Publications

List of available Articles/ publications

Five Years of CAF 2006: From Adolescence to Maturity – What Next?
A study on the use, the support and the future of the Common Assessment Framework
Patrick Staes, Nick Thijs, Ann Stoffels and Sven Geldof

This research report consists of two substantial parts. The first part presents the results of the CAF NC survey, the second part those of the CAF users’ survey. The report ends with an overview of the main conclusions and the main points for attention from both surveys.
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Growing Towards Excellence in the European Public Sector
A decade of European collaboration with CAF
Patrick Staes and Nick Thijs (ed.)

In 2000 the Innovative Public Services Group (IPSG) of the EUPAN (European Public Administration Network) presented the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). After ten years of CAF in 2010 and more than 2000 registered CAF users, it is time to look at the state of affairs - what has been achieved in these ten years and - maybe even more importantly - what do we want to achieve in the next ten years?
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CAF works – Better results for the citizens by using CAF
This is an initiative of the Austrian Presidency in cooperation with EIPA's CAF Resource Centre. The brochure presents 29 excellent CAF applications from 15 countries and 8 different sectors, where the use of the CAF has led to improved results. The brochure is a reference for the application of the CAF model and should support the target of having 2000 registered CAF Users by 2010. [ English Français | Deutsch ] |

Survey 2005 & 2nd European CAF event:
Study on the use of the Common Assessment Framework in European Public Administrations & 2nd European CAF event, Luxembourg, 1-2 June 2005
Synthesis paper prepared by EIPA under the Luxembourg Presidency and presentations/conclusions of the Second European CAF event. [ English | Français ]

Greek guide on how to implement the CAF
by The Hellenic Ministry of the Interior
Download

Report on the State of Affairs of the CAF after Five Years
by Patrick Staes and Nick Thijs
Eipascope Article, 2005/3

Quality Management on the European Agenda
by Patrick Staes and Nick Thijs
Eipascope Article, 2005/1

CAF in the Czech Republic
The administrative district Prague 13
by Olga Vidláková
January 2007

The CAF and innovative eGovernment actions at local and regional level.
eGovernment final report

Improving the Quality of East and West European Public Services
Author/Editor: Elke Löffler and Mirko Vintar
Date: 2004
Contents - Info

CAF Self-assessment Work Book - 2006
28 or 60 searching questions and contrasting pairs of examples
Author: Juha Heino, Kirsi Levä, Kari Tuominen
Info

Quality Management Tools in CEE Candidate Countries: Current Practice, Needs and Expectations
Dr. Christian Engel
EIPA 2003/P/02, 104 pages, Only available in English, ISBN 90-6779-176-8, € 28

Study on the use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in European Public Administrations
Synthesis paper prepared by EIPA for the 41th meeting of the Directors-General of Public Administration, Rome, December 2003 - by Dr. Christian Engel and Seán Fitzpatrick
[ English | Français | Deutsch ]

Common Assessment Framework: The State of Affairs
by Dr. Christian Engel
Eipascope Article, 2002/1

A common European quality management instrument for the public sector

developed by the public sector.

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a result of the co-operation among the EU Ministers responsible for Public Administration. A pilot version was presented in May 2000 and revised versions were launched in 2002 and 2006. A CAF Resource Centre (CAF RC) was created at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) in Maastricht following the decision of the Directors General in charge of public service. It works in close cooperation with the network of CAF national correspondents.

The CAF is an easy-to-use, free tool to assist public-sector organisations across Europe in using quality management techniques to improve their performance. The CAF is a total quality management (TQM) tool which is inspired by the major Total Quality models in general, and by the Excellence Model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) in particular. It is especially designed for public-sector organisations, taking into account their characteristics.

The model 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, resources and processes. It looks at the organisation from different angles at the same time; a holistic approach to organisation performance analysis.

Structure

The CAF has four main purposes:

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 (PCDA)” cycle;
To facilitate the self-assessment of a public organisation in order to arrive at a diagnosis and improvement actions;
To act as a bridge across the various models used in quality management;
To facilitate bench learning between public-sector organisations.

Highly appreciated in the CAF implementation is the involvement of staff. CAF is a joint project for management and staff and very often CAF is the first occasion in which management and staff meet to discuss the state of affairs of the organisation and the options for the future in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

The use of CAF in Europe

Over the past 10 years, nearly 2000 public sector organisations all over Europe have used the model and the number of CAF Users is still growing.

In 2009, the CAF External Feedback has been created to further support organisations in using the CAF most effectively in their future quality management journey. This procedure carried out by peers and experts in TQM aims at providing external feedback on the introduction of total quality management with the help of CAF, not only relating to the self-assessment process, but also regarding the path organisations have chosen to attain excellence in the long run.

This website provides all the available information at European level. We invite you to discover it and to contact us if you need further information.

Quality Development in the Field of Justice Patrick Staes and Nick Thijs Published: 2008	CAF - Movie Caf Resource Centre Published: 2007
CAF - pour un service public de qualité Editors: Elisabeth Dearing, Patrick Staes, Thomas Prorok Published: 2006	CAF works - better service for the citizens by using CAF Editors: Elisabeth Dearing, Patrick Staes, Thomas Prorok Published: 2006
CAF - wirkt – mehr Service und Leistungsqualität für alle Editors: Elisabeth Dearing, Patrick Staes, Thomas Prorok Published: 2006	Quality Management Tools in CEE Candidate Countries: Current Practice, Needs and Expectations Christian Engel Published: 2003

Patrick Staes (BE) Seconded National Expert Fields of Specialisation: Public management; quality in the public sector; Common Assessment Framework (CAF); consulting services.	Nick Thijs (BE) Lecturer Fields of Specialisation: Public management reform; comparative public administration; public sector quality management; quality models and techniques (Common Assessment Framework – CAF); consultancy services.
Ann Stoffels (BE) Programme Organiser

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