Quality assurance processes in local government bodies: features of definition and evaluation

Abstract

The article is devoted to the definition of modern approaches to the identification and evaluation of quality assurance processes in local government, as a basis for the formation of appropriate local government management systems. It is noted that quality assurance in local government should begin with an intensive study of internal relationships between existing management processes – the implementation of a process approach methodology. To outline approaches to the processes’ definition and description that ensure the local government activities and services quality, a relationships’ scheme between the basic concepts of DSTU ISO 9000:2015 in relation to processes and results of activities. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the application of ISO 18091:2019 guidelines on adapting the process approach to local government bodies’ activities is extremely important in Ukraine, given the need to form a comprehensive control system in the field of administrative services delivery and increase the civil society institutions’ participation in relevant public monitoring projects. Adaptation provides by distinguishing of: three groups of processes for integral quality management (management processes; operational processes; support processes); improvement process; processes of citