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aims at continuous improvement through citizen's satisfaction. It leads to better
short-term results and also to overall competitiveness and service reliability.
14.4.2 The CAF Model
A lot of discussion has been made on this issue. The so-called CAF is a model of qual-
ity management, which has been effected by the Excellence Model of the European
Foundation for Quality Management (2014). According to the model, the best
results in organizational performance, customers (students here), and society depend
on leadership, strategy and planning, human and nonhuman resources, partner-
ships, and administrative procedures. The CAF is a holistic analysis of organizational
performance approaching it from different angles simultaneously (Engel, 2002).
The CAF is offered as an easy-to-use tool to assist public sector organizations
across Europe to apply quality management techniques and improve their perfor-
mance. The CAF provides a framework set pertaining to the following abilities:
◾
To respond to citizens'/learners' needs and accountability
◾
To communicate on an institutional level
◾
For stakeholders (the educational community, i.e., teachers, students, and
parents) to participate and balance their needs
◾
To provide excellent services (teaching and learning)
◾
To achieve objectives (conquer knowledge, acquire skills, get moral values
and ethos)
◾
To modernize, innovate, and change
We graphically depict the functionality of the CAF model in Figure 14.1. It
consists of two parts: inputs and outputs. These are connected with the causal
relationship of transformation processes, whereas the feedback loop is called “learn-
ing and self-adjusting.” In that way, this model takes care of these two catalysts to
improve its overall performance.
In September 2012, the Greek Ministry of Education participated at the 5th
International Conference for CAF users in Oslo, Norway, titled “The CAF as a
Driving Force for Innovation” (Ministry of Education, 2012). The conference was
organized under the auspices of the European Institute of Public Administration
(EIPA) CAF Resource Center. The Greek presentation demonstrated how CAF
results can be combined with an emerged innovation (in the sector responsible
for organizing and conducting national-level examinations). It showed how a well-
designed partial restructuring can lead to more efficient methods in PA. The Greek
presentation was chosen to be first among the 18 “best administrative practices”
in public services and institutions within the European Union presented in that
conference.
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