CAF-Centre

Focus

What is CAF?
The CAF-Centre of KDZ
CAF Services of KDZ
CAF Excellence Recognition
CAF-online
CAF Practitioners Network
Publications
References

What is CAF?

Was ist CAF?

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a European quality management system designed to support the targeted development of organisations in the public and non-profit sector. It combines organisational development, quality management and change into a practical approach that provides orientation, creates clarity, safeguards quality and supports necessary changes in a targeted and effective manner.

The CAF Guide

As a leadership compass, CAF creates a common understanding of what characterises high-performing organisations. CAF supports managers and employees in focusing on what matters, identifying developments at an early stage and setting priorities for the future.

As an organisational development tool, CAF makes the interrelationships between leadership, strategy, employees, resources, digitalisation and processes visible. This enables organisations to recognise their strengths, identify areas for improvement and systematically develop their structures and processes further.

As a change and implementation tool, CAF translates shared insights into concrete improvements. Managers and employees jointly shape the change process, define measures and create the conditions for further development and improvements to actually reach the organisation's diverse stakeholders, citizens and employees in their day-to-day work.

As a quality management system, CAF supports organisations in systematically safeguarding and continuously developing the quality of their structures, processes and services. Results are measured and assessed, opportunities for improvement are identified and quality standards are established. This creates reliable processes and effective services that are consistently aligned with the needs of stakeholders.

The CAF assessment areas provide a holistic and structured view of the organisation: from leadership, strategy and people to partnerships, resources and processes, through to results for employees, citizens and society.

CAF creates a shared view of the organisation, generates willingness to change and makes key drivers for development visible. Together with managers and employees, sustainable priorities and concrete measures are developed for a high-performing, service-oriented and future-ready public administration.

The CAF Process

How does a joint assessment become genuine organisational development?

The CAF process design is the key: from sound analysis and joint consensus-building, through a clear understanding of the current situation, to concrete improvement measures and its implementation.

CAF-Bot

With the CAF-Bot*, we make our CAF knowledge available so that you can obtain quick answers about the Common Assessment Framework whenever you need them.

* The answers provided by CAF-Bot are generated by artificial intelligence and are not reviewed or controlled by humans.

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The CAF-Centre of KDZ

We are the first point of contact for all questions relating to the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and applications for the CAF Excellence Recognition.

As the Austrian CAF Centre appointed by the Federal Chancellery of Austria, we are the central point of contact for all CAF-related questions. In addition, the CAF Centre of KDZ is an internationally recognised expert in implementing CAF in public administrations, public enterprises and non-profit organisations.

CAF Services of KDZ

Organisations do not change through analysis alone. They change through clear leadership, active participation and consistent implementation.

Our CAF services combine the European quality management approach with organisational development and change management. They provide orientation, make improvement and efficiency potential visible, and translate these insights into concrete measures.

Whether you are looking for comprehensive organisational development, targeted efficiency improvements, a rapid impulse for change or the development of internal implementation capabilities – we offer the right CAF format for every challenge.

Designing better Public Administrations – Strengthening Quality, Increasing Impact and Securing Future Readiness

CAF Excellence - With the CAF model, public sector organisations can systematically reflect on and further develop their processes, structures and services. In a participatory process, opportunities for improvement are identified and measures are developed to increase effectiveness, strengthen service orientation and ensure that resources are used in a targeted manner to achieve organisational objectives. With CAF Excellence, organisations can also apply for the CAF Excellence Recognition.

Making Local Administrations Fit for the Future – High-Performing, Service-Oriented and Innovative

CAF Kommunal supports cities and municipalities in systematically reflecting on and further developing their processes, structures and services. In a participatory process, opportunities for improvement are identified and measures are developed to increase effectiveness, strengthen service orientation and use resources in a targeted manner to achieve objectives.

Accelerating Change, Implementing Improvements and Creating Impact

The CAF Transformation Sprint creates clarity about the initial situation within a short period of time, makes improvement and efficiency potential visible and consistently translates improvement proposals into implementable measures. Instead of a lengthy analysis phase, it provides a focused starting point for change, participation and measurable impact.

Increasing Efficiency, Saving Intelligently and Safeguarding Quality

CAF Efficiency combines the proven Common Assessment Framework (CAF) with a participatory management approach aimed at increasing efficiency. Together with managers and employees, we systematically identify tasks, rules and processes that do not make a sufficient contribution to the organisation's statutory mandate or the achievement of its objectives. We then develop practical measures to reduce the burden on the organisation, its employees and its operational implementation.

