The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) KM Model

The EFQM Excellence Model was introduced at the beginning of 1992 as the framework for assessing applications for The European Quality Award. It is a widely used organisational framework in Europe and has become the basis for a series of national and regional Quality Awards. The EFQM model's is used as a management system that encourages the discipline of organisational self-assessment (http://base-uk.org/knowledge/european-foundation-quality-management-efqm).

The EFQM Excellence Model is a practical tool to help organisations to do this by measuring where they are on the path to Excellence; helping them understand the gaps; and stimulating solutions. It is applicable to organisation irrespective of size and structure, and sector. Self-assessment has wide applicability to organisations large and small, in the public as well as the private sectors. The outputs from self-assessment can be used as part of the business planning process and the model itself can be used as a basis for operational and project review (http://base-uk.org/knowledge/european-foundation-quality-management-efqm).

The EFQM Model is a non-prescriptive framework that recognises there are many approaches to achieving sustainable excellence. Within this approach there are some fundamental concepts which underpin the EFQM model. However, these concepts are not fixed. It is accepted that they will change overtime as excellent organisations develop and improve. Current indicative concepts are listed below:

• Results Orientation - Excellence is achieving results that impress all the organisation's stakeholders.
• Customer Focus - Excellence is creating sustainable customer value.
• Leadership & Constancy of Purpose - Excellence is visionary and inspirational leadership, coupled with purpose.
• Management by Processes & Facts - Excellence is managing the organisation through a set of interdependent and interrelated systems, processes and facts.
• People Development & Involvement - Excellence is maximising the contribution of employees through their development and involvement.
• Continuous Learning, Innovation & Improvement - Excellence is challenging the status quo and effecting change by using learning to create innovation and improvement opportunities.
• Partnership Development - Excellence is developing and maintaining value-adding partnerships.
• Corporate Social Responsibility - Excellence is exceeding the minimum regulatory framework in which the organisation operates and to strive to understand and respond to the expectations of their stakeholders in society (http://base-uk.org/knowledge/european-foundation-quality-management-efqm).

The framework of the EFQM Excellence Model is based on nine criteria. Five of these are Enablers' and four are 'Results'. The 'Enabler' criteria cover what an organisation does. The 'Results' criteria cover what an organisation achieves. Results' are caused by 'Enablers' and feedback from 'Results' help to improve 'Enablers'. The Model recognises there are many approaches to achieving sustainable excellence in all aspects of performance (http://base-uk.org/knowledge/european-foundation-quality-management-efqm).