ISO 9001 quality management systems in local government institutions in Poland: past,present and future

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify and assess the development of ISO 9001 Quality Management System applications in Polish local government institutions in the years 1999–2015. We conduct our analysis on the basis of a questionnaire survey carried out among local government institutions in 2015 (with 77% rate of response). We prove that the ISO 9001 Quality Management System is dominant in Polish local government institutions and we show that its implementations were geographically concentrated and dependent on the size of the local government institution.

Points for practitioners

Smaller local government institutions (especially from rural municipalities) require financial support and the proper preparation of employees and training in order to implement the ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the first step in moving towards an integrated management system.

The implementation of alternative management improvement solutions decreases interest in implementing the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and obtaining certification.

Keywords

development ISO 9001 local government Poland quality management

Introduction

Nowadays, public administration is expected to keep improving its service (Holzer et al., 2009; Kakouris and Meliou, 2011). To meet this challenge, new management methods are being developed (Brinkerhoff and Wetterberg, 2013; Guenoun et al., 2016). These include, among others, the quality management system based on the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (ISO 9001 QMS) standard, whose application in local administration – as demonstrated in this article – has not been fully diagnosed, even though it is currently the most widespread solution of this type used by local governments both in Poland and across the European Union (EU). We identified a research gap related to the lack of population-based studies, resulting in an incomplete description of the existing state of affairs. In light of this, the aim of this article is to identify and assess the development of ISO 9001 QMS applications in Polish local government institutions (LGIs) in the years 1999–2015.

First of all, we introduce the ISO 9001 QMS and show that it is one of the most commonly used solutions to improve the operation of local government administration. We also identify the premises for applying systemic solutions such as the ISO 9001 QMS standard and related proposals, most often derived from national initiatives. The importance of ISO 9001 QMS in local government administration is well illustrated by the results of research from outside the European continent (Chu and Wang, 2001; Singh and Mansour-Nahra, 2006; To et al., 2011). We conclude our review of global experience with the assertion that while the assessment of the ISO 9001 QMS in local government administration is positive, not enough comprehensive research has been done on this subject in Europe. In the main part of the article, we discuss the experience of Polish LGIs in implementing the ISO 9001 QMS between 1999 and 2015, which is what ‘past’ refers to in the title of the article. In the next part of the article, we describe the current state of ISO 9001 QMS implementation in Poland. We conduct our analysis on the basis of a questionnaire survey carried out among LGs in 2015, in which 77% of municipalities (gminy) and 75% of districts (powiaty) took part. The article ends with a discussion of the research results and conclusions.

ISO 9001 QMS as the dominant approach to improving the functioning of local government administration

Improving the functioning of public administration has become an expectation expressed in the New Public Management (NPM) paradigm. NPM, among others, ‘stresses private-sector styles of management practice’ (Hood, 1991: 5), emphasising responsiveness and a change towards treating citizens as customers (Clarke et al., 2007; De Araújo, 2001; Vigoda, 2002). In this context, the issue of quality and its measurement (Carvalho et al., 2010), and, more broadly, of quality management, arises.

The incorporation of a concept derived from production management into public services was a result of the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s (Milakovich, 1991). Saner (2002) notes that several quality assessment systems were developed, including ISO 9001, EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management), the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and Excellence Models. This group also includes national initiatives based on the ISO 9001 QMS standard or focusing on quality. This list should be supplemented with the Planning Institutional Development (PRI) method, which was developed for the national and local government administration in Poland and rolled out from 2001 onwards (Żabiński, 2012). The spread of the ISO 9001 QMS can be explained by the influence of the institutional environment (Iatridis and Kesidou, 2018: 23).

Against this background arises the issue of the ISO 9001 QMS in relation to public administration, and, more specifically, in relation to local government administration. Reports from the UK (Lentell and Morris, 2001), Australia (Singh and Mansour-Nahra, 2006), Taiwan (Chu and Wang, 2001) and Macau (To et al., 2011) reveal the success of ISO 9001 QMS applications in public administration. Research among representatives of the Italian local government administration also shows the positive impact of the ISO 9001 QMS, although not in all the expected areas (Chiarini, 2016). Analyses of the Spanish local government administration likewise point to benefits, despite its relatively short experience in the application of quality management tools (Montesinos and Brusca, 2009). However, it is estimated that research on the effects of implementing ISO standards in the area of public services is scarce (Lentell and Morris, 2001: 426), which stands in opposition with findings about the positive effects or benefits of the ISO 9001 QMS (Heras-Saizarbitoria and Boiral, 2012: 56).

