SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE: THE EU’s COMMON ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Robert C. Rickards German Police University, Münster, Germany

Munich Business School, Munich, Germany

Rolf Ritsert

German Police University, Münster, Germany

ABSTRACT

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a quality management tool for monitoring and evaluating performance. It is in widespread use throughout the European Union, but largely unknown elsewhere. After a brief introduction, this study describes the CAF’s main purposes, principles, and criteria, as well as the steps involved in their implementation. The study also presents the modified instrument, CAF (E), employed to assess the leadership criterion in an educational institution. The chapter closes with a case study reporting before- and after-results from use of the CAF in a German police academy.