Planning for Success© recommends use of the EFQM Excellence Model™ for self-assessment. Used by tens of thousands of private, public and voluntary sector organisations, it provides clarity about what we are good at and what we could improve at. It is also the standard around which many other performance management standards and audit frameworks are based.

The Model can be applied with varying degrees of rigour and sophistication. Planning for Success© deliberately uses approaches that provide the most appropriate balance between effort and effectiveness. Specially adapted for use at unit level, the Planning for Success Excellence Self-assessment© uses workbooks that are directly based on the Model’s principles, but have been stripped of inappropriate ‘management speak’. The workbooks are tailored with relevant examples from each organisation’s own environment. This ensures all managers and their teams get full benefit from a relevant, practical and effective planning and improvement tool. Self-assessments are an integral part of the Planning for Success© framework. They ensure all units take appropriate time out each year to review progress and select the next improvement priorities. This forms an integral part of the organisation’s natural planning cycle.