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Management Summary
“CAF works – Better results for the citizens by using CAF” presents 29 selected cases from 15 European countries which achieved remarkable results by using CAF. The publication concentrates on results and improvement actions based on the experience that “a result that appears bad is a good result because it shows there is potential for improvement” (Landratsamt Ebersberg). The overall objectives of this publication are: ■ to bring the CAF-self-assessment to life by showing specific results and improvements related to the
CAF-self-assessment. ■ to raise awareness of CAF as an instrument for quality management throughout Europe's public sector organisations. ■ to increase benchlearning between CAF-users.
The CAF cases in the publication are structured following the sectors of activity:
Participating countries and sectors of activities
Sectors Organisations Country
Customs, Taxes and Finances Tax Office Plonsk Poland Fund Management Institute Portugal
Economy and Agriculture
Estonian Animal Recording Centre Estonia The Pirkanmaa Employment and Economic Development Centre Finland Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and the Environment – Aquitaine France
Education and research
Health
The Austrian Study Grant Authority Austria Engineering College of Aarhus Denmark Bygholm Agricultural College Denmark The Institute D. Romanazzi of Bari Italy Municipal School “Hello Rochapea” Spain Seven municipal Music and Art schools Norway The Pirkanmaa Hospital District Finland
Local administration
Municipal District Office for the 15th District/ Vienna Austria Municipality of Faenza Italy Municipality of Chomutov Czech Republic Municipality of Porto Portugal Madrid City Hall Spain Administrative unit Krsko Slovenia Regional administration District Administration Rohrbach Austria Regional Authority of the Olomouc region Czech Republic District Administrator's Office Ebersberg Germany Office of Public Administration in Bács-Kiskun County Hungary Swietokrzyskie Voivodship Office in Kielce Poland The Protestant Church in Hessen and Nassau Germany Social services and social security Birth and Children Office Belgium Federal Public Service for Social Integration Belgium National Employment Office of Belgium Belgium Institute of Social Security Portugal Transport and infrastructure German Aerospace Center – Administrative Infrastructure Germany
Management Summary
All the CAF users stressed the importance of the CAF in their own process of modernisation and quality management. As the Institute for Social Security in Portugal stated: “Self-assessment gave rise to new ideas and a new way of thinking.” And moreover the core position of CAF as the initiator of improvement actions can be seen as the thread running through all the cases.
General Conclusions
CAF works: All 29 cases show that the CAF self-assessment process leads to measurable improvements. Using CAF therefore can be recommended for the introduction of a continuous process of modernisation in the organisation involving both - staff and management. The “embracing” function is one of CAF's major strengths which guarantees the support of high motivated employees.
CAF works – only if the management encourages and stands by the CAF self-assessment procedure: Without the involvement and strict commitment of the managers the CAF cannot be implemented successfully. Self-assessment and quality management need time (e.g. for assessment of most of the examples), an open-minded organisational culture and the guarantee that agreed modernisation measures and responsibilities will be respected by the management.
Benchlearning is one of CAF's major objectives. The Common Assessment Framework is an important instrument for benchlearning between public sector organisations of different countries but also within a single country.
Experienced facilitators can be an asset. They lead through the self-assessment and stress future modernisation processes and help to focus on improvement actions and measures for organisational and staff development.
