Esprix Foundation repositions itself
The year 2019 was a successful one for the Esprix Foundation: in the summer of 2019, its 20th anniversary was celebrated. In an atmospheric celebration, the Esprix Swiss Award for Excellence was once again presented. And in other respects too, some organisations were able to receive the coveted EFQM recognition. The year 2020 now starts with a new management structure.
The last email newsletter of the Esprix Foundation of December 2019 informed about weighty changes: Executive Director Priska Wyser said goodbye after her 20 years of dedicated service to the Foundation. "It has been an honour and a great pleasure to work for Esprix," she wrote on her farewell. The appearance of the foundation has changed accordingly since the beginning of the year: not only is the focus on the EFQM Model 2020, but the organisation of the foundation is also on a new footing. The strategic and operational management of Esprix have now been merged. The five-member Board of Trustees now consists of André Funk, Christian Grabski, Felix Horner, Robert Knop and Franz Odermatt, who holds both the Presidency and the Executive Board.
New EFQM model - new management
The change of the foundation has to be seen in close connection with the innovations of the EFQM model, as Franz Odermatt explains in response to our inquiry. "Since, among other things, the status of national partners has been dropped under the new EFQM leadership, the framework conditions have also changed for the Esprix Foundation as a whole," Odermatt explains. This raised the question of whether and in what form the foundation could continue from 2020. The five foundation board members - all convinced advocates of excellence - have now set themselves precisely this task. The year 2020 is to be used to secure the future of the Foundation, with a view to the next cycle of the Esprix Award in 2021, for which the application can be submitted until 18 December 2020.
Clearly defined service portfolio
Accordingly, the Esprix Foundation explicitly focuses on the "Recognition by EFQM" and the Levels of Excellence. The recognition levels start at 3 stars and now range up to 7 stars ("Outstanding Achievement for ..."). The Esprix Award is "worth" 6 stars. With its new organization, the foundation has said goodbye to the areas of consulting and training. The only course still on offer is a 2-day ECAT course (ECAT = EFQM Certified Assessor Transition) in April and May, which EFQM assessors can use to accredit themselves for the new model.
EFQM Model 2020 promises new impetus
The EFQM model, which has now been significantly revised compared to the 2013 version, focuses more on the development of an organisation. It is therefore more of a management approach than an "ordinary" assessment model. "The pie is now cut horizontally rather than vertically," Franz Odermatt gives a figurative comparison. When asked about the future viability of this new EFQM model, he is convinced that interest in it will increase. "Proof of a quality management system is increasingly required, also by law. Increasingly, the focus is on process management and holistic approaches. "For example, the EFQM model is already explicitly mentioned in this context at the federal level.
Committed to the model
In addition to the SAQ, the Esprix Foundation remains the second organisation in Switzerland to market the EFQM Model and to provide access to the specialised assessors. Whether and how cooperation between the two organisations will be possible under the new framework conditions remains to be seen.
