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.

Long lines to get your driver’s license, poorly maintained hospitals, overcrowded and understaffed schools, disorganized voting processes, delays in election night results: Does this sound all too familiar? None of us can ignore the fact that the public sector, despite being essential in a civilized society, hasn’t had the best reputation. This has been compounded in recent years by tightening public budgets and increasing cutbacks to public services. At the same time, government officials and managers are challenged to overcome the public’s lack of trust in government at all levels.

The public sector hasn’t had the best reputation.

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