Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background Medical education development centers, as centers of thought and innovation in the higher health education system, play a key role in improving the quality of medical education. Accurate and comprehensive performance measurement, identification of strengths, distinction between successful and unsuccessful activities, and creation of improvement opportunities are possible using appropriate evaluation frameworks. The aim of this study was to explain the experiences of education development centers (EDCs) specialists about the designed performance excellence award (DPEA) for (EDCs) (DPEAE). Methods This study was part of a larger project entitled designing an performance excellence award (PEA) for EDCs (PEAE). The PEAE was designed, and validated. Then, it was implemented to better align its criteria with the activities of EDCs in reality. During the implementation, specialists of EDCs were asked to express their experiences with the DPEAE criteria. Purposeful sampling was used. Ten individuals participated in the study. Data analysis was performed using conventional qualitative content analysis. MAXQUDA20 software was used for data management and initial coding. Results Data were categorised into two themes and four categories. Theme of Effective features of the DPEAE with two cateorise of “Effectiveness” and “Guiding light” and Theme of Operational and infrastructure components of the DPEAE with two cateorise of "Key Strategies for Improving the Efficiency and dynamism of EDCs" and "Structural and Infrastructure Requirements of EDCs". Conclusions The themes and categories obtained in our study outline an integrated and purposeful administrative-organizational vision for creating a more dynamic organizational environment, where activities, management and leadership, and decision-making in EDCs to be done based on data and accurate evaluation.</p>