The institutionalisation of quality management in the EU Member States and candidate countries with a focus on the CAF model

For decades, public administration in Europe has been navigating the complex task of balancing citizen expectations, government accountability, and the unpredictability of global challenges. The pursuit of efficiency, trust, and excellence has shaped the reform trajectories of both EU Member States and candidate countries. Against this backdrop, quality management (QM) has emerged as a necessity for good public governance – a framework through which governments can adapt to crises, meet demands for transparency, and improve performance.

In this context, the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), a Total Quality Management (TQM) model specifically tailored for public administrations, has proved its relevance and resilience. Yet, the extent to which QM principles, and the CAF model in particular, have been institutionalised across countries remains uneven. This study delves into these variations, seeking to uncover what drives QM adoption, how it can be sustained, and why it matters now more than ever.