ISFB Insight
A Rigorous and Sustainable Approach to Quality
September 15, 2026
For the past four years, the ISFB has made the quality of its services a top priority. For a center of expertise and career development active in continuing education, employability support, and applied research, adherence to recognized standards is a key benchmark. EduQua, ISO, and SAQ play a particularly important role in ensuring the rigor of processes, the consistency of services, and their continuous improvement. The appointment of Joseph Baud-Grasset as Quality Manager in September marks a new milestone. It also provides an opportunity to look back at his career and how the ISFB puts these standards into practice on a daily basis.
Joseph Baud-Grasset, you joined the ISFB two years ago and have just been appointed Quality Manager, in addition to your role as training coordinator. What does this new responsibility mean to you?
Over the past four years, the ISFB has made significant efforts to enhance the overall quality of its services, notably by obtaining or renewing certifications such as EduQua, ISO, and SAQ. These certifications are a tangible reflection of the Institute’s hard work and demonstrate its commitment to a rigorous and sustainable approach to quality.
As a graduate of the UNIGE master’s program in educational sciences, with a specialization in adult education, I am particularly attuned to the consistency of practices, as well as to the development and structuring of procedures and programs. From the moment I arrived, I therefore wanted to be part of this effort and contribute, as part of a team, to continuing the work that had already been started.
Today, taking on the role of quality manager represents both a new challenge and a continuation of my professional commitment. It is also a clear signal from the Institute: quality is a strategic priority, essential for consolidating our achievements and maintaining this momentum of continuous improvement.
You have a background in education, with a master’s degree from the School of Psychology and Educational Sciences, specializing in adult education. How does this background help you today in your work with participants, presenters, and your colleagues?
I think this experience has given me, above all, a framework for understanding. Adult education isn’t just about imparting knowledge: you have to understand who the people you’re working with are, what they’re looking for, and what might facilitate—or, conversely, hinder—their learning. It’s an approach that still guides me a great deal today.
In my day-to-day work—whether with participants, facilitators, or my colleagues—I try to remain attentive to everyone’s needs while ensuring that the educational objectives remain clear and consistent. This also helps me take a step back from situations, question our practices, and avoid taking things for granted.
Ultimately, I would say that my studies have taught me to observe, to ask questions, and to help practices evolve. This is particularly valuable in an environment like that of the ISFB, where skills development is at the heart of what we do and where the quality of the participants’ experience must remain our top priority.
What do you particularly appreciate about your work at ISFB and the way the team works on a day-to-day basis?
It’s precisely this diversity that I particularly enjoy about the ISFB—the diversity of the people we meet, their backgrounds, their professions, their expectations, and also the topics we end up working on. Ultimately, no two days are really alike, and that’s something I really appreciate.
This diversity is also reflected in the team. Everyone has their own skills, perspective, and experience. I find it interesting to be able to bring these different perspectives together. It adds real value to our day-to-day work and also challenges us to stay open-minded, adapt, and sometimes step outside our comfort zones. It is this collaboration that creates an environment conducive to consistent quality.
It’s probably this combination of diverse activities and people who complement one another that makes working at the ISFB particularly rewarding for me.
As a provider of continuing education in French-speaking Switzerland, the ISFB currently meets three quality standards. In practical terms, how does this change the way we design, monitor, and improve our training programs?
In practical terms, these three standards require us to be particularly structured in the way we work. They compel us to consider the entire training process—from its design through participant feedback, including follow-up with instructors and the evaluation of results. Above all, this ensures that we do not simply assume a training program is effective just because it has been running for a long time: we must regularly question, measure, adjust, and improve our practices.
For me, that is precisely the value of these standards: they provide a framework, but they must not become an end in themselves. They should help us maintain a collective standard of excellence and ensure that the ISFB is part of a genuine process of continuous improvement. Ultimately, the goal remains very concrete and shared: to offer relevant, consistent, and high-quality training programs that truly meet the needs of participants and the sector.
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