The State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) is another organisation within the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic that has opted for quality and introduced a comprehensive quality management tool.

ŠIOV’s decision to introduce a comprehensive quality management tool in the organisation stemmed from the essential nature of the organisation’s activities, which is the methodological support of secondary vocational schools. If an organisation wants to lead and guide other organisations, it must itself be appropriately good, high-performing, and efficient. ŠIOV understood the need for continuous improvement and chose the CAF model as the tool to achieve this goal.

The implementation of the CAF model at ŠIOV began in January 2024 with the appointment of a executive sponsor, a methodologist, and the members of the CAF team. The team subsequently carried out a self-assessment, through which the organisation gained a picture of its current state from a quality management perspective. During the self-assessment and later from external assessors, ŠIOV received a large number of suggestions for improvement, from which the Action Plan for Improvement was then compiled.

Several improvement activities had already been implemented by the end of 2024, which is why ŠIOV requested the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMS SR) to carry out the CAF External Feedback assessment. The assessment took place in March 2025, during which the organisation demonstrated the correct direction and effectiveness of the implemented steps of the CAF model.

“ŠIOV is an example of an organisation where emphasis is placed on the human factor. Employees across the entire organisation are team players, and the leadership of the organisation supports this team spirit. Where there is cohesion and collective thinking, it is easier to introduce changes, and quality management is certainly a change.”

The label was accepted by the Director of ŠIOV, Branislav Hadár, from the Director of the Quality and Project Management Department of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMS SR), Anna Budiaková.

We sincerely congratulate them on receiving the award.

Updated 13.11.2025