A review of research findings on the application of the ISO 9001 QMS in local administration reveals a fragmented picture across certain countries, which suggests the need for research on other countries. At the same time, the current state of research confirms the conclusion drawn a quarter of a century ago regarding the application of quality management in UK local authorities, namely, that measures aimed at developing this approach are still in the preliminary phase (Freeman-Bell and Grover, 1994: 566). The potential reasons for the lack of the wider application of the ISO 9001 QMS include the lack of the mandatory use of standardised and certified quality management systems and the cost of implementing them (the cost of preparing organisations for implementation, the cost of certification, etc.), but also the use of different quality-focused solutions in particular countries, as mentioned earlier (Matei and Lazăr, 2011), and the popularisation of self-assessment methods, for example, CAF, which can be seen as an expression of an organisation’s maturity and its desire to improve through organisational learning.

An analysis of the literature suggests that the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS has had a positive impact on the functioning of public administration (cf. Caddy and Vintar, 2002). At the same time, an analysis of the available research results allows us to identify a gap in the quantitative analysis of ISO 9001 QMS implementation in Central and Eastern Europe.

Implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in Poland, 1999–2015

In this part of the article, we explain the changes in the functioning of LGIs in Poland and changes in thinking about how to manage them. We also try to answer the following questions:

What was the dynamics of implementing the ISO 9001 QMS in LGIs in Poland in 1999–2015 in the light of current knowledge?

What trend can be identified during this period and how can it be explained?

Since the fall of communism in Poland in the early 1990s, the issues of local government, its role and the way it functions have been a recurring topic. During that period, the most important questions were legal and systemic, beginning with the establishment of local government in 1990, through the reforms of 1997–2001, to the overhaul of the administration system in 1998, which consisted in the introduction of two new tiers of public administration: districts (powiaty; government at the local level) and provinces (województwa; government at the regional level).

As a result of these reforms, Poland currently operates a three-tier system of LGIs (Regulski, 2003). According to data from the Central Statistical Office, as of 1 January 2017, the system comprises 2478 municipalities (gminy), 314 districts (powiaty), 66 cities with district rights (miasta na prawach powiatu) and 16 provinces (województwa – corresponding to NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) level 2).

Within the Polish system of local government, municipalities and districts comprise the local administration system, whose activities are oriented towards providing public services to residents. For this reason, the process of developing management mechanisms at these two levels of local administration is especially important.

The solution that is most recognisable and most common in this trend, and which was de facto the first to be introduced, is the ISO 9000 series of standards. The appearance of the ISO 9001 QMS standard in local government coincided with the beginning of the transition from old-style bureaucratic administration to a streamlining of the work of local government, and to thinking about it in terms of processes and the quality of services provided (Swianiewicz, 2003: 283–307).

The 1999–2000 period was a breakthrough moment in the dissemination of ISO standards in Polish LGIs. Back then, on 14 January 2000, the Town Hall in Dzierżoniów (employing 116 staff) obtained an ISO 9002:1996 certificate, a year after the implementation of the ISO 9001:2000 QMS standard (Batko, 2009: 93; Wiśniewska and Szczepańska, 2014). In the case of districts in 2000, the first to obtain quality certification in Poland according to the ISO 9002 standard was the District Office in Racibórz (139 staff).

The first implementations of the ISO 9001 QMS in LGIs were associated with projects that received financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) or were financed by local governments from their own funds. After Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004, the main external source of funding during the 2007–2015 period were programmes financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). The costs of implementing the ISO 9001 QMS, training staff and obtaining certification are a major constraint on the dissemination of the QMS in Polish LGIs. Implementation within the framework of a project reduces this barrier, and in the case of certain projects, eliminates it altogether. Therefore, it may be said that Poland’s membership in the EU has significantly helped to promote ISO standards in LGIs.

There are very few studies that reveal the scale of QMS implementation based on the ISO 9000 standard in Poland. Neither the Central Statistical Office nor government agencies and ministries, nor even local government associations, maintain statistical databases that would allow for a full overview of management reform in municipalities and districts.

