I know - this is a slightly odd thing to write about.  But, I came across an article in CIPD that discussed 360 degree feedback.  Within it is a section on Choosing an online 360 feedback provider.

I've repeated that section below.  It's a useful aide memoir and I suspect a number of people who visit our blog or website are trying to achieve this task.  Hope it helps.

Here is their text ....

"Search Google UK for ’online 360 feedback‘ and you'll get over one and a half million matches. There is a huge selection of providers, and no doubt each will do 360 feedback slightly differently. In choosing a provider, it is important to ask the questions that will result in a system that fits your business, and complies with regulatory requirements and best practice.

• Is it an easy, step-by-step process, with clear guidance and online help?
• How flexible is it? Can it use your competencies? Can you choose the rating scale? Can you add your branding, extra supporting information and help pages? Will it cope with the number of users anticipated?
• Is it easy for recipients to own the process, by requesting their own feedback, designing their own questionnaires, being involved in selecting, briefing and following up their respondents?
• How useful are the feedback reports?
• How much administration is involved? Does it minimise the opportunity for human error, and allow those that do occur to be quickly corrected?
• Does it run on the Internet or on an intranet? If the latter, is it compatible with existing software, how will it be affected by changes or upgrades, and what are the maintenance overheads and security implications. If on the Internet, do people have access, and if not, what is involved in setting up access.
• How responsive is the provider to requests for changes?
• How is confidentiality protected?
• Does the supplier offer strong information security? The ISO/IEC 17799 Code of Practice for Information Security Management⁶ establishes guidelines and general principles for organisations.
• How accessible is the system to people with disabilities? The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) requires service providers to ensure the services they provide are accessible to people with disabilities. The DDA requirement applies to services delivered via the Internet and it applies to all businesses and all public sector organisations."

Now, I don't think the list is perfect, but if I were choosing an online 360 degree feedback provider then I would have much of this list in my criteria.

Brendan