Harnessing staff ideas for improving efficiency and quality: CAF-based self-assessments in Hessen in Germany

Outcomes

The following vignette gives a good picture of the outcomes of the CAF self-assessment:

"An art lover who visits Michelangelo, observes that the painter is about to put the finishing touches to a painting. „The changes you are making are only minor“ he says. " Of course, they are only details“ replies Michelangelo, "but it is the details which bring perfection and perfection, you will admit, is not a small thing".

The four CAF self-assessments carried out in our Agency do not mean that everything has been made better or even perfect but every time we were able to achieve improvements, which make our Agency what it is today.

For example, the following improvements have resulted from the CAF self-assessments:

a knowledge management system
the introduction of process management
a marketing concept
a customer survey
improving human resource planning (see example above)
the consolidation of quality standards
improvements in the internal suggestion system, through incentives for good ideas
the introduction of a complaints management system.

Overall the Agency implemented about 100 improvement suggestions in 2011, with 20 projects leading to changes for the organisation as a whole.

About this case study

performance indicators

costs and savings

learning points

further information

Main Contact

Gerd Köhler

Vice-President

Agency for Land Surveys and Geo-Data of the State of Hessen

E-Mail:

gerd.koehler@hvbg.hessen.de

Gerd Koehler wrote this case study for Governance International on 29 January 2013.