Palacký University Olomouc was awarded 1st place in the Public Sector category of the Czech National Quality Award. These awards are given to institutions that demonstrate the existence of a functional quality management and evaluation system, in accordance with the National Quality Policy of the Czech Republic. The award was received in the Senate of the Czech Republic by Michal Malacka, UP Vice-Rector for Strategy and Regional Affairs, and Hana Marešová, Head of the Strategy and Quality Office.
“The Czech National Award programmes are designed to provide organisations with strategic feedback of a different kind and help them promote systematic improvement. It is ultimately a manual to developing a culture of improvement and innovation and a tool to address needs in the organisation and to identify the available solutions. They enable organisation to find a way to significantly improve their performance and thus to advance in the transformation of ways of working,” said Malacka, explaining the reasons for UP’s involvement in this national competition.
The evaluation of institutions is based on the European Excellence Model EFQM, which UP is gradually implementing in its quality management and evaluation system.
This year, UP has applied for the highest level of the Czech National Awards programme, i.e. the EXCELLENCE programme. It is designed for organisations that have an adequate management system in place and wish to receive strategic and operational feedback on the level of its performance, readiness for future challenges, etc.
“We chose this top programme following the successful implementation of the EFQM model at our university according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s inspection in 2019, immediately after obtaining institutional accreditation, in connection with the necessary feedback on the level of the implemented system and verification of what is missing in quality management. This first step has already been successful for UP. Our university was able to win 1st–2nd place in the public sector category of the Czech National Award for Social Responsibility, thus proving that we are moving in the right direction in thinking about how to set up a quality management system, for which we started to be fully responsible together with obtaining institutional accreditation. This year we entered the highest competition. We are aware that this year’s external evaluation by the Ministry of Industry and Trade will significantly help us to set up our system so that we will be as prepared as possible for regaining institutional accreditation, which is expected in 2027, when we will again prepare a complete dossier on the university’s activities for the Czech Accreditation Office,” explained Hana Marešová, Head of UP Strategy and Quality Office.
Every UP employee and student has the opportunity to get involved in improving the quality of activities at UP. The website of the Strategy and Quality Office (https://strategie.upol.cz/) has an online form for submitting observations, suggestions, and ideas.
“The award ranks UP not only alongside important multinational and national companies such as Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech, CEZ Group nuclear energy division, the Czech Air Navigation Institute, and Commercial Bank (Komerční banka). In addition, the university has been awarded the internationally recognised “5-star organisation using the EFQM Model” rating and the associated external and independent feedback in the form of strengths and opportunities for improvement, formulated by the assessors. UP has also achieved corresponding recognition in the international EFQM database,” said Vice-Rector Malacka.
“Words of thanks for such a highly positive evaluation of our university go to all those who, since obtaining institutional accreditation, have been working dutifully and ceaselessly to build a comprehensive UP management system, which may not be quite so visible at first glance, but ultimately affects all activities at our university and each and every one of us. That is why we welcome the involvement of every member of our university community who can contribute in any way so that in 2027, when preparing the documents for regaining institutional accreditation, we can demonstrate how far we have progressed in our work and how we are working on its continuous improvement,” added Marešová.
The award ceremony of the Czech National Award for Social Responsibility, Quality, and Family Business for 2023 took place in the Wallenstein Palace of the Senate of the Czech Republic with the participation of the Minister of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela, and the Chair of the Committee for Economy, Agriculture, and Transport of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Miroslav Plevný. The event was held under the auspices of the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala. More details are available here.
