What Assessment and Improvement Tools Does EFMD Global Offer?

Updated

EFMD Global provides a portfolio of assessment, improvement, and certification systems for business schools, programmes, online courses, and corporate learning functions. The right tool depends on what you are assessing: institutional impact (BSIS), school-wide quality and accreditation (EQUIS), programme-level accreditation (EFMD Accredited), online course quality (EOCCS), corporate learning (CLIP), learning impact (LIFT), or organisational transformation (RDHY). Each is a distinct system with its own scope, so most institutions engage one or two rather than all of them.

The tools at a glance

Tool Full name What it assesses Primary audience
BSIS Business School Impact System The impact of a business school on its environment Business schools
EDAF EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers Assessment and mentoring for school development Business schools (especially developing ones)
EQUIS Institutional Accreditation System Quality, improvement, and accreditation at institution level Business schools
EFMD Accredited Programme Accreditation System Quality, improvement, and accreditation of programmes Business programmes
EOCCS Online Course Certification System International quality benchmark for online courses Online course providers
CLIP Corporate Learning Improvement Process Quality assessment, improvement, and certification of corporate learning functions Corporate learning functions
LIFT Impact Certification for Learning Functions Learning impact for today and tomorrow Corporate learning functions
RDHY Management Innovation Certification Organisational transformation Organisations pursuing transformation

How the tools differ in purpose

Impact assessment: BSIS

BSIS is described as the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools. It looks at how a school affects its surrounding environment rather than only at internal quality. Use it when the question is "what difference does our school make locally or regionally?" rather than "do we meet accreditation standards?"

Mentoring and development: EDAF

EDAF (EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers) is an assessment and mentoring system for business schools. It pairs evaluation with guidance, which makes it suited to schools building capacity rather than seeking a pass/fail accreditation outcome.

Accreditation: EQUIS and EFMD Accredited

These are the two accreditation systems. EQUIS operates at the institutional level; EFMD Accredited operates at the programme level. Both are framed as systems of quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation, so they serve schools that want external validation alongside a structured improvement process.

Online and corporate learning: EOCCS, CLIP, LIFT

  • EOCCS is the first international quality benchmark for online courses.
  • CLIP is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement, and certification of corporate learning functions.
  • LIFT certifies learning impact for corporate learning functions.

Transformation: RDHY

RDHY is an international certification system for organisational transformation, aimed at organisations rather than individual schools or programmes.

How to choose

  • If you want to demonstrate societal or regional impact, look at BSIS.
  • If you need institution-wide accreditation, look at EQUIS.
  • If you need programme-level accreditation, look at EFMD Accredited.
  • If you want mentoring alongside assessment, look at EDAF.
  • If you deliver online courses, look at EOCCS.
  • If you run a corporate learning function, compare CLIP and LIFT — CLIP covers quality and improvement of the function, while LIFT focuses on learning impact.
  • If you are driving organisational transformation, look at RDHY.

Context: who uses these tools

EFMD Global reports 980 institutional members across 95 countries, with 30,000 management development professionals in its network. The assessment and certification systems sit within a broader set of services that also includes events and trainings and shared career services (Highered). Membership and the member list are separate from the assessment tools; you can consult the list of EFMD members on the site if you want to see which institutions participate.

Practical next step

Each tool has its own "Find out more" entry on the EFMD Global services pages. Start there to confirm eligibility, scope, and process for the specific system that matches your assessment goal, since requirements differ between institutional accreditation, programme accreditation, and corporate learning certification.