Common Assessment Framework

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a common European quality management instrument for the public sector, derived from the EFQM Excellence model and the German Speyer model. It is a free tool to assist public sector organisations to improve their performance.

The CAF "is based on the premise that excellent results in organisational performance, citizens/customers, people and society are achieved through leadership driving strategy and planning, people, partnerships and resources, and processes. It looks at the organisation from different angles at the same time, the holistic approach of organisation performance analysis."

On the 7th of September 2011, the CAF User Database contained 2382 public sector organisations from 43 different nationalities or from the EU institutions.

Origin and evolution of the CAF

In 1998, discussions amongst the Directors-General of the Public Administration of the EU Member States in the European Public Administration Network (EUPAN) revealed that there was a need for a common European quality framework that could be used across the public sector as a tool for organisational self-assessment. As a consequence of this, it was decided that this quality framework should be jointly developed under the aegis of the Innovative Public Services Group (IPSG), an informal working group of national experts set up by the Directors General.

The CAF model was launched in 2000 at the 1st European Quality Conference in Lisbon. The first two years of CAF were evaluated with a study on the use of the model. The results led to an improved version of the model, the CAF 2002, which was presented at the 2nd European Quality Conference in Denmark. In 2005, a new study on the use of the CAF was conducted. A number of areas in the CAF needed further improvement:increase the coherence and simplicity of the model, increase the user friendliness by improving the examples and the glossary, develop a more fine‐tuned scoring system for certain users, and broaden the quality approach with directives for the improvement action plans and guidelines for bench learning. The CAF was improved for the second time in 2006. The new CAF 2006 was presented at the 4th European Quality Conference in Finland. This version is the most recent version of the CAF model. (refer!)

Year	Event
1998	Agreement on the development of the CAF within the EUPAN network
2000	Launch of the CAF
2001	Creation of the European CAF Resource Centre at EIPA (European Institute of Public Administration) - Maastricht
2002	First revision of the model: Launch of the CAF 2002
2006	Second revision of the model: Launch of the CAF 2006
2009	Launch of the Procedure on External Feedback and the Effective CAF User label
2010	Launch of the CAF and Education version

Purpose of the CAF

The CAF has four main purposes:

1. To introduce public administrations to the principles of TQM and gradually guide them, through the use and understanding of self-assessment, from the current “Plan-Do” sequence of activities to a full fledged “Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)” cycle;
2. To facilitate the self-assessment of a public organisation in order to arrive at a diagnosis and improvement actions;
3. To act as a bridge across the various models used in quality management;
4. To facilitate bench learning between public-sector organisations.

The structure of the CAF model

In general, the CAF model is very similar to the EFQM Excellence model. Firstly, both are based on almost the same eight principles/concepts. In the case of the CAF, these principles are called 'the principles of excellence'. These eight principles are:

1. Results orientation
2. Citizen/Customer focus
3. Leadership & constancy of purpose
4. Management of processes & facts
5. Involvement of people
6. Continuous improvement & innovation
7. Mutually beneficial partnerships
8. Corporate social responsibility
   

Secondly, both models have the same structure: nine criteria representing the main aspects requiring consideration in any organisational analysis. There are five enabler-criteria (Leadership, Strategy & Planning, People, Partnerships & Resources and Processes) and four result-criteria (Citizen/Customer Oriented Results, People Results, Society Results and Key Performance Results). The Enablers cover what an organisation does. The Results cover what an organisation achieves. By performing a self-assessment with the CAF, public sector organisations can find areas for improvement in the functioning of the organisation and in pursuing the desired results.

The big difference between the CAF and the EFQM Excellence model is the focus of each model. Whilst the second model focuses on the private sector, the CAF is especially designed for the public sector. The guidelines of both models are therefore totally different.

“Public management and quality in the public sector have a number of special unique conditions in comparison with the private sector. They presume basic preconditions, common to our European socio-political and administrative culture: legitimacy (democratic parliamentary), the rule of law and ethical behaviour based on common values and principles such as openness, accountability, participation, diversity, equity, social justice, solidarity, collaboration and partnerships.”

Further reading

• The CAF 2006 brochure
• Study (2011) on the use, the support and the future of the CAF

External links

• European CAF Resource Centre
• EUPAN (European Public Administration Network)
• CAF User Database