Benefits, Critical Process Factors, and Optimum Strategies of Successful ISO 9000 Implementation in the Public Sector

Many countries in the world are striving for improvement and innovation in their government services to meet their tight budgetary targets. They aim to achieve the goal through various government reinvention policies. A key principle of these policies is continuous improvement. This article introduces the essence of government reinvention, the opportune movement for public sectors to reinvent their organizations by implementing the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 series, and the possible impact of the ISO 9000 series on Taiwanese government. An empirical study that utilizes a mailed survey to assess the initiatives and key factors of implementing ISO programs in various governmental departments in Taiwan was carried out. The study identified the benefits of the ISO 9000 series and five critical factors of the successful ISO implementation in the public sector. According to the results of this study, an optimum implementation scenario is suggested if public sector organizations are to develop ISO 9000 certification successfully.

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