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The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
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CAT3 Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs have been written in response to points that arose during the CAT3 training courses. They are the latest source of clarification of CAT3. They support the information conveyed during the training courses, and should be read alongside the online documentation. Each FAQ is dated to show when it was released.
| Date posted | ||
|---|---|---|
| FAQs will be added from now until early October. Our Part 2 submission is due in on 26 September. What do we do about guidance that wasn't available in time for us? | It is highly unlikely that late postings would make a material difference to any individual assessment. However, each FAQ shows the date on which it was posted, and the assessors are required to take account of any information you might not have known in planning and running the assessment visit. | 5 October 2006 |
| Please clarify the deadlines for Part 2 submissions. | The deadline is two weeks from the end of the training course that the CAT champion attends. This is to ensure that the assessor team have sufficient time to prepare fully for their visit. Any issues about timing should be raised with the senior assessor. | 5 October 2006 |
| An early draft of the content guidance included a definition of "organisation". What was it? | "The organisation: The organisation being validated – the entire business or a division. Where the organisation is a division, the Group Company it belongs to will be seen as a key stakeholder, and appropriate linkages should be in place. Where the organisation makes use of Group functions or processes, it may be relevant to review their effectiveness in supporting the needs of the organisation, and the mechanisms the organisation has to review and improve them. It may also be relevant to review the extent to which the organisation is capitalising on the resources, skills and experience available in the wider Group." | 5 October 2006 |
| Will the CAT champion see the assessment team's consolidated visit questions? | No. This is a working document for the team and will not be shared with the supplier. The assessors are likely not to ask all these questions, and to add others, so the original question set could be misleading for the supplier. | 5 October 2006 |
| During the training course, we built up a number of useful lists, for example of expectations of CAT champions and assessors. How will these be made available to us? | There will be consolidated lists of key points drawn from the training, addressing for example expectations of the planning meetings and of the feedback meetings, and the roles and responsibilities of CAT champions and assessors. These will be posted in the FAQs at the end of the final course. | 5 October 2006 |
| Clarify what you mean in the glossary of scoring definitions by "minimum legal requirement". | "Minimum legal requirement" describes a mindset rather than a standard of attainment. It reflects a focus on compliance with relevant standards rather than achievement. | 5 October 2006 |
| Clarify "performance management" in indicator 3. | "Performance management" here refers to the mechanisms used to manage and improve the performance of the organisation. Bear in mind as well that the focus here is on the role that leaders play. | 5 October 2006 |
| Are the CAT3 documents on the HA web site the latest versions? | Yes. There are no later versions of any of these documents than those published on the web. Where necessary clarifications or corrections to the documents may be made in these FAQs. | 5 October 2006 |
| What advice can you give on the use of evidence folders for the assessments? | The detailed process guidance notes on the HA web site give guidance on the use of evidence folders. See page 12. | 5 October 2006 |
| I gather the assessors will need a data projector for their consensus meeting? | Yes. The detailed process guidance notes talk about this on page 18. Any additional requirements should be agreed between the CAT champion and the senior practitioner. | 5 October 2006 |
| Will we get feedback on our relative position at our feedback meeting? | No. The focus of the feedback meeting is exclusively on your company and your assessment. | 5 October 2006 |
| What did you learn from the CAT3 pilots? | With grateful thanks to the companies who participated in the pilots, we learned that the process is robust and insightful, and that it works. The pilots reinforced the following points:
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5 October 2006 |
| I know you cover it fully on the training course, but please explain again about the use of the Substance factor. | Substance is a reflection of how much of an indicator is addressed. It is used to show the extent to which activities relevant to the indicator are done, not how well they are done. Its use is discussed extensively on the training course, with worked examples to show its application. | 5 October 2006 |
| Clarify "deployed" in the scoring elements. | This is addressed in the training course. The word "deployed" could be replaced by "exploited" or "leveraged". Its meaning is not the same as in EFQM. The definition in the glossary helps to clarify this. | 5 October 2006 |
| Who will be shadowing assessments from the HA? It would be good to include people from Operations. | Any individuals from the HA wishing to shadow an assessment should make their request through the Supply Chain Team. Shadowing will only take place with agreement from the assessed supplier and the lead CAT Assessor. | 5 October 2006 |
| Will reports from CAT1 and CAT2 be sent to the assessors? Page 7 of the detailed process guidance says they will be. | No, the assessors will not be sent any previous CAT submissions or feedback reports. This is an error in the detailed process guidance. There is nothing to stop companies showing previous reports to the assessors if they wish. | 5 October 2006 |
| The guidance says that we should send our Part 2 submission in Word format. Would PDF not be better? | It is perfectly acceptable to send Part 2 submissions as PDFs. Since this locks the formatting, it is the best way of ensuring that the submission arrives looking the way you sent it. | 5 October 2006 |
| As CAT champions, how do we get key messages about CAT3 back to our organisations? | We are anticipating that the CAT champions who are attendees at the training courses will carry the new messages back into their businesses. Soft copies of the slides used on the course are available to participants on request. In addition, CAT champions may ask the senior CAT assessor to set some key CAT3 context messages at the feedback meeting. | 5 October 2006 |
| Will the HA consider publishing the broad range of scores in Phase 1? This will help to reinforce expectations about what constitutes a good score. | The HA will not publish the range of scores. Each supplier will be advised of their own score and will be given detailed feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement. Suppliers are welcome to share their scores should they choose to. | 5 October 2006 |
| How directive or consultative should we expect the feedback to be? | Feedback describes the assessor team's view of the strengths and areas for improvement for the organisation, as identified by applying the CAT 3 assessment process. The senior assessor will clarify the team’s view, but actions taken as a result of the feedback are entirely the responsibility of the company. | 5 October 2006 |
