On the first day Herve Michoux, managing director of Global-Mark, provided an in-depth look at the entire process and how organisations can prepare to successfully achieve Accreditation. Fiona Fitzgerald, with the Community Housing Regulatory Authority, joined for an hour to provide insights into the CHRA Registration process and areas where organisations have struggled to demonstrate compliance with the Performance Standards. In the afternoon, the nine participants worked through each section of the Best Practice Guide to understand the specific requirements for policies, documents, processes and measurements that are reviewed during the audit.
Julian Beacham from Lifewise commented that it was, “An engaging course well worth attending by anyone either experienced or new to community housing in Aotearoa, primarily to understand exactly what is required when fulfilling all Best Practice Guide sections and knowing exact policy documentation to provide auditors as well as also creating useful connections with people from other community housing organisations – thanks for an excellent workshop.”
The second day was devoted to training Peer Evaluators to participate in future NZ Accreditation audits. The six participants were given expert advice by Herve on the audit process, skills and techniques to undertake a successful audit. The specific role of the Peer Evaluator in support of the lead Global-Mark auditor along with Privacy and Confidentiality issues were highlighted. Terry Foster with the New Zealand Housing Foundation noted, “With peer evaluators working closely with lead auditors means that there will be opportunities for sharing other choices for ways of working and ensuring an honest, consistent and meaningful review.”
Special thanks to Accessible Properties for hosting us in their new offices.
