CAF (The Common Assessment Framework) is an European instrument for organizational improvement, designed specifically for the needs of public sector organizations. European Commission recommends the Member States to implement the tool in the structures of public administration because of its serious advantages. On the one hand it is a comprehensive tool that covers various aspects of organizational mechanism of administration and contribute to quality improvement. On the other hand - it's affordable and easy model widely used in public organizations at European, national, regional and local level that requires no special financial resources at its introduction. The implementation of CAF as the first European model of quality management in public administrations began in 2000 as more than 4,000 organizations in over 50 countries / countries of the European Union and beyond / use this tool nowadays.

The development strategy of the state administration in Bulgaria 2014-2020 puts a priority focus on the widespread introduction of systems for quality management, including the European common framework for self-assessment - CAF in the Bulgarian administration as a tool for improving management efficiency ( see attached sample).

Under this priority the Institute of Public Administration in 2014 began construction of a national unit of information, training and advice on the implementation and application of the European model CAF. Formation and development of the national resource unit was supported by a project of the Institute of OPAC. In 2014 in the frames of the project was conducted training of Bulgarian team for European CAF model at the European Institute of Public Administration  (EIPA) in Maastricht, the Netherlands, where is situated the European Resource CAF Centre. Trained experts team of IPA developed a new training program for CAF model and mechanism for its implementation in Bulgaria.

Since 2016 IPA has been performing the functions of a National CAF Resource Center as:

(a) coordinate and assist administrations in implementing the CAF model;

b) organizes and participates in the certification of the performed self-assessment of the administrations with the CAF model;

(c) conduct training and consultations on the promotion, implementation and application of the CAF model;

(d) organize forums, conferences and discussions on the implementation and application of the CAF model;

(e) study and promote good practices in the implementation and application of the CAF model;

(f) support and participate in the work of the European network of national CAF correspondents and CAF users in the public sector;

(g) cooperate with the European CAF Resource Center at the European Institute of Public Administration and with the national CAF Resource Centers and correspondents in different countries;

(h) conduct research and publish information on the implementation and application of the CAF model.

The EUPAN Directors adopted a Joint  EUPAN/CAF Policy Note in a meeting on 13 December 2021 hold under the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The objective of this document is to highlight the key findings of the two studies – a Study on ageing and talent management in European public administrations and a Study on impact of the CAF model on Human Resource Management and People and to outline the future steps and recommendations to improve Human Resource Management and development in public administrations across Europe.