Office of Performance Improvement (OPI)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Quality Improvement?
- What is Performance Improvement?
- What is the relationship between Quality Improvement and Performance Improvement?
1. What is Quality Improvement?
QI is the policy and practice to focus on accountability, using formal and informal tools and resources to assess and improve overall performance.
2. What is Performance Improvement?
The concept of measuring the output of a particular process or procedure, then modifying the process or procedure to increase the output, increase efficiency, or increase the effectiveness of the process or procedure.
3. What is the relationship between Quality Improvement and Performance Improvement?
The Performance Improvement Consultative Group, which consists of representatives of USAID and USAID funded agencies describes the relationship between QI and PI as follows:
Quality Improvement (QI) efforts have their roots in engineering, statistics and management while PI has its origins in the behavioral sciences. However, there are significant similarities between QI and PI models. Both are cyclical problem-solving processes. Both advocate the establishment of standards and the continual quest to meet those standards. Both seek to establish the root causes of identified problems. Both identify and select appropriate actions that are intended to address performance problems. Both QI and PI seek the same ends: high quality products or services. Both models draw from the same tool box, although the use of the tools may vary. Ultimately the approaches are complementary since, to provide better client services, we ultimately have to grapple with how performers are doing their work.
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