An important research problem is the diffuse nature of available quantitative data on the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in LGIs in 2009–2010. This is evidenced by the results of research commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MIA): the data are fragmentary and based on small samples of entities (only 5–8% of the population) (Kołodziejczyk-Olczak and Wiktorowicz, 2009). However, the data do reveal differentiation depending on the size of a municipality and its character (whether urban or rural). This suggests the need to carry out a comprehensive presentation of the scale of ISO 9001 QMS implementation in LGIs. An attempt to bridge this gap was made in 2015 thanks to a study carried out among Polish LGIs presented in the next section of this article.

Research method and material

In order to analyse the current and future use of the ISO 9001 QMS, we used the data collected in a questionnaire survey on the application of management improvement solutions in LGIs in Poland. Solutions such as CAF, ISO, PRI and TQM (Total Quality Management) were assessed, as were other solutions that respondents indicated as being used in their institution. An invitation to participate in the survey was sent to the secretaries of all municipalities and districts in Poland (2792 entities – as of 2015). The respondents were LGIs’ secretaries. These interviewees were chosen as – in the Polish local administration – they are the highest not-elected employees and are often responsible for overseeing the implementation of QMS. The tool used to collect the data was an electronic questionnaire (see Appendix 1), supported by telephone assistance. A total of 2150 entities, including 1914 municipalities and 236 districts, responded to the survey. Therefore, 77% of all Polish LGIs took part, which means that it is the biggest survey to date. The survey was carried out in the fourth quarter of 2015 under a project entitled ‘Systemic Support for Management Processes in LGIs’, which was implemented by a partnership composed of: the Ministry of Administration and Digitisation (leader); the University of Łódź; the University of Warmia and Mazury; and the University of Economics in Kraków represented by the Małopolska School of Public Administration.

Research results

Past

In this section, based on the obtained data, we analyse 16 years of experience of Polish LGIs in implementing the ISO 9001 QMS. The inclusion in the study of the year in which the ISO 9001 QMS was implemented allowed us to identify, relatively accurately, the changes that had taken place in the area under investigation. For the purposes of the analysis, we distinguished three implementation periods: 1999–2005, 2006–2010 and 2011–2015 (see Figure 1). As far as implementations of this solution are concerned, the analysis did not reveal a systematic increase in the number of certificates obtained by Polish LGIs. However, in the case of both municipalities and districts, in certain years (2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010), there was a significant increase in the number of implementations of the ISO 9001 QMS, which can be associated with programming periods and thus with access to financial assistance from the EU.

Figure 1.

Implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in LGIs in Poland, 1999–2015.

In this context, it is interesting to present the results obtained across provinces. During the 1999–2005 period, institutions from the Śląskie, Pomorskie and Dolnośląskie provinces had the greatest share of ISO 9001 QMS implementations. The pioneers in the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS were Dzierżoniów (Dolnośląskie province) and Racibórz (Śląskie province). The experience of those LGIs may have had an impact on the popularity of the ISO 9001 QMS in those provinces, particularly during the first period. This may point to institutional isomorphism (Di Maggio and Powell, 1983). In recent years (2011–2015), the ISO 9001 QMS has gained most popularity in the Świętokrzyskie and Zachodniopomorskie provinces.

The data show that in the majority of provinces, after a period of increased popularity in the years 2006–2010, interest in the ISO 9001 QMS declined in subsequent years (except in the Lubelskie, Zachodniopomorskie and Świętokrzyskie provinces). This trend may be associated with the emergence on the Polish market of a model for improving quality through self-assessment based on TQM principles, that is, CAF. From 2006, this solution began to be implemented in the Polish government administration (including in ministries, customs chambers and tax offices). However, thanks to funding from the ESF’s Human Capital Operational Programme (ESF – HC OP), in the years 2007–2011, several measures were undertaken to promote models of quality management in public administration, including CAF. In this regard, a special role was played by a project entitled ‘Preparation of Local Government Institutions for the Use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in the Process of Measuring Potential and Achievements through Employee Training and Advisory Assistance’, carried out in 2009–2011, under which the CAF model was implemented in 303 LGIs.

It can clearly be seen that implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS is related to access to EU funds. There was growing interest in this solution in 2005–2006, and then again in 2009–2011. In subsequent years, however, declining interest in the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS is clearly visible. There are several reasons for this. The first concerns the costs of maintaining a certified system. For many LGIs, with a limited budget relative to needs, a certified system may be seen as superfluous, especially as the benefits of such a system are not immediately apparent to the public.

