Italy’s CAF Journey: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Italy continues to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to quality management and organisational excellence in public administration through Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. (Growth) – Coinvolgimento delle Risorse Umane per l’Efficienza, lo Sviluppo e la Collaborazione Integrata tra Amministrazioni (Involvement of Human Resources for Efficiency, Development and Integrated Collaboration among Administrations). Coordinated by Formez PA and the Italian CAF National Resource Centre, the initiative represents a comprehensive effort to strengthen organisational performance, empower public employees and support public administrations in their continuous improvement journeys.
The project builds on Italy’s strong quality management tradition and demonstrates how CAF can be successfully embedded into a broader national framework for organisational development, performance management and public sector modernisation.
A strong quality management tradition
Quality management has a well-established place within the Italian public administration system. Over the years, a solid legislative framework has supported the development of performance-oriented and citizen-focused administrations, including Law 241/1990, the Nicolais reforms, Legislative Decree 150/2009 (Brunetta Reform) and, more recently, the Integrated Plan of Activities and Organisation (PIAO).
Within this context, the Italian CAF National Resource Centre has played a key role since 2007 by promoting the CAF model nationwide, supporting public administrations during their first self-assessment exercises, generating knowledge and testing innovative approaches for continuous improvement. Stakeholder involvement, employee empowerment and organisational learning remain at the heart of its activities.
Building a national CAF learning ecosystem
One of the most remarkable aspects of Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. is the scale of its investment in people and organisational learning.
Recognising that sustainable quality management starts with knowledgeable and engaged employees, the Italian CAF National Resource Centre has embedded CAF training within the national public administration learning system. Through the national Syllabus platform, public servants across Italy have access to structured CAF training programmes organised at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. The programme is available to public employees wishing to strengthen their understanding of organisational excellence, self-assessment and continuous improvement methodologies.
This approach goes far beyond traditional training delivery. By creating a common language around quality, performance and organisational improvement, Italy is investing in internal capacities that enable public administrations to manage their own transformation processes. The initiative contributes to building a broad community of CAF practitioners capable of driving continuous improvement across the public sector.
Supporting organisations throughout the CAF journey
Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. is structured around three interconnected pillars:
- Self-assessment assistance;
- External evaluation and CAF Excellence Recognition (CER);
- Activities at the European level.
Together, these pillars provide organisations with comprehensive support, from initial learning and self-assessment to external feedback, recognition and participation in the wider European CAF community.
A key component of this support system is the F@CILE CAF (EasyCAF) platform. Designed as a practical online environment, the platform guides organisations through each stage of the self-assessment process. Participants can access guidance documents, videos, practical tools and methodological support organised according to the different steps of the CAF methodology.
The platform has recently been updated to reflect the requirements of the new CAF Excellence Recognition procedure. Training materials, webinars and virtual classroom resources have been revised accordingly, ensuring alignment between self-assessment activities and external feedback processes. Four administrations are currently using the platform, and their self-assessment processes are expected to be completed in 2026.
Learning through self-assessment
The project demonstrates that CAF self-assessment is not merely an evaluation exercise but a powerful organisational learning process.
Participating organisations have worked under demanding timelines, yet strong commitment from management and employees has enabled them to overcome many challenges. According to the Italian CAF team, extensive collective learning has already taken place through discussions, online sessions, exchanges of information and peer-to-peer collaboration among participating administrations.
This emphasis on dialogue, reflection and shared ownership reflects one of CAF’s greatest strengths: bringing people together to better understand organisational performance and jointly identify opportunities for improvement.
Strengthening regional capacity
Another innovative feature of Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. is the establishment of CAF Regional Centres.
The objective is to create territorial networks that support the diffusion of CAF, ensure continuity of assistance beyond the duration of the project and strengthen local capabilities and empowerment. The first Regional CAF Centre was established in the Puglia region, with additional centres expected to follow in the coming months.
This decentralised model brings expertise closer to public administrations and contributes to the long-term sustainability of quality management initiatives throughout Italy.
Supporting the transition to CAF Excellence Recognition
A second major focus of the project is the implementation of the new CAF Excellence Recognition (CER) procedure.
To support this transition, Italy organised a refresher programme for existing External Feedback Actors (EFAs), enabling experienced CAF practitioners to familiarise themselves with the updated methodology. Ten EFAs participated in the pilot training and subsequently tested the new procedure during external feedback visits carried out between October and February.
The pilot phase included visits to several organisations, including educational institutions and public service organisations. These practical experiences generated valuable lessons for the future implementation of the CER procedure.
One important conclusion emerged: successful implementation of the new procedure requires appropriate supporting tools, sufficient implementation time and guided, step-by-step support. These findings provide valuable input for future CER developments at both national and European levels.
Looking ahead, Italy plans to further expand its network of CAF experts by training approximately twenty new External Feedback Actors. In line with the CAF philosophy, these experts will largely come from organisations that have already successfully implemented CAF, ensuring that practical experience remains at the centre of the external feedback process.
Contributing to the European CAF community
Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. extends beyond national borders. The Italian CAF National Resource Centre actively contributes to European discussions on CAF Excellence Recognition and remains a highly engaged member of the European CAF Network through the National Correspondents Meetings.
This continuous engagement demonstrates Italy’s commitment not only to strengthening quality management domestically, but also to contributing to the collective development of CAF and organisational excellence across Europe.
Looking ahead
The Italian experience demonstrates how sustained investment in people, knowledge sharing, digital tools and regional support structures can create a vibrant ecosystem for continuous improvement.
Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. illustrates that CAF is far more than a self-assessment framework. It is a catalyst for organisational learning, employee engagement, leadership development and collaboration across public administrations. Through the combination of nationwide training, digital support tools, regional capacity-building and a strong commitment to CAF Excellence Recognition, Italy is creating favourable conditions for a new generation of public organisations capable of driving their own improvement journeys.
As Europe prepares for the next generation of CAF, initiatives such as Project C.R.E.S.C.I.T.A. provide valuable inspiration for how National CAF Centres can act as engines of learning, innovation and continuous improvement, helping to strengthen a more resilient, people-centred and performance-oriented public sector.
Contact details
Luca Romanini
National CAF Correspondent
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
L.Romanini@funzionepubblica.gov.it