Development of Criteria for Assessing Fundamental Quality of Consumer Organizations and their Certification for Advocating the Establishment of the Consumer Organization Council under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To develop the criteria for assessing fundamental quality of consumer organizations (CO) and their certification with the criteria. Methods: Brainstorming among 8 experts was conductก to develop the criteria. The study collected data on the performance of 100 COs in health areas to determine the scoring detail from 0-3 in each criteria. A total of 297 COs submitted a request for a fundamental quality certification in phase I of assessment. Subsequently, assessment criteria for renewal of the certification for COs that had previously passed the criteria were established. Quality assessment in phase 2 of the study held two years after the first phase I of assessment was for COs applying for the first time assessment and those filing for renewal of certification. Results: Criteria to certify COs consisted of 14 items with 7 on structure domains, 5 on working process domain, and 2 on work outcome domain. While those for the renewal of certification consisted of 6 items with 5 on working process domain, and 1 on work outcome domain. All were subset of the criteria to certify COs. The passing level was 70% of the full score. In phase 1 assessment, 250 of the 297 COs filing for the assessment passed (84.18%). In the second phase of the assessment, 156 of the 218 participating COs passed (71.56%). Among 134 COs who applied for first time certification, 95 passed (70.90%). Among 84 COs requesting for renewal of certification, 61 passed the assessment (72.62%). Those filing for first time certification had an average score 2.48-3.00 on the structure domain. For working process domain, COs assessed for the first time, and those for renewal of certification had average scores of 1.32-2.04 and 1.76-2.44, respectively. For work outcomes domain, those assessed for the first time scored an average of 0.59-2.67, while those for renewal of certification scored an average of 2.67. Top three criteria which large number of those assessed for the first time scored at the full score of 3 were number of employees (100% of the organizations), board of directors/working groups (97.01%) and name (92.54%). Top three criteria which large number of those assessed for renewal of certification scored at the full score of 3 were activities/performance (79.76%), verifiable documents (59.52%), and minutes (55.95%). Conclusion: The criteria for assessing fundamental quality of COs developed in the study can be used to assess the quality of COs to determine suggestion for further improving their quality and to prepare them for becoming the COs in the Consumer Organization Council as stipulated by the Constitution.