The second reason is the emergence of alternative solutions dedicated to LGIs (like CAF and PRI) and the obligation to conduct management control, introduced in 2010 under the Public Finance Act of 27 August 2009, which places great emphasis on improving the management system (OECD, 2011). Management control must be implemented by every LGI in accordance with the law and the introduction of this mechanism may have also contributed to the declining interest in the ISO 9001 QMS.

The third reason for the dwindling number of ISO 9001 QMS implementations may be to do with the gradual saturation and development of such systems in LGIs, as evidenced by Dzierżoniów and Racibórz. In those offices, the evolution of quality management systems led to the integration of separately functioning subsystems concerning quality and the environment (ISO 14000) and occupational health and safety (ISO 18001), as was the case in Dzierżoniów in 2006, and concerning quality and the prevention of corruption, as was the case in Racibórz in 2012.

Present

The ISO 9001 QMS was one of the first quality improvement solutions to be implemented in LGIs. Among the other available solutions, CAF, PRI and TQM can be mentioned. Nevertheless, more than half of the surveyed entities declared that they do not use any QMS (66%), 26.5% do use a QMS or have used one in the past, while 5% have experience in using two solutions of this type. The ISO 9001 QMS is the most frequently used solution in Polish LGIs – 442 indicated that they use the ISO 9001 QMS or have done so in the past, which accounts for 53.9% of all implementations of quality management systems in the surveyed LGIs. The second most frequently implemented solution is CAF (37.8%), followed by PRI (7.7%). For 331 LGIs (15.4% of those surveyed), the ISO 9001 QMS was or is the only solution to be applied in the area of quality management. Among the districts that took part in the study, almost half have experience in using the ISO 9001 QMS (41%), while among municipalities the figure is 18%. It is worth noting that the analysis did not consider management control as an implemented system due to the mandatory nature of this solution.

The research findings do not point to a clear geographical dependence related to the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS. Thus, the collected data do not allow a relationship to be determined between the popularity of the solution and the characteristics of regions where the percentage of implementations is higher.

Figure 2 illustrates the structure of ISO 9001 QMS implementations in relation to the number of surveyed entities from a given province. The shading on the map denotes the percentage share of entities using the ISO 9001 QMS in relation to all surveyed LGIs in a given province. The greatest number of ISO 9001 QMS implementations (relative to the number of surveyed LGIs) was recorded in the Dolnośląskie (34%), Podkarpackie (33.5%) and Warmińsko-Mazurskie (29.3%) provinces, and the lowest number in the Łódzkie (8.8%) and Lubuskie (12.2%) provinces. In every province, districts use the ISO 9001 QMS more often than municipalities.

Figure 2.

Structure of ISO 9001 QMS implementations in LGIs in Poland by province (NUTS 2).

We were interested in whether other characteristics of the surveyed LGIs influenced the choice of solution. However, the analysis did not reveal any statistically significant relationship between ISO 9001 QMS implementation and characteristics such as the share of investment expenditure in total expenditure or the number of staff employed in a given office in managerial positions. We did find a statistically significant relationship between ISO 9001 QMS implementation and the size of employment, as well as the number of staff with higher education in a given office (see Table 1).

Table 1.

Relationship between selected LGI characteristics and implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS.

Characteristic	Chi-square	df	p
Size of employment	343.819	4	0.000
Number of staff with higher education	87.759	3	0.000
Number of staff in a managerial position	3.264	3	0.354
Share of investment expenditure	0.334	3	0.953

The detailed structure of responses concerning the relationship between the size of employment and the implementation of the analysed solution is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Percentage share of ISO 9001 QMS implementations and employment in LGIs.

On the basis of the results, two potential explanations for the reasons for implementing the ISO 9001 QMS in Polish LGIs can be put forward:

The willingness to implement the ISO 9001 QMS depends on the number of staff. The more human resources an LGI has, the easier it is to implement a new solution.

The need to use a QMS depends on the size of the office expressed as the number of staff. The willingness to improve management processes is linked to their complexity – more complex processes require a larger number of staff to handle them.

It should be added here that LGIs that did not decide to implement any QMS indicated lack of time (a lack of available staff) as an important or very important factor behind their decision (in this context, the only barrier to be more frequently indicated as important or very important was a lack of financial resources).

