CAF National Correspondent
The CAF Model in Europe and in Slovakia
More than 20 years have passed since the introduction of the pilot version of the CAF model. Its creation was the result of cooperation among the EU Ministers responsible for Public Administration, and this European dimension has been preserved in the model to this day. This continuity is ensured not only by institutions at the European level but also by the network of CAF National Correspondents, which is why any changes to the model are the result of a broad consensus.



European Public Administration Network – EUPAN
EUPAN is an informal network of Directors-General (DGs) responsible for public administration in the EU Member States, the European Commission, and observer countries. The main objective of the network is to strengthen cooperation among European public administration organizations and to identify common solutions in areas that are priorities for individual Member States.
The uniqueness of the European Public Administration Network lies in its role in facilitating the exchange and sharing of opinions, experiences, tools, and best practices on specific topics and areas of interest among its members. In addition, EUPAN supports the development of common tools, activities, and/or visions that are applied across all its members. One such tool is the CAF model, the revisions of which are approved at EUPAN meetings.
European Institute of Public Administration – EIPA
All activities related to the CAF model are coordinated at the European level by the European Institute of Public Administration, based in Maastricht. EIPA was established in 1981 on the occasion of the first meeting of the European Council. It is supported by the EU Member States and the European Commission.
EIPA’s broad portfolio of activities includes providing cross-national, inter-institutional, and comparative analytical perspectives on the functioning of European policies, which makes EIPA one of the most experienced centres of expertise in European public affairs. Within EIPA, the CAF Resource Centre is also established.
CAF Resource Centre (CAF RC) in Maastricht
The creation of the CAF model also led to the establishment of the CAF ResourcCentre within the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht. The Centre actively cooperates with the network of CAF National Correspondents.
The mission of the CAF RC is to:
- act as a centre of expertise in the implementation of the CAF model,
- provide training and consultancy services,
- conduct research on the use of the CAF model,
- support the network of CAF National Correspondents,
- award the CAF Effective User Label to organisations from countries that do not have a National Organiser of the CAF External Feedback procedure,
- support the European network of CAF users and the CAF community,
- maintain the European database of CAF users.
Network of CAF National Correspondents and the CAF Expert Working Group
The professional development and revision of the model are carried out by the CAF Expert Working Group, which consists of CAF National Correspondents from the EU Member States. The Slovak Republic is represented in this working group by its National Correspondent — a representative of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing.
CAF Centre in the Slovak Republic
Just as the CAF Resource Centre was established at EIPA at the European level, the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMS SR), as the CAF National Correspondent, initiated the creation of a similar centre in the Slovak Republic. The CAF Centre was established in 2019 as a support centre for the development of quality management in public administration through the CAF model as well as other management tools and systems. It provides basic consultancy, advisory, and training services in the field of quality management.

CAF Centre for Improving the Quality of Public Administration Organisations in Slovakia