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The quality management system of ARGE BHÖ - a success story
The implemention of ISO in the "Bildungshäuser"
In 1995, ARGE BHÖ submitted an application for funding as part of the Socrates programme. An important result of this research project was the publication of the book ‘Qualitätssicherung in Bildungsstätten’ (see Grilz, 1998). Based on these considerations and a critical analysis of current quality management models in Europe, the educational establishments agreed in 2002 to introduce a QM system based on the DIN ISO 9001:2000 model, which, with the 2002 version, has changed significantly from an economic standard to a service standard and is therefore also suitable for educational establishments.
Currently, 17 educational establishments are certified to ISO9001:2015 and two more are about to be certified. The majority of the costs for quality management are borne by ARGE BHÖ.
Quality Circles of ARGE BHÖ as best practice model
A Q-circle is a fixed component in the quality system of ARGE BHÖ. Twice a year, the quality representatives of the Bildungshäuser meet to exchange experiences and for further training. This ensures the consistency of quality and enables continuous further development.
Quality representatives as supporting pillar
The quality officers come from a wide variety of areas, mostly from the management team and most of them have a pedagogical background. The qualifications and expertise of the quality officers play an important role at ARGE BHÖ. For this reason, a particularly high value is placed on the further training of these individuals.
In 2024, four employees completed the examination to become quality coaches, eight people were externally certified as quality officers and four quality officers completed the training course to become externally certified auditors.
ARGE BHÖ was approved by SystemCert as a training centre for quality officers and auditors in 2011.
Internal Audit as expert discussion
Usually internal audits are carried out by the institution's own quality representatives in their own facilities. Within the ARGE BHÖ network, these are carried out by quality representatives of another member institution. This ensures that the result of the audit does not resemble an annual self-reflection, but becomes an evaluation by external education experts. For the house itself, the internal audit provides information about the effectiveness and performance of the system, whether the objectives are being pursued or not, and which improvements should be made.
The ARGE BHÖ as a learning organization
The "learning organisation" is to be understood as a procedure of a planned systematic development process that makes structures changeable (cf. Ehses/Zech 2002) The introduction of the quality management system has led to a fundamental process of change within ARGE BHÖ and in the individual educational institutions. New approaches have been and are being discussed and concrete measures derived with regard to customer requirements, employee orientation, business management processes and pedagogy. Quality management can therefore also be interpreted as an occasion and form of organisational learning and thus as an organisational development instrument (see Gnahs 2007, p. 99ff).
References
Meisel, K. (2005): Qualitätsentwicklung in der Weiterbildung erfordert Professionalisierung. In: Zukunft im Zentrum (Hrsg.): Kompetenzentwicklung in der Weiterbildung, Berlin, S. 19-28
Grilz, W. (1998): Qualitätssicherung in Bildungsstätten. Anleitung zur Erstellung eines Qualitätshandbuches. In: Feuchthofen, J/Jagenlauf, M/ Kaiser, A (Hrsg.): Grundlagen der Weiterbildung, Neuwied
Ehses, C./Zech, R. (2002): Organisationale Qualitätsentwicklung aus der Perspektive der Lernenden – eine Paradoxie? In: Heinold-Krug, E./Meisel, K. (Hrsg.): Qualität entwickeln – Weiterbildung gestalten. Bielefeld
Gnahs, D.(2007): Zielsetzung „Lernende Organisation“: Qualitätsmanagement als Lernanstoß für Weiterbildungseinrichtungen. In: Dollhausen, K./Nuissl, E.(Hrsg.): Bildungseinrichtungen als „lernende Organisation“. Wiesbaden
Authors
Dr.in Gaby Filzmoser MA, Geschäftsführerin der ARGE Bildungshäuser Österreich und Qualitätsmanagerin
Ing. Rudi Planton, Vorsitzender der ARGE Bildungshäuser Österreich und Leiter im Bildungshaus Schloss Krastowitz
Mag. Franz Jenewein, Leiter des Tiroler Bildungsinstituts-Grillhof und ehemaliger Qualitätsbeauftragter der ARGE Bildungshäuser Österreich