Another important issue as regards presenting a complete picture of the ISO 9001 QMS in Polish LGIs is the reasons for deciding to implement this system. The LGIs that implemented the ISO 9001 QMS most often declared that one of the main factors behind their decision was a desire to improve the management of the LGI. This factor was indicated by over 90% of respondents as important or very important. Not without significance was the acceptable level of financial outlays and time necessary to implement the ISO 9001 QMS – 68.8% of respondents stated that this was an important or very important reason behind their decision to choose that solution. Another important factor was related to the positive experiences of other LGIs in using the analysed solution (64.7% of respondents saw it as important or very important). Among the factors that were assessed, respondents regarded as least significant the possibility to take advantage of external assistance during implementation (26.2% of respondents saw it as unimportant or not very important). It is worth noting, however, that the analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between the size of an LGI (measured by the number of staff) and the possibility to take advantage of external assistance as a factor behind the choice of the analysed solution (chi-square = 56.4391, df = 15, p = 0.000001). This group also provided the highest percentage of responses that this factor was ‘important’ (34.48% of all responses). On the other hand, this factor was most frequently (39.73%) regarded as ‘unimportant’ by larger LGIs (employing between 69 and 121 staff). From this perspective, it seems that for smaller offices in particular, the possibility to take advantage of external support reduces the financial barrier connected with the implementation of the QMS.

It should be emphasised that entities that decide to implement a QMS can take advantage of various types of assistance. The respondents who have experience in the use of the ISO 9001 QMS most often declared that they had taken advantage of expert assistance (72.9% of responses) and information support (68.6% of responses). Despite the fact that financial barriers were indicated as one of the main reasons for abandoning the system or deciding not to implement it, only 30.3% of respondents declared that they had taken advantage of external financial support when implementing the ISO 9001 QMS. Therefore, although, in many cases, LGIs carried out implementations using ESF financial resources, respondents’ answers show that the availability of funding was not an important factor behind the choice of a particular QMS.

One of the goals of the analysis was to learn about the opinions and experiences of LGIs that use or used the ISO 9001 QMS. The vast majority of respondents were sceptical about the effects of implementing the ISO 9001 QMS, describing them as moderate, insignificant or visible in very few areas. Only 20.6% declared that the solution had brought significant effects to their institution. From this perspective, it is not surprising that 40% of LGIs that use the ISO 9001 QMS currently do not plan to use this system in future.

It is interesting to compare the results described earlier with the geographical differentiation of ISO 9001 QMS implementations. As we indicated in an earlier section, an important reason why respondents chose that solution was the positive experiences of other LGIs. Positive experiences in a given province could translate into a willingness on the part of others, for example, offices in neighbouring provinces, to implement the ISO 9001 QMS (institutional isomorphism). In this instance, we are dealing with the reverse situation: critical assessment of the experiences of LGIs who use or have used the solution may be a response to the low intensity of implementations in particular parts of Poland.

In addition, respondents who plan to abandon or who have already abandoned the ISO 9001 QMS were asked to give the reasons for their decision. The most frequently mentioned reason was insufficient financial resources. Respondents also indicated that the costs of certification were not commensurate with the effects or benefits obtained. Moreover, in the opinion of some respondents, the obligation to implement management control meant that other solutions, such as the ISO 9001 QMS, were seen as unnecessary as this would only lead to a duplication of tasks.

Some respondents abandoned or intend to abandon the ISO 9001 QMS due to the solution’s high level of complexity. In particular, such opinions were expressed in situations where respondents also declared that there were not enough staff who could be delegated to implementing the QMS. Respondents stated that they were forced to create unnecessary documentation due to the introduction of the ISO 9001 QMS. This led to an unjustified expansion of administration and was also a burden on staff because of the time they had to devote to drafting documentation.

Given that almost half of all LGIs that have experience in using the ISO 9001 QMS are ready to abandon it, further in-depth research and analysis on the sustainability of the solution would seem necessary. It would be valuable to conduct qualitative research (in-depth interviews) with representatives of institutions that declare their willingness to abandon the ISO 9001 QMS. Their aim would be to understand the motives of such decisions and to indicate the reasons for the lack of acceptance of the QMS. The results could contribute to analyses related to the durability of the solution and would enable the identification of major barriers.

