In the field of public administrations, the present concept of quality, broaden to the aspect of "excellence" is a comprehensive management framework implemented across the entirety of an organisation. Quality requires a results- and citizen/customer oriented approach that embraces leadership, consistency, process- and fact-based management, personal development and buy-in, ongoing learning, innovation and improvement, partnership development, transparency, and social involvement and responsibility.

Excellence is a tool which supports our strategic goals of modernising and innovating Public Administration, so as to create value and meet citizens’ needs to the highest possible standard.

In this context the Agencia Estatal de Evaluación de las Políticas Públicas y la Calidad de los Servicios – the Evaluation and Quality Agency – aims to enhance the institutional quality of public administrations, in order to:

- provide public managers with information to improve decision-making on the provision of public services;

- promote learning and organisational improvement in public government institutions and thus raise their performance; and

- enhance public sector citizen orientation so as to develop a higher standard of service.

The Agency’s role in the field of quality of service is embedded within the “General framework for quality improvement in Central Government Administration” created under Royal Decree 951/2005 of 29 July 2005. The framework comprises six core programmes.
Under Royal Decree 951/2005 and its own charter, the Agency’s functions operate at three levels:

- Promotion of a culture of institutional quality in all the fields of the public management;

- Performance of evaluations of certain public services, of the activities of national agencies and certifications, based on quality, excellence and best practices; and

- Creation of a space for citizen information and involvement, with regular reports on the quality of provision of public services being disseminated to the citizens and public managers.