Public administration

Quality management as a strategic success factor is becoming increasingly important in public administration. Decision-makers in politics and administration have long recognized the enormous opportunities offered by modern quality management systems.

Whether it's establishing an effective management tool, or transitioning from an authority enforcing standards, laws, and regulations, focusing on law enforcement, to a citizen- and customer-oriented service provider. Or simplifying or accelerating procedures and procedures in general when modernizing administration, thereby taking important systematic steps towards a relatively easy, effective, and above all, sustainable implementation of budget reform. Public administration has so far embraced quality management systems—primarily ISO 9001—as extremely helpful implementation tools. Furthermore, further developments toward integrated management systems are gaining momentum, particularly the development of environmental management systems according to ISO 14001.

Quality management is part of the European Union's Lisbon Strategy. In the EU, the use of quality management is seen as part of public administration reform that contributes to the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy.

Quality management offers public administration new ways to undertake essential and important tasks, enabling it to interact effectively with commerce, industry, and society as a whole. A government that continually learns and develops is an integral part of quality management.

Total quality management offers the opportunity to integrate existing or planned modernization tools, such as cost and performance calculations and controlling, and counteract the trend of viewing modernization primarily in terms of business management. Quality management, designed and conceptualized in this way, can make a significant contribution to the overall reform of public administration.

CAF

CAF stands for Common Assessment Framework. CAF is a European quality assessment system with the motto "Improving Organizations Through Self-Assessment." In this way, it aligns with the principles of the EFQM Excellence Model. As a comprehensive quality management system, CAF identifies potentials ("enablers") and the quality of outcomes ("performance" criteria). CAF considers all stakeholders, including societal interests (environment, social issues). CAF is not a "management concept," meaning it does not specify how or with what tools results should be achieved. However, this also means that it lacks systemic principles, most of which are absolutely essential to ensuring sustainable business success. On the other hand, CAF can be easily combined with other concepts.

Self-assessment according to CAF is a suitable way to prepare for certification according to ISO 9001. In this way, Quality Austria GmbH is a competent and experienced partner of public administration bodies, providing information and training and supporting public administrations in inventory taking.