Shaping Organisations, Driving Change and Safeguarding Quality

CAF facilitators are internal organisational development and change experts. They identify opportunities for improvement, initiate and manage change projects, design appropriate participation formats and support the implementation of concrete development measures. At the same time, they strengthen quality management and ensure that improvements become sustainably embedded within the organisation.

Would you like to learn more?

Then arrange an appointment for a no-obligation initial consultation – online, by telephone or, of course, at our premises.

CAF Excellence Recognition

Recognition for Excellent and Innovative Public Administrations

Following the implementation of CAF, public sector organisations can apply at the Austrian CAF Centre for the CAF Excellence Recognition certificate.

The CAF Excellence Recognition is a recognised award at European and international level for excellent and innovative public organisations.

More information about CAF Excellence Recognition

list of CAF-certified organisations

CAF-online

CAF-online is the online tool for carrying out an efficient CAF self-assessment within your organisation.

This online questionnaire guides the members of the CAF assessment team step by step through the assessment process. At the end, the results of the CAF assessments are automatically summarised and clearly prepared for the subsequent workshops.

In addition to its intuitive operation, CAF-online offers a high level of data security and guarantees anonymity for participants during the individual assessment process.

CAF-online contains informative explanatory texts on the assessment areas and criteria, as well as a comprehensive CAF glossary and a detailed user guide.

In addition to German and English, CAF-online is also available in many other languages on request.

Would you like to see what CAF-online looks like and how it works?

Test the current CAF-online demo version free of charge and without obligation.

CAF-online - Free Demo-Version

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CAF Practitioners Network

CAF stands for Common Assessment Framework and provides a system for better Quality and Change in Public Administrations. With the CAF Practitioners Network the CAF Centre of KDZ hosts a format to bring together CAF users from around the world to exchange professional experience and strengthening practical knowledge in implementing CAF projects.

Sign up for the next CAF practitioners network meeting (online).

Find more Information and documents on previous CAF Practitioners Network meetings

Publications

Download & Ordering Options

References

The CAF Centre of KDZ has carried out the following CAF implementations, among others:

Austria

The Lower Austrian Environmental Associations
Court of Auditors of the City of Salzburg
Court of Auditors of the City of ViennaMinistry of Interior
Federal Ministry Republic of Austria – Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport
ABC Defense Center
Kommando Streitkräfte - Federal Ministry of Defence
Government of Styria
Government of Tirol
Court of Auditors of Lower Austria
Court of Auditors of Styria
Court of Auditors of Carinthia
City of Vienna
Municipalities: Lassee, Pressbaum, Zwentendorf, Gratkorn
Life Aid Associations: Ennstal, Leoben, Bruck-Kapfenberg, Mürztal
Municipal Association for Waste Management, Schwechat
Municipal Association for Waste Management and Tax, Baden
Municipal Association for Waste Management and Tax, Hollabrunn
Municipal Association for Tax and Environmental Protection, Krems

International

Evangelical Church in Hessen and Nassau, Germany
Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family of the State of Berlin, Germany
Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany
EU-Agency „eu-LISA“
Accreditation Office Moldova
Data Protection Office, Montenegro
Secretariat for Legislation of North Macedonia
Committee of the Regions of the European Union
Ministry of Public Administration Montenegro
Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia
Ministry of Agriculture, Bhutan
Ministry of Energy and Mining of Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ministry of Information Society and Administration, North Macedonia
Ministry of Agriculture, North Macedonia
Ministry of Civil Affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic Agency for Peaceful Settlement of Labour Disputes of Serbia
Public Administration Reform Coordinator's Office, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Accreditation Office, Republic of Serbia
Republic Authority for Geodetic and Property Affairs of Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Agency for Delivery of Integrated Services (ADISA), Albania
State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, North Macedonia
Employment Service Agency (ESA), North Macedonia
Bureau of Metrology, Montenegro
Statistic Institute of Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing
Civil Service Agency, Bosnia and Herzegovina
ReSPA - Regional School of Public Administration, Montenegro
Social Insurance Postal Services, Germany
City of Starnberg, Germany
City of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
City of Gjorče Petrov, North Macedonia
Municipality of Zeta, Montenegro
Municipality of Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Municipality of Zivinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina