Continuous improvement in public services ‐ a way forward

Abstract

There are a number of approaches to service quality. Rather than discussing their individual merits and demerits, it is perhaps more fruitful to look to their integration and the extent to which they can be linked and serve one another. This paper aims to do just that. Inevitably the techniques considered have to be limited, but their interrelationship is made clear and their development potential highlighted. The particular quality tools illustrated are the Servqual model and quality function deployment (QFD), with process mapping serving as an intermediary tool for QFD. Three public service case examples are used to illustrate their successful use to date. Servqual measures both external customer/service provider expectations and perceptions and the existence or not of (in)formal standards, whilst QFD translates these results and measurements into organisational solutions in terms of product/service design, ensuring organisational standards to deliver what is required and helping to define a strategic planning process. Both of these quality management tools have been tested and used to positive advantage in the private sector. Their applicability to the public sector is being increasingly confirmed and they do offer a way forward for the future in terms of achieving the difficult and never‐ending task of continuous improvement in public services.