MOET

Under the High Patronage of His Excellency General Michel Sleiman, the former president of the Lebanese Republic, QUALEB - the Quality Unit at the Ministry of Economy and Trade initiated in March 2009 the Lebanese Excellence Award (LEA), funded by the European Union. The LEA office has been established under the Quality Unit at the Ministry, with a vision “to be the platform for sustainable Excellence in Lebanon” and a mission “to support Lebanese private and public sectors’ organisations in championing quality management and Excellence”.

Hard work started believing that successful applicants should be very proud of their achievements, given that they will be on the right track to evolve to the status of role models for Excellence and to join an impressive role of honour, which includes some of the region’s most prestigious organisations. A Lebanese Quality Management Model (LQMM) has been designed and implemented in the evaluation procedure of companies from the private sector.

Independent Jury Panel members with high professional level and expertise in different sectors were nominated/ selected, to assure an valuable and credible Award.

On March 6th, 2009, H.E. Mohammad Safadi, the former Minister of Economy and Trade then, officially launched the first round of LEA Award. Results showed success of seven winners from different sectors, who received the trophies and certificates from H.E. the President and the Minister of Economy and Trade during the ceremony held at the presidential palace on 21st January 2010.

On 15th February 2012, LEA round II has awarded two organisations in a ceremony held at the presidential palace in Baabda where H.E. former president General Michel Sleiman distributed the trophies and H.E. Nicolas Nahas handed over the trophies and certificates. After revision of the LEA process, by the Jury Panel presided by H.E. Nicolas Nahas, previous minister of Economy and Trade, they recommended that the scope should be upgraded to include three levels: Award Level, Advanced Certificate Level and Certificate Level, to be applied in LEA Round III.

To maintain sustainable and continuous improvement, LEA Round III Award structure has been upgraded by the Jury Panel presided by H.E. Dr. Alain Hakim, former Minister of Economy and Trade by introducing an extended scope to include the Public Sector Units in collaboration with Minister of State for Administrative Development, and to include Non-Governmental Organisations. As a result a new model for evaluation of public sector organisations and NGO’s named Common Assessment Framework (CAF) has been customised to Lebanese situation and implemented in LEA round III to cover major type of existing organisations in Lebanon.

LEA round III has awarded nine organisations from different types and levels, in a ceremony held on the 11th of March, 2014, at the presidential palace in Baabda where H.E. former President General Michel Sleiman distributed the trophies and H.E. Dr. Alain Hakim distributed the certificates. Global affiliations and award recognitions become a must for LEA office, both being major incentives for applicants. In 2014, the Quality Unit has become an affiliate member of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), and the European Organisation for Quality (EOQ). In addition to the previously signed MOU with the Hellenic Management Association in 2012.

A second Jury Panel has been created from high-level members with known credibility and long experience in the public sector, ahead of launching LEA Round IV. Under the guidance of the Jury Panel headed by H.E. Dr. Alain Hakim, former Minister of Economy and Trade, LEA office is still working and discussing further affiliations with other similar Excellence related organisations in Arab and EU countries. This will allow a much better and wider scope of recognition and a higher level of exposure on an international level.

Furthermore, the LEA Jury Panel presided by H.E. Dr. Alain Hakim approved the launch of the “Quality Personality of the Year” initiative suggested by the LEA Office to be associated with the LEA Round IV, in cooperation with the European Organization for Quality (EOQ).