Evaluating institutional performance in light of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) standards: A case study of the Sunni Endowment

The research aims to shed light on the level of institutional performance of the Sunni Endowment using the European Foundation for Quality Management Model (EFQM) Standards and to identify the gap between the 's actual performance and the model's adopted Standards. The research problem was represented by the lack of a specific system for evaluating institutional performance within the, based on which strengths and weaknesses could be identified. Therefore, a case study approach was adopted, and a checklist was used. The checklist was prepared in light of the European Excellence Model for Quality Management Standards, with the aim of collecting data on the organization's performance. The checklist includes Standards for the five enablers (Leadership, strategy, people, partnerships and resources, processes, products, and services) and the four outcomes (Workers results, customer results, community results, and business results). The Planning Department, one of the Sunni Endowment 's structures, was selected as the study site. The data was processed using statistical methods, represented by the weighted arithmetic mean (Average) and the percentage of conformity, to diagnose the extent of the gap between the (EFQM) Model Standards for evaluating institutional performance and the actual performance of the organization under study. The results also confirmed the existence of a real gap between performance. The actual performance of the Planning and Follow-up Department compared to the (EFQM) Model standards. The largest gap was for community and business outcomes, and the smallest gap was for customer outcomes. The study recommends adopting the European Excellence Model standards as a modern, globally recognized tool for periodic performance evaluation.