Future

Despite the critical opinions presented earlier, 14.4% of respondents (310 entities) declared a willingness to implement the ISO 9001 QMS or to continue using it. A total of 166 respondents, or 37.9% of those with experience of the ISO 9001 QMS, were willing to continue using the solution. Such a declaration was made by 38.5% of districts and 37.2% of municipalities.

Where a QMS had been implemented in a given institution, respondents were asked to identify the positive and negative aspects of that system. In the group of LGIs that had experience with the ISO 9001 QMS and were ready to continue using a QMS, respondents stated that thanks to the implementation of the solution, it had been possible to improve management quality and customer service due to, among others, the streamlining of procedures, the systematisation of planning and more attention being paid to standards of service. The need to incur large financial outlays was often mentioned as one of the negative aspects of using the ISO 9001 QMS. In addition, respondents (with experience of the ISO 9001 QMS and who had been willing to use it in the past) stated that it was very difficult to convince staff to use a QMS whose procedures were seen as too formal and their implementation as too time-consuming. It should be noted that some respondents, both those who use the ISO 9001 QMS and those who have no experience of it, stated that they had not yet taken the final decision on which QMS to use in future. In such cases, CAF or PRI were most often mentioned as alternatives to the ISO 9001 QMS. Among the surveyed entities with no experience of the ISO 9001 QMS, 9.5% indicated that it was the only solution that they intended to implement in future. In that group of respondents, the vast majority (94.4%) were LGIs with no experience of any QMS, and a majority of them (77.6%) stated that their LGI lacked the capacity to implement a QMS independently (without external support).

Conclusions and discussion of results

Our analysis showed that the diffusion of the ISO 9001 QMS can be divided into three phases, which we attributed to three corresponding programming periods (the pre-accession period until 2003, 2004–2006 and 2007–2013). We showed that ISO 9001 QMS implementations were geographically concentrated and dependent on the size of an LGI. These results confirm the findings of the 2010 evaluation study on the support given to local government administration, where the use of a QMS was most often declared by larger LGIs and more often by urban-rural municipalities than by rural ones.

Further analysis of the obtained results requires conducting in-depth research that would allow us to explain the implementation dynamics and to understand the experiences of individual LGIs and their reasons for choosing the ISO 9001 QMS. Also worth noting are the statistically unconfirmed dependencies, that is, those that do not provide enough grounds to establish a relationship between the characteristics of local administrations, such as the amount of financial resources or the share of investment expenditure in total expenditure.

In our research on the current state of ISO 9001 QMS implementations, we found that this solution is used, on average, by 18% of municipalities and 41% of districts. These figures indicate, therefore, only a moderate interest in the ISO 9001 QMS in Polish local government. Yet, it is precisely this QMS that is most widespread – a fact that should be emphasised. Based on the results of our analysis, however, we see a declining interest both in the implementation of this system and in the maintenance of ISO 9001 certification in institutions where such implementations have been made.

The representatives of Polish LGIs indicated that their decision to choose the ISO 9001 QMS was primarily dictated by a desire to improve the functioning of their institution, and they saw this as a manifestation of the application of modern solutions. It is also possible to draw the conclusion, based on the responses to the survey questionnaire, that the experience of other LGIs was also important, which may suggest that respondents tried to achieve an additional effect, namely, to increase the prestige and enhance the image of their institution as one that was managed in a modern way and that kept abreast of new solutions in the area of management.

The collected data also point to situations where offices are discontinuing their use of the ISO 9001 QMS. Whereas some offices improved their management system by moving towards an integrated management system, others pointed to the modest results achieved. This, combined with the popularisation of alternative management improvement solutions (CAF and PRI) and the introduction in 2009 of the obligation to conduct management control, meant that there was less interest in implementing the ISO 9001 QMS and obtaining certification. The research also showed that relatively few LGIs (37.9%) intend to continue using the ISO 9001 QMS. This suggests that in the coming years, one can expect a further decrease in ISO 9001 QMS implementations in Polish local government.

The most frequent reason given for resigning is ‘lack of financial resources’. We explain this finding by the difficult financial condition of the LGIs. From the point of view of citizens, the LGIs have more important tasks for spending limited resources. It also means that ISO 9001 QMS made a weak impact on LGIs’ performance that was not recorded by our respondents.

