Building a Quality Improvement Infrastructure
QI Diagnostic Tool: Stages of development
Introduction
The QI diagnostic exercise is a mechanism to determine a board’s baseline with respect to quality improvement capacity and capability from which a QI infrastructure
can be developed. It helps an organisation identify where it is doing well and to focus on what and how the organisation could improve or change to close the gap
between where it is and where it would like to be. It is not intended for performance management, judgement or blame.
There is no standard process for completing the exercise, aside from a few guiding principles:
 consistency: determine and agree a methodology for completion that makes the most sense for your organisation, and
 honesty: answer the questions and rate your organisation as honestly as possible and to the best of your abilities.
Discussions can be structured around areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and the identification of stretch goals for the organisation. Please note that
the discussion and reflection is key to this exercise.
Guidance for completing this document






Summary (p. 2): Once you have completed the diagnostic tool, please summarise your results in the table on this page.
Area headers: For each of the 12 areas, please state your board’s stage of development at the top, and include that stage’s definition for reference (ie, copy-andpaste the definition for your stage of development. You may find it helpful to also copy those definitions from the stages below your current stage from the QI
diagnostic tool document).
Rationale: Provide a 2-3 sentence description, based on what you have stated in the other parts of the template, your rationale for being at the stage of
development you are (including why you have not ranked yourself lower or higher).
Areas of strength: Please list the strengths in your organisation related to each of the 12 areas in the tools, using the stages of development in the QI diagnostic
tool as guidance.
Opportunities for improvement: Please list the gaps or opportunities for improvement in your organisation related to each of the 12 areas in the tools, using the
stages of development in the QI diagnostic tool as guidance.
Stretch or improvement goals: Please state the measurable actions your organisation plans to undertake to maintain your strengths and addressing your
opportunities for improvement. If you have elected to have a critical friend visit you may find this forms a focus of discussion.
Page 1 of 16
Stages of Development
Just
beginning
Developing
Making
progress
Significant
impact
Exemplary
Summary
Area
Stage of development
1. Leadership
2. Publishing improvement work
3. Convening
4. Harvesting ideas
5. Developing innovative improvement ideas
6. Teaching skills related to the Science of Improvement
7. Improving capability in the Science of Improvement – for organisations
8. Testing new ideas
9. Spread and scale-up
10. Evaluation and data management
11. Internal staffing and operations planning
12. Developing support areas
Page 2 of 16
1. Leadership
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 3 of 16
2. Publishing
improvement
work
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 4 of 16
3. Convening
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 5 of 16
4. Harvesting
ideas
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 6 of 16
5. Developing
innovative
improvement
ideas
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 7 of 16
6. Teaching skills
related to the
Science of
Improvement
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 8 of 16
7. Improving
capability in the
Science of
Improvement – for
organisations
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 9 of 16
8. Testing
new ideas
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 10 of 16
9. Spread and
scale-up
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 11 of 16
10. Evaluation and
data
management
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 12 of 16
11. Internal
staffing and
operations
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 13 of 16
12. Developing
support
areas
[Insert stage]:
 Insert stage definition
Rationale:
Areas of strength:

Opportunities for improvement:

Stretch or improvement goals:
Page 14 of 16
Summary
As a result of completing the QI diagnostic exercise, what have you learned about yourselves?
What are your themes / priority areas for focus?
Theme
Description
Page 15 of 16
What is your action plan?
Priority area of focus
Stretch goal / aim
High-level actions
Page 16 of 16
Timeline