Both are excellence models and both assess capabilities and results, but they were designed for different purposes. Understanding the difference saves an excellence team months of work in the wrong direction.
Key takeaways
- The Government Excellence Model is for UAE government entities; the EFQM Model suits any organisation in any sector.
- The former starts from the government's vision; EFQM starts from the organisation's own purpose.
- What you build for one — indicators, evidence, improvement cycles — serves the other.
In this article+
Excellence managers often ask us: should we work to the Government Excellence Model or to EFQM? The answer begins with another question: who are you, and what are you preparing for? The two models are not alternatives to be chosen by taste; each has its place.
The Government Excellence Model
This is the model on which assessment rests in the federal Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme, and it is also used in local excellence programmes. It was designed specifically for government work and has three pillars:
- Vision Realization
- Distinctive Value
- Enablers
The EFQM Model
A global model published by EFQM, suitable for any organisation of any size or sector: a private company, a university, a hospital or a government body. It rests on three questions and seven criteria:
- Direction (why): Purpose, Vision & Strategy; Organisational Culture & Leadership.
- Execution (how): Engaging Stakeholders; Creating Sustainable Value; Driving Performance & Transformation.
- Results (what): Stakeholder Perceptions; Strategic & Operational Performance.
The model is assessed using RADAR logic, a structured way of examining every approach and result: is it soundly designed, deployed, measured and improved?
Where they really differ
- Starting point: the government model starts from the government's vision and the entity's place in it; EFQM starts from the organisation's purpose as it defines it.
- Audience: the former is for government entities; the latter for every sector.
- Purpose of assessment: the former is tied to government excellence programmes and awards; the latter is used for self-assessment and improvement, and for EFQM recognition where wanted.
And where they meet
In substance. Both ask the same two questions: do you have sound approaches that are deployed and reviewed? And do you achieve results that improve over the years and compare with others? What an entity builds for one — indicator cards with targets and trends, coded evidence, documented review and improvement cycles — therefore serves the other directly. The difference lies in presentation and order, not in the material.
A working rule: a government entity taking part in a government excellence programme works to that programme's guide first. A private organisation, or an entity wanting an independent reading of its maturity, starts with an EFQM self-assessment.
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The consulting team — Innovation Excellence
These articles are written by the firm's consultants, drawing on the excellence, quality and customer experience engagements they deliver for government and private entities in the UAE.
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