We justify a high percentage of indications of low and moderate satisfaction with the use of the ISO 9001 QMS in the case of Polish LGIs by the specificity of the administrative environment. From the beginning of its existence, Polish self-government has been constantly changing. As one of the major problems, we perceive a lack of proper preparation of employees and training, which would raise awareness of the purpose of applying the ISO 9001 QMS and stress its long-term benefits to a greater extent than technical aspects only. Moreover, the ISO 9001 QMS was implemented with the support of private consulting firms and financed under EU project activities. Local governments were urged to use this opportunity as a chance to modernise their organisation and management without bearing the costs. However, their decisions were not harmonised at the higher administration level, which results, at least in part, from the lack of public policies in this area at the state level.

The conducted population research had a coverage of over 70%, which means that not all LGIs participated in the study. We can formulate directions for further research on the implementation of other quality improvement solutions, that is, CAF and, in the case of Poland, PRI.

It should be emphasised that the collected data merely point to a certain trend in the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS and do not relate to the sustainability of this solution in LGIs. Given the high percentage of entities in the analysed study that declared a willingness to abandon the ISO 9001 QMS, in our opinion, the factors and reasons behind such a decision give grounds for in-depth research and analysis in this area.

The limitation of the conducted research is that the scale of ISO 9001 QMS implementations in other EU countries was not examined. It would be interesting to see whether EU programmes have been a catalyst for the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in other European countries.

As we mentioned earlier, the respondents were only LGIs’ secretaries. Their internal perspective could affect their responses. Secretaries are often the people who supervised the implementation of the QMS. It would be interesting to conduct research in which respondents would be not only secretaries, but also employees at various job levels.

Summing up, it should be stated that the implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS in Polish LGIs depended on financial support from EU programmes and on a larger number of staff at the institution concerned. The trend in ISO 9001 QMS implementation is gradually declining, which we explain by the popularisation of alternative management improvement solutions, both those of a mandatory (management control) and optional (CAF and PRI) nature, as well as the lack of measurable benefits from the ISO 9001 QMS observed by LGIs.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental material for ISO 9001 quality management systems in local government institutions in Poland: past, present and future

Supplemental Material for ISO 9001 quality management systems in local government institutions in Poland: past, present and future by Marek Ćwiklicki, Kamila Pilch and Michał Żabiński in International Review of Administrative Sciences

Footnotes

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: The publication is co-financed from the funds allocated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland to the Faculty of Economics and Public Administration of the Cracow University of Economics in the framework of grants for maintaining research potential.

Supplemental material

Supplemental material can be found at: journals-sagepub-com.web.bisu.edu.cn/home/ras

Marek Ćwiklicki is a Professor of Business Studies and Public Management and Head of Chair for Management of Public Organisations at the Cracow University of Economics, Poland. He researches, writes and lectures on organisation theory, business research methodology and public management. He is a Habilitated Doctor of Economics within the discipline of management science, and holds a PhD in Economics science within the field of Management Science, both obtained in Cracow University of Economics.

Kamila Pilch is a research assistant in the Chair for Management of Public Organisations at the Cracow University of Economics, Poland. She graduated from sociological and public relations studies at Jagiellonian University. She lectures on public relations, economy and public administration and information management. Her research interests include the methodology of marketing and social research, place branding, and analysis of public policies.

Michał Żabiński holds a PhD in economics from, and is an Assistant Professor of, Cracow University of Economics, Poland. He teaches courses in local government and administration, modern economic problems, and public governance. His main research interests are institutional economy and narrative economics, local government, and public governance.

References

Batko

(2009) Zarządzanie jakością w urzędach gminy [Quality management in local government]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.

Brinkerhoff

Wetterberg

(2013) Performance-based public management reforms: Experience and emerging lessons from service delivery improvement in Indonesia. International Review of Administrative Sciences 79(3): 433–457.

Caddy

Vintar

(eds) (2002) Building Better Quality Administration for the Public: Case Studies from Central and Eastern Europe. Bratislava: NISPAcee.

Carvalho

Brito

Cabral

(2010) Towards a conceptual model for assessing the quality of public services. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing 7(1): 69–86.

Chiarini

(2016) Strategies for improving performance in the Italian local government organizations: Can ISO 9001 really help? International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 33(3): 344–60.

Chu

Wang

(2001) Benefits, critical process factors, and optimum strategies of successful ISO 9000 implementation in the public sector: An empirical examination of public sector services in Taiwan. Public Performance & Management Review 25(1): 105–121.

