Keep edge on quality

One of the major challenges of competing in the global market is that developed countries are becoming increasingly stringent in the application of standards and specifications.  This stringency is putting additional pressure on suppliers in developing countries to meet such requirements. International economic liberalisation, forces countries to compete with manufacturers of other countries, both in terms of exportation and on the domestic market. In the new economic environment it is imperative that Trinidad and Tobago and other CARICOM countries enhance their competitiveness and increase their access to world markets by the implementation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) that promote greater accountability, produce higher levels of efficiency and nurture productivity-driven growth and profitability.

Many companies in the private sector know the value of ISO 9001 certification.  It provides external recognition leading to greater business prospects since foreign businesses dealing with an ISO 9001 certified organisation have realistic expectations of consistent product or service quality. During the latter years of the last decade however, several countries took the decision to invest heavily in the implementation of ISO based QMS in the public sector.  Three countries that reported major benefits as a result of these initiatives are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan and Malaysia. In these countries, and others, traditional modes of public sector management burdened by emphasis on cumbersome hierarchical notions of command and control are being challenged and dismantled in favour of more fluid, flexible and collaborative models of management characterised by higher levels of efficiency, satisfaction and dynamism.

The case of the UAE is particularly interesting. The UAE with a population of just over 2 million embarked in 2001 on a government-wide programme to implement Quality Management Systems in a sustained effort to institutionalise excellence in the public sector. One of the major challenges to be surmounted there was the change in mindset and working culture that was necessary to achieve the objective, including the need for government workers to recognise other ministries as customers, and the public as stakeholders. The main inspiration behind this initiative was reportedly the dramatic transformation of the Ministry of Finance and Industry of the UAE following ISO certification in 1999.  For many years the functioning of this Ministry was a source of concern to many in other ministries as well as members of the public. They urged the Ministry to be more focused in responding to the changing needs of the environment, more transparent in its decision-making process and more consistent and systematic in its transactions.

A close examination of the internal work processes and systems of the Ministry revealed that officers were working with inadequate and antiquated guidelines that invariably resulted in inconsistent job performance and service quality. The implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS allowed the Ministry of Finance and Industry in the UAE to analyse customer requirements and to realign itself and re-engineer its processes to meet them.  Core organisational processes were also benchmarked against world-class standards (in this case the Treasury of New Zealand was selected) and this exercise was used to identify breakthrough improvements. Some of the benefits were the creation of a customer-focused culture; a change in the mindset of civil servants from day-to-day administration to one of helping to manage the organisation, and the development of optimised management systems with greater efficiency, increased productivity and higher levels of satisfaction.

ISO 9001 was selected by their government as the vehicle to achieve public sector excellence because it emphasises four key parameters — management commitment, resources, processes and measures to achieve customer satisfaction.  So successful was the initiative that a Cabinet resolution has directed all government agencies in the UAE to implement the ISO 9001:2000 standard by 2005. The thrust of the “Vision 20/20” Strategy of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, from all that has been said so far, appears to be a focus on a more holistic and systematic national approach towards decision-making and planning in response to the changing needs of the global environment. 

The process of building a developed nation can only succeed if there is dynamic private and public sector involvement. Emerging public-private sector partnerships also serve to blur the boundaries between government and business sector in response to the economic realities of the complex and rapidly changing global environment. Has the time come for us to invest in training for ministries and other Government agencies to implement QMS that ensure quality public service and inspire public confidence? If we are to learn from the experiences of other nations, then the answer is clear. In many ways, this is a revolutionary era and revolutionary times call for revolutionary measures.

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Guardian Life. You are invited to send your comments to guardianlife@ghl.co.tt