COA - Council On Accreditation

	Human Resources Management

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Introduction

In the social and human services field, an organization’s workforce is its greatest asset. Since employees and volunteers perform the tasks and provide the services that fulfill the organization’s mission, it is incumbent upon Human Resources Management to develop and implement strategies, plans, and programs necessary to attract, motivate, develop, reward, and retain the best people to meet the organization’s goals and objectives. The significance of Human Resources Management is that the capacity to attract and retain a stable, qualified workforce is the foundation for achieving positive results for the people the organization serves.

Human Resources Management also holds important implications for risk management. Sound, consistently applied human resources practices help reduce the risk of employment litigation and costs. Sound practices help protect another of the organization’s most important assets: its reputation in the community.

Interpretation: The term “workforce” covers full-time and part-time employees as well as volunteers. The use of these terms is governed by the following guidelines:

Direct service, clerical, professional, or management volunteers are considered to be part of an organization’s personnel and will be included in the accreditation self-study;
If the organization does not use volunteers in its management, direct service, or any other ongoing activity, standards that only refer to volunteers do not apply to the organization; and
COA will not consider occasional or “casual” volunteers in its evaluation of an organization’s compliance. For example, a volunteer who is present a few times to assist in addressing direct mail campaign envelopes or a similar activity has no ongoing role. In contrast, a volunteer custodian, cook, or secretary who works on a regularly scheduled basis has an ongoing role and will be considered in evaluating an organization’s human resource practices.

Interpretation: Network personnel can include:

employees of the network management entity, including administrative personnel and direct service providers;
employees of network partner organizations who provide direct network services, if the network is a membership network;
employees of subcontracting network provider organizations; and
independent, individual providers.

Note: Please see Clarification: Volunteers,_Consultants_and Interns Standards and Self-Paced_Training: Human Resources (HR) in the Tools Index for additional assistance with this standard.


	PURPOSE: A stable, qualified workforce contributes effectively and efficiently to consumer satisfaction and positive service delivery results.

RELATED FILES


	CONSUMER The individual, family, group, or community that seeks or receives services.


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	HUMAN SERVICES Programs designed to address individual and group development and well-being in addition to conditions that impact individuals and groups including: aging, delinquency and crime, child welfare, poverty, housing, education, employment, mental health, physical health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities.


	EMPLOYEE Paid member of an organization. Foster parents are not considered employees and are specifically referenced in relevant standards.


	VOLUNTEER An individual who performs services for an organization for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services rendered. Such service must be offered freely and without pressure or coercion, direct or implied, from an employer. If the individual is otherwise employed by the same employer for which s/he volunteers, the individual cannot volunteer to perform the same type of services that s/he is paid to perform as an employee.


	HUMAN RESOURCES A department or service that is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and retaining personnel and monitoring the regulations and services applicable to a particular organization.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	OBJECTIVE A sub-goal stated in operational terms, i.e., a statement that makes clear what expected results are to be measured or assessed.


	RISK MANAGEMENT A systematic process of evaluating and reducing potential risks that may befall personnel, clients, an organization, or a facility. Risk management activities are directed toward reducing an organization's legal and financial exposure, especially to lawsuits.


	PRACTICE Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of organizational duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.


	MANAGEMENT See ADMINISTRATION


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	ACCREDITATION The formal evaluation of an organization against accepted criteria or standards. A professional society, non-governmental organization, or a governmental agency may conduct accreditation activities. A COA-accredited organization has undergone a period of rigorous self-study and is capable of providing programs and services that meet or exceed COA standards.


	PERSONNEL The body of employees and/or volunteers that carries out the organization's tasks under the organization's administration and/or supervision. This definition does not include foster parents who are specifically referenced in relevant standards


	EVALUATION The review and assessment of organizational operations, programs and services.