Abstract:
If service delivery involves institutional performance, then it stands that the
better the performance of government, the more likely actual service delivery
will match expectations. The philosophy of quality management proposes that
all aspects of an organisation have to be dedicated to the goal of achieving the
highest standards of performance as required by customers. In so doing, quality
management leads institutions to being committed to higher performance, thereby
satisfying customers. Quality management provides the ideal foundation for the
improvement of service delivery, as it is a philosophy of continuous improvement
which can provide any institution with a set of practical tools for meeting and
exceeding present and future customer needs, wants and expectations. This article
addresses leading service delivery improvement efforts and quality management,
with a view to achieving quality service delivery as outcome. It is not the intention
of this article to propose that quality management is the answer to all challenges
associated with the implementation of public service delivery improvement
initiatives. Rather, it proposes that quality management is a natural progression from a service delivery focus and/or existing attempts to improve the products
and services delivered by the public service to citizens as its customers, because
the aims, philosophies and principles of service delivery improvement and quality
management are so closely aligned. Even though quality management works
horisontally across functions and departments, involves all staff members and
extends backwards and forwards to include the supply chain and the customer
chain, this article focuses on the role of the leader in the management of quality
for the improvement of public service delivery.
