On July 31, 2026, the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union held an online training on the Zoom platform on the topic «Quality Management in the State Bodies of Ukraine using the CAF Model». The event was organised to familiarise representatives of the state bodies with the European self-assessment tool, the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), which is one of the key quality management models developed specifically for public sector organisations. The implementation of CAF contributes to improving the efficiency of public administration, developing organisational capacity, fostering citizen orientation, and ensuring the continuous improvement of internal processes.
The speakers of the event were Hanna Tretiachenko, First Deputy Director of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union, and Anzhela Kukulia, Head of the Project Management Unit of the Center. During the training, the participants reviewed the key aspects of total quality management, the structure of the CAF model, the methodology for organising self-assessment, the procedure for translating results into a realistic action plan, as well as the possibilities of engaging external feedback.
The CAF model combines nine criteria into two blocks: enablers (leadership, strategy and planning, people, partnerships and resources, processes) and results (citizen/customer results, people results, society results, and key performance results). The logic of the model is based on a simple principle: how an organisation operates should lead to measurable results. The CAF implementation process consists of ten steps grouped into three phases: preparation, self-assessment, and the transition from conclusions to actions. For the assessment, a scale based on the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is used, which allows determining the level of maturity of an organisation from a complete lack of activity to continuous improvement and the use of best practices.
Special attention during the training was paid to the consensus meeting, where participants with different views must reach a shared vision based on evidence rather than mere opinions. The role of the facilitator is crucial herethey help the group move from criticism to constructive decisions, keep the focus on the criteria, clarify terms, and ensure evidence-based discussions. As the speakers noted, quality management is not a separate function, but a way of managing the entire organisation. CAF makes it possible not just to obtain an assessment but to develop a clear action plan for improving operations and enhancing the quality of services for citizens. The model does not promise instant results, but it creates a disciplined process that prevents stopping at general impressions and encourages systemic changes.
