The PIE Abacus in local networks

Service eco-systems and needs audit in local services networks

Senior managers, service planners and commissioners in a locality will wish to get an overview of local provision, of needs and gaps, of what is working and what is hindering.

We can now use the PIE Abacus, not just for tracking progress in individual services and agencies, but as a 'whole systems' assessment and consultation tool, by creating their own Abacus as a central information hub.

Local service planners can invite all the relevant services in their locality to in-put their data here, and specifically the views and suggestions on gaps and barriers that are beyond the scope of the services, and need whole system intervention.

 

Gaps and barriers

It is hoped that this use of the PIE iAbacus as a locality-based needs audit tool may then help both to identify and to address significant gaps in provision, barriers, awkward referral thresholds or procedures.

In addition, through the 'action planning' stage of the Pizazz process,  a shared overview of the 'spaces of opportunity' can be 'informed' with participants' own ideas and proposals for improving these pathways - that is, in what they themselves could do, and in what they would need from others.

This more ‘systemic’ use of the PIE Abacus, based on the experience of providing services, may also appeal to those arguing not just for greater efficiency but for system change.

 

Pin-pointing local issues

The greater breadth of the PIEs 2.0 framework, which the PIE Abacus uses (like the Pizazz on paper), allows for consistent and directly comparable overall information from a wider range of services or groups invited to participate. But it is also quite possible, with the PIE Abacus, to customise the PIE Abacus at local level with the addition of purely local issues.

(For more on this possibility, see Customising with the PIE AbacusHERE)

 

Service user and community assessments

It is also possible to have a fully independent parallel account of any service, produced by one or more service user groups. The ‘scribe’ feature here means that service users do not even need to be computer literate (or literate at all) to be able to have their views heard.

(For more on this, see Service user-led assessments: HERE)

NB: For this to be most effective, however, we may need to develop a more 'user-friendly', less technical vocabulary. There is preliminary working beginning on this currently; but we are unlike to begin in earnest until 2021.

(For an outline of this and other new areas, see PIEs, 1, 2 - & 3?:  HERE)

The simplest, most effective way to evaluate and improve your PIE from Daniel O'Brien on Vimeo.

 

PIElink pages

The PIE Abacus - an on-line Pizazz (summary) : HERE

What are people saying about the PIE Abacus? : HERE

Costs and sustainability : HERE

Use and terms of use : HERE

Ambition and modesty : HERE

A single framework : HERE

Customising the PIE Abacus : HERE

 

Essential background for PIE leads

The PIE Abacus range - an introduction for PIE leads : HERE

 

For applications in particular settings, see:

The PIE Abacus – in medium to large agencies HERE

The PIE Abacus – in local practice networks : HERE

The PIE Abacus – in smaller 'stand alone' services HERE

The PIE Abacus – as a research tool : HERE

The PIE Abacus – in communities of practice : HERE

The PIE Abacus – in service user-led assessments : HERE

The PIE Abacus – with services using PIEs1 : HER

 

All PIE Abacus FAQs : HERE