Quality is one of the main concerns among institutions and stakeholders today especially those involved in open and distance learning (ODL). This study sought to examine staff related factors contributing to quality in the Zimbabwe Open University. The study was qualitative. Open-ended questionnaires, interviews and autobiographical accounts were used to collect the qualitative data. A purposive sample of 18 full time and 35 part-time lecturers from the department of education in the Zimbabwe Open University participated in the research. // The study found out that staff support, well-coordinated and systematic step-by-step processes of staff induction, staff development, caring for workers, adequate funding and results based incentives were vital to quality in an ODL institution. Staff also cited competencies in, positive attitudes towards and commitment to the philosophical underpinnings of open and distance learning as factors contributing to quality in ODL. The study recommended that a quality improvement framework, which is more adaptable to individual contexts, must be developed as institutional policy and strategy for continuous improvement of ZOU staff. Further research could be done on the organisational factors contributing to quality and an appropriate quality framework for ZOU.