Quality Management in RDI activities and Services

Operating Methods

The below list describes the operating methods that JAMK deploys in quality management in RDI activities and Services:

Planning

• JAMK’s strategy and principles: the choices made in JAMK’s strategy as well as the principles of R&D operations and the pedagogical principles steer the planning of R&D activities.
• Performance agreements and the budget: The targets agreed with the Ministry of Education and Culture and JAMK’s strategy are translated into School -level goals in performance agreements (TATU agreements) between the Rector and the Schools. Budgeting with strategically correct targeting supports the achievement of the objectives.
• Plans: A project plan steers the execution of an R&D project. A tender and a contract direct the execution of the service offered to the customer.

Action

• Processes and guidelines: The most essential processes are described in the JAMK Process Manual (TOKA). The most important operational guidelines are Project instructions.

Follow-up and evaluation

• Feedback: Customer feedback is collected at the end of all R&D projects. Students that have participated in the projects give their feedback in course feedback. Feedback from the R&D project’s steering group is collected continuously and from the most important finance providers in every two years. In chargeable services feedback is collected and processed as described in the quality guides of the Schools.
• Evaluations: Every R&D project is evaluated already at the planning stage with the evaluation tool. Project portfolio review is conducted four times a year in JAMK’s Management team. In every two or three years, JAMK commissions various external thematic evaluations associated with RDI activities or education.

Quality improvement

• Development projects and tasks: Strategic development projects as well as development tasks identified on the basis of the follow-up and evaluation data are carried out according to plan.
• Making use of follow-up and evaluation: Procedures for dealing with and making use of the follow-up and evaluation data have been agreed on.
• Daily improvement: All persons working and studying at JAMK continuously strive for developing their own work and competence. If needed, the project manager will find out the reasons for weak customer feedback. Corrective measures based on the feedback will be taken as seen necessary by persons responsible for chargeable services.

Results in Quality Management in RDI activities and Services

The results regarding JAMK’s RDI activities and Services are manifested in indicators, feedback and evaluations.

Indicators

Indicators are displayed on the websites JAMK’s results and Results in Education.

Feedback

Customer feedback of R&D projects
JAMK compiles customer feedback from all the R&D projects at the end of them. The figure below displays the customer feedback from 2011 (n = 38).

More feedback can be found on the websites JAMK’s results and Results in Education.

Evaluations

External evaluations
The external evaluation of JAMK’s R&D activities was carried out in 2010-2011. Please check the report (in Finnish, Abstract also in English)

More evaluations can be found on the websites JAMK’s results and Results in Education.