Clarke

Newman

Smith

, et al. (2007) Creating Citizen-Consumers: Changing Publics & Changing Public Services. London and Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

De Araújo

JFFE

(2001) Improving public service delivery: The crossroads between NPM and traditional bureaucracy. Public Administration 79(4): 915–932.

Di Maggio PJ and Powell WW (1983) The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. American Sociological Review 48(2): 147–160.

10.

Freeman-Bell

Grover

(1994) The use of quality management in local authorities. Local Government Studies 20(4): 554–569.

11.

Guenoun

Goudarzi

Chandon

J-L

(2016) Construction and validation of a hybrid model to measure perceived public service quality (PSQ). International Review of Administrative Sciences 82(1): 208–230.

12.

Heras-Saizarbitoria

Boiral

(2012) ISO 9001 and ISO 14001: Towards a research agenda on management system standards. International Journal of Management Reviews 15(1): 47–65.

13.

Holzer

Charbonneau

Kim

(2009) Mapping the terrain of public service quality improvement: Twenty-five years of trends and practices in the United States. International Review of Administrative Sciences 75(3): 403–418.

14.

Hood

(1991) A public management for all seasons? Public Administration 69: 3–19.

15.

Iatridis K and Kesidou E (2018) What Drives the Quality of Certifiable Management System Standards Implementation? Insights from the ISO 9001 Standard. In: Iñaki H-S (ed) ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and New Management Standards. Cham: Springer, pp. 17–38.

16.

Kakouris

Meliou

(2011) New Public Management: Promote the public sector modernization through service quality. Current experiences and future challenges. Public Organization Review 11(4): 351–369.

17.

Kołodziejczyk-Olczak

Wiktorowicz

(2009) Zdiagnozowanie Potencjału Administracji Samorządowej, Ocena Potrzeb Szkoleniowych Kadr Urzędów Administracji Samorządowej Oraz Przygotowanie Profili Kompetencyjnych Kadr Urzędów Administracji Samorządowej [Diagnosis of Local Government Capability. Evaluation of Local Government Units Employees’ Training Needs]. Kutno: ASM. Available at: https://bip.mswia.gov.pl/download/4/5931/PUBLIKACJA.pdf (accessed 2 June 2018).

18.

Lentell

Morris

(2001) The effects of investors in people and ISO 9002 in local authority leisure facilities. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 18(4): 415–430.

19.

Matei

Lazăr

C-G

(2011) Quality management and the reform of public administration in several states in South-Eastern Europe. Comparative analysis. Theoretical and Applied Economics 4(557): 65–98.

20.

Milakovich

(1991) Total quality management in the public sector. National Productivity Review 10(2): 195–213.

21.

Montesinos

Brusca

(2009) Towards performance, quality and environmental management in local government: The case of Spain. Local Government Studies 35(2): 197–212.

22.

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2011) Internal control and internal audit: Ensuring public sector integrity and accountability. Report, OECD. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/governance/47638204.pdf (accessed 2 June 2018).

23.

Regulski

(2003) Local Government Reform in Poland: An Insider’s Story. LGI Studies . Budapest: Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative.

24.

Saner

(2002) Quality assurance for public administration: A consensus building vehicle. Public Organization Review 2(4): 404–417.

25.

Singh

Mansour-Nahra

(2006) ISO 9000 in the public sector: A successful case from Australia. The TQM Magazine 18(2): 131–142.

26.

Swianiewicz

(2003) Reforming local government in Poland. Top-down and bottom-up processes. In: Kersting

Vetter

(eds) Reforming Local Government in Europe. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 283–307.

27.

Lee

PKC

BTW

(2011) ISO 9001:2000 implementation in the public sector: A survey in Macao SAR, the People’s Republic of China. The TQM Journal 23(1): 59–72.

28.

Vigoda

(2002) From responsiveness to collaboration: Governance, citizens, and the next generation of public administration. Public Administration Review 62(5): 527–40.

29.

Wiśniewska

Szczepańska

(2014) Quality management frameworks implementation in Polish local governments. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence 25(3/4): 352–366.

30.

Żabiński

(2012) Samoocena systemu zarządzania w jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego. Porównanie metody ‘Planowania Rozwoju Instytucjonalnego’ i ‘Wspólnej Metody Oceny CAF’ [Management system self-assessment in local government. Comparing the Institutional Development Planning and CAF]. Zarządzanie Publiczne 2(20): 57–76.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.23 MB