Homepage    COMPAS Method    COMPAS Training    COMPAS Consulting  
   Objectives      Founding principles      The method      COMPAS Method support documents      Dynamic COMPAS   
Search this site


COMPAS & Quality Forum
COMPAS users, trainers, evaluators,… join the new discussion group on the COMPAS method and Quality issues in the humanitarian sector, and share your experiences about the subjects you care about !
To subscribe, click here:
COMPAS & Quality (on )

Consult the “Aiming for Quality” archives

News
2013-02-28    Introduction to Sigmah software - 3 April 2013 (Paris)
Information and Quality management for International Solidarity organisations
> More information

2012-08-16    Training course "Evaluating the quality of humanitarian projects" from 12 to 16 November 2012
This training course in French will be held at Groupe URD's Training Centre in the south of France (Drôme Provençale).
> More information

2012-05-02    Training course "Quality Management in humanitarian programmes" from 11 to 15 June 2012
This training course will be held at Groupe URD's Training Centre in the south of France (Drôme Provençale) in French.
> More information

All news

Publications
Documents
Articles

Partners
Operational partners
Financial partners
Other "Quality & Accountability" initiatives

COMPAS Method
A Quality Assurance method for humanitarian aid
The method

The Quality COMPAS is built around a quality reference framework, the compass rose, which is central to the quality assurance method. The compass rose, composed of twelve criteria that define the quality of a humanitarian project, is centred on crisis-affected populations and their context.

Compass Rose:


At the four cardinal points, impact and results criteria focus on affected populations and their environment.
To meet these four criteria, there are eight structure and process criteria, which focus on the project and the aid agency.

The two functions of the COMPAS Method :

Project management
At each stage in the project cycle, aid agencies are faced with a certain number of critical points where the quality of their action may be affected. Each critical point is associated with one of the twelve criteria of the compass rose. By asking questions (key questions), the COMPAS Method guides the user in making decisions in order to ensure ‘quality’ project management. In this way, agencies can apply the principle of Quality Assurance to their projects.

Project evaluation
Using the indicators linked to the twelve criteria of the compass rose, aid agencies can assess project quality. Possible risks and problems can therefore be identified and preventative action taken. In this way, agencies can apply the principle of Continuous Quality Improvement to their projects.

The COMPAS Board allows the user to bring together the key elements and information, and thereby monitor and evaluate the project, based on the twelve criteria. Project results (project logic and progress reports) can then viewed from a process management perspective (key questions and decisions).
Updated  24-05-2013