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Frei, MarcoQuality managementPerspectives for opera and orchestracategory: Essay published in: das Orchester 05/2012, Page 10 |
Picking up on the ongoing discussion on quality management (QM) in cultural institutions, Frei discusses what the term actual implies on a practical level: management tools enabling an organization to optimize internal processes to free resources for its actual mission. Talking to Michael Drautz, its executive director, Ruhnke gives a detailed account of the quality management at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the first organization of its kind in Germany to gain the ISO 9001 certification. Scherz-Schade, in his interview with an executive of standards testing company Dekra, presents the complementary picture: how processes were evaluated at the Festspielhaus and the general advantages of quality management. QM can also be a topic for orchestras, as Markus Lüdke of the Federal Academy for Cultural Education points out: he argues that quality is, or should be, an essential aspect for the development of an ensemble and its members. The article by Diana Betzler et al. presents preliminary findings of a research group at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. They call for a broader application of QM and the development of new tools for the assessment of the specific creative processes in cultural organizations. Speaking of the development of the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments, its founder Sieghardt Rometsch also highlights the importance of strategic processes, formulation of specific goals and their continual assessment. Communication is another aspect of QM, particularly the handling of crises, as illustrated in the interview with Peter Höbel, professional crisis and communications consultant. He argues for the evaluation of conflict potential, empathic analysis and proactive communication. QM can also include occupational health. Since 2004, operational integration management for ill employees is statutory in Germany. The article by Sven Scherz-Schade presents the Staatstheater Stuttgart as a highly successful case study of its implementation. The final article, by Marco Frei, looks at the experiences and developments in related organizations, such as museums and research libraries. On the one hand, they have adopted QM earlier than theatres or orchestras. At the same time, there is still a considerable backlog compared to other European countries.