Governments - local or otherwise - are under increasing pressure around the world to provide results that matter to the public, often within severe resource constraints. Now they are taking pointers from the private sector by using ISO 9001 for quality management to provide efficient and reliable services vital to the lives of millions of people.
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Government: good or bad?
Doesn't it drive you mad standing in long line-ups at government offices, sitting for hours in a doctor's practice, driving along crumbling roads or stumbling over cracks in sidewalks?
After all, good taxpayer funding goes towards supporting these services that turn out to be unreliable, inefficient, or quite simply a waste of money.
In this edition, you'll learn about how governments can use ISO 9001 to win over voters, clean up bureaucracy and run the public sector like a well-oiled machine. Does this mean governments should be run like a business? Of course not, it simply means that any entity that ignores these realities will eventually "go out of business" – whether or not it's a business.
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May/June 2014
Government: good or bad?
Learn about how governments can use ISO 9001 to win over voters, clean up bureaucracy and run the public sector like a well-oiled machine.
Spotlight
The Incredible story of diving
We could give you a million reasons why standards are key for the tourism industry, but sometimes all you need is one story to make it real. So here is the tale of one man, a small company, and a revolutionary standard that transformed one of the largest tourism activities worldwide: diving.
This wonder and beauty has its share of risk.
Also in this issue
About ISOfocus
Published in English, French and Spanish six times per year, ISOfocus is your gateway to International Standards. Whether a multinational enterprise faced with major decisions or a small business looking for ideas, ISOfocus seeks to provide both the kind of overviews that strategic planners need and the little details that can make a big difference.
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