service delivery. Monitoring feedback in regular basis helps in making the necessary corrections and identifying the possible deviations to take the necessary measures. Besides, monitoring can improve service delivery by making the necessary corrections hence helping in ensuring services that can meet the needs of the customers (Lewis, Packard and Lewis, 2011). It is through proper monitoring that the company goals can easily be achieved by coming up with the necessary strategies for improving productivity. 9. Identify 4 ways to train individuals involved in delivering a service program. Describe the benefits of each method. 1. On job training 2. Class training 3. Organizing workshop seminars 4. In meetings 10. Monitoring the service delivery should take into account a variety of factors including user engagement in the program. a) What could happen if user interaction and engagement was not monitored? Suggest 3 potential impacts. 1. Poor performance 2. Possible deviations from the intended outcome 3. Failure to achieve the set goals b) Suggest 3 things that organisations can do to make sure any feedback and/or complaints (from users accessing the service) are communicated properly. 1. Using the appropriate communication channel 2. Establishing good public relations 3. Training employees on how to handle customer issues c) Explain why it is necessary that organisations figure out if a program is being delivered on budget. Describe a way they can do this. Figuring out if the program is being delivered on budget is important as it indicates the possibility of achieving the set objectives. This can be done by establishing the necessary controls and auditing procedures. 11. By evaluating programs we can determine if goals are being met or if modifications need to be made. a) Provide one example of a SMART service program goal. (Hint: you could use the case study examples in your workbook for ideas on a specific goal) Last year I started a program that was aimed at launching a new brand in the fashion industry. I managed to successfully achieve the set objectives as it was specific to the gaols set hence achieving my targets. b) Why might a program fail to meet its objectives? Suggest 4 specific reasons. 1. Lack of focus 2. Inadequate resources 3. Poor management 4. Poor strategies c) How might the feedback you receive from stakeholders differ from those using the service? Justify your answer. The stakeholders and the service users might have different feedback. This is because the service users are better position to come up with the genuine feedback while the stakeholders develop just the perception concerning the product. As a result, they have a differing perception and views concerning the service. d) Give 2 examples of stakeholder feedback that could result in program modification. Describe both the feedback and modification. (Note: Your answers should not use examples from your workbook) 1. Inability of the program to meet the set objectives. The necessary modifications can include adjusting the operations to be aligned with the set objectives. 2. Irrelevance in the market considering the trends taking place. The modifications can include making the program current by offering services that are competitive and relevant. Reference Lewis, J.A., Packard, T.R. and Lewis, M.D., 2011. Management of human service programs. Cengage Learning. Read More