This practical guide provides answers to the `whats′, `whys′ and `hows′ of quality management (QM) as educational leaders are trying to define quality in their schools and districts. Using the successes of the private sector as a starting point, the authors show administrators how to apply QM in their school or district, how to make sound decisions and how to cope with setbacks. They provide all the essential information to make a wise and practical choice about quality and how to get the process under way.
Roger Kaufman, Ph.D. is an influential figure in the history of the educational technology and performance improvement fields as well as strategic thinking and planning for public- and private-sector organizations. Regarded as one of the founding figures of the field, he is referred to as the father of needs assessment.
While needs assessment is such common practice today that many new practitioners may not be able to envision a time when it was not part of the standard process, his work in this area established one of the foundational concepts that sets professional practice apart. The core tenets of his work are reflected in the professional standards for certifying performance technologists, such as the emphasis on system thinking and planning and sound evaluation of outcomes.
Over his 40 years of work Kaufman developed what he considers to be his essential work - the Mega Planning model, a framework for adding measurable value to society.
In 2014, the International Society for Performance Improvement created an honorary award named the Roger Kaufman Award for Societal Impact honoring the work of individuals or groups who apply this systemic performance assessment and planning process with clear impact on societal outcomes.