Because assessments are set up as non-threatening activities reinforced by non-attribution of information and the pledged confidentiality of everyone who participates, they say to all involved that the goal is to "fix the process, not the people." Assessments make it very clear by their principle of strict confidentiality that it is not their business to "place blame" on individuals or projects. Their goal is to improve the organization’s way of doing business so that an environment is created for staff, managers, and customers that enables the production of a higher quality product.
Without confidentiality, asking organizational staff about the way they do their work could be intrusive and threatening. People could fear for their jobs and would be less than honest in expressing themselves. The entire assessment process would then be compromised.
That is why the procedures that an assessment uses to address an organization’s processnot its peopleneed to be rigorously maintained. Strictly confidential assessment results are reported to the organization, and no specific person or project is identified with any of the assessment data collected. Each interview participant is also asked to keep confidential anything he or she may hear anyone say during the interview. The confidentiality also continues after the assessment is concluded. The assessment representative receives detailed data with all attribution removed. The assessment team members are asked to make a pledge of confidentiality, even after the assessment is over.
Sometimes concern arises that organizations need detailed identifiable data upon which to build improvement activities, but this concern is unfounded. After attribution has been removed, a large bank of highly detailed assessment data remains for improvement planning.