The Catalan Agency for the Management of University Grants (AGAUR) of the Catalan Ministry of Research and Universities was today awarded the EFQM 400 European seal for its excellent, innovative and sustainable management. This obtaining of the diploma, awarded after an external assessment by Club Excelencia en Gestión, is also an exercise in accountability and trust towards the public.

This international certification is based on the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model and enables organisations to discover their strengths and opportunities for improvement. The assessment team awarded 407 points to the AGAUR and highlighted “the robust process management system aligned with an agile and efficient organisational structure, the good segmentation and relationship with different stakeholders, and the guaranteed service offering through the effective execution carried out via the BOGA computer system,” among other aspects.

This diploma means that AGAUR is the first Generalitat de Catalunya body to obtain EFQM 400 certification.

The Minister for Research and Universities emphasized that “The AGAUR, as a government agency responsible for ensuring and implementing government policies, must continue with this line of rigour and excellence in the management of public grants, and the certification should serve as a stimulus to continue working towards the horizon of excellence with the goal of becoming one of the best agencies in Europe”.

Meanwhile, the Director of Transformation and Innovation at Club Excelencia en Gestión, Miquel Romero, asked that the AGAUR, “as the first entity within the Generalitat to receive the diploma and having gone through the entire certification process in Catalan, apart from congratulating themselves, also promote and share the achievement”.

Finally, the director of the AGAUR declared that “this seal is not a destination, rather it is a starting point. Let’s adopt the model as a tool that enables us to adapt towards an approach of comprehensive quality because public institutions must be capable of ensuring trust and security. They must be pillars that provide a response to citizens, a rapid and efficient response”.