Program management is the complete management of all phases of all educational facility projects including control of procedures, schedules, costs, finances, and quality. (MLF)

Describes the elements of a quality assurance (QA) program for special libraries, including one library's program and problem-solving model; the role of others in the library's program; types of recordkeeping; and integration of the program with organizational QA. Ten suggestions for establishing a QA program are offered. (6 references) (MES)

Data gathered from 296 agency accreditation surveys, conducted by the Accreditation Council on Services for People with Developmental Disabilities, were analyzed, focusing on ownership, services provided, size of residential units, critical standards, characteristics of individuals served, and accreditation outcome. Redundancies between private…

Describes the background of library outsourcing, and discusses the quality of cataloging and physical processing services provided by Blackwell North America and B. H. Blackwell Ltd. during a one-year pilot project at Stanford University (California). At the end of the project, an error rate of less than 1% was achieved in outsourced work.…

Investigates the extent to which draft reviews improved the technical accuracy of two computer documents. Finds that draft reviews encouraged reviewers to make suggestions about all aspects of a document, not only technical accuracy. Recommends that draft reviews be supplemented by numerous other quality control techniques such as user reviews and…

Describes how, by adapting software inspections to assess documentation and code, technical writers can collaborate with development personnel, editors, and customers to dramatically improve both the quality of documentation and the very process of inspecting that documentation. Notes that the five steps involved in the inspection process are:…

Discusses the inaccuracies and distortions found within the Portland Baseline Essays, one of the most widespread Afrocentric teacher resource materials in use. Specific distortions examined are that ancient Egypt was a Black nation and that the achievements of ancient Greece had African origins. (GLR)

Twelve articles on total quality management (TQM) cover the following: corporate transformation; systemic barriers to quality improvement; Japan's experience; avoiding costly mistakes; the experience of Land-Rover, Hewlett Packard, and Britain's Royal Mail; unleashing the potential of people; and a profile of a senior TQM practitioner. (SK)

A collaborative approach to program design, marketing, instruction, and evaluation can yield high quality interdisciplinary certificate programs. Evaluation issues include (1) quality of core knowledge; (2) input from beneficiaries; (3) appropriate methodology; (4) appropriate instructors; (5) measurement of learning gains; and (6) curriculum…

Discusses benchmarking, the continuous process of measuring one's products, services, and practices against those recognized as leaders in that field to identify areas for improvement. Examines ways in which benchmarking can benefit human resources functions. (JOW)

Nursing homes in Illinois Quality Incentive Program receive separate bonus payment per Medicaid day for achieving each of six quality standards. Of 809 participating homes (1985-88), over 90 percent of eligible facilities chose to participate annually. Success in achieving bonus payments in multiple standards increased over time, with 27 percent…

Discusses issues that must be addressed when archivists consider whether to join in cooperative preservation microfilming projects. Highlights include the pros and cons of microfilming, project planning needs, physical preparation, intellectual control (i.e., the order of the materials on the film), quality control inspection, cataloging,…

Describes a new form of academic quality assurance, the academic audit. Reviews use of academic audits abroad and experimental use of such audits in the United States. Identifies issues in academic audits, including focus of audits, auditor selection and training, institutional preparation for an audit, interaction between institutional policies…

Describes how keeping carpets in good condition depends not only on proper maintenance but also on careful carpet selection at the outset. Offers advice for restoring a carpet's new appearance through vacuuming and hot-water extraction and suggests ways to manage spots and stains. (RJM)

Reviews lessons learned from early experiments with academic audits in the United Kingdom, Sweden, New Zealand, and Hong Kong in areas such as: focus of audits, selection and training of audit teams, nature of audit self-studies, conduct of audit visits, audit reports, and audit follow-up and enhancement activities. Suggests guidelines for design…