Welcome

Quality: the foundation of our Network

We believe in the importance of the following cornerstones: a diversity of methods, orienteering and relevancy of practice tailored to suit a market need, and transferable and specialized expertise in age management-related questions. In addition, we believe in our competence in building bridges – the ability to “translate” newsworthy information and knowledge. 

Why quality control?

For the benefit of our partners, we continuously scrutinize our own work with these quality control principles in mind: what is special about the “Winning Age, Getting Future” Network? What distinguishes us as a “network”? What are our strengths? What is the added value of the network, both internally and externally? How can quality be guaranteed and evaluated?

Quality Control should:

• facilitate a high reliability for strategies and projects

• strengthen the trust between financial supporters and support recipients

• advance the cooperation between the Network and its partners

• encourage and further critical introspection at managerial and corporate levels

• raise the awareness of success criteria in “generation management”

• make available evaluation criteria for self assessment

The Network “Winning Age, Getting Future” uses continuous measures of quality control to reach the following goals:

• Information about business and regional dynamics and how the processes can be best supported and facilitated by proposals.

• Introspection tools, which allow businesses and providers of advice and training to gain important age and diversity management principles as both quality criteria to reflect upon and insight into how to improve the quality of their own work.

• Profit from the experiences of others, as the Network speeds knowledge transfer between parties.

• Make differences observable through the quality system, which can then influence new approaches to HR (human resources).

• Promotion of the effect of raising managerial and corporate competence to a level of automatic control.

Last but not least, as a partner you will profit from our continuing quality control process.

Our constant quality control:

• is an example and model for others

• makes proposals more transparent and distinguishable

• creates a foundation of trust

• encourages learning from others (network partners, advisors, businesses, etc.)

• allows measures to test effectiveness

• is public and serves to raise awareness

• contributes to the professionalism of implemented sociopolitical goals

Measures for generation management can be multifaceted. The spectrum of topics ranges from working hours, qualification, job rotation, appraisal, and knowledge transfer to the health and ergonomics of the workspace. The “Winning Age, Getting Future” Network realizes the following guidelines for demographically correct personnel policy.

Guidelines for demographically correct personnel policy:

• the presence of a mixed age structure

• the presence of an age-structure breakdown

• the use of age-appropriate personnel development measures

• diversity principles as interdisciplinary issues in personnel planning

• diversity principles as interdisciplinary issues in personnel recruiting

• anchoring generational topics in the corporate structure in line with their mission statement

• appraisal as a leadership principle

• the participation of all employees in age-management processes within the business

• age-appropriate job training for all employee groups

• age-appropriate working conditions

• age-appropriate company health aid

• securing the transfer of knowledge through differing methods (relay, handiwork, etc.)

Quality Control and Quality Control Criteria for consulting and qualification proposals

1. Consulting 

• recommendation through Network partners (check proposals and criteria and take over responsibility)
• consultants must present both themselves and their ideas to the Network for a unanimous resolution regarding cooperation
• required consultant participation in an experience workshop of Network partners (experience sharing, learning from one another, collective gain in competence)
• evaluation and testing of the effects of consulting projects through the Network (set and scheduled by the Network)
• quality control for Work Completion Coaches (ABC) in the German-speaking area in the ABC laboratory (voluntary annual experience sharing since 2007)
• performance index and quality criteria

            - confirmation of comprehensive generational proposals and approaches

            - providers stand for and demonstrate quality control

            - two practical references

            - consulting based on scientific models (e.g. Finnish House of 

               Employability)

• providers stand for and demonstrate quality control
• detailed description of consulting proposals
• encourages a participative approach (involvement of affected employees or the workers’ council when applicable)

2. Qualification

• EB (adult education) Seal of Quality (evaluation will be handed in later for new submissions)
• evaluation after every training attended by participants (organization, contents, etc.) => feedback survey of providers
• continuous quality control of course development and advancement (e.g. ISO-certification)
• the goal of the offered courses should support the handling of demographic change
• the service of educated and tested trainers (e.g. “train the trainer” – special approaches to support demographic change)