Leading quality management for improved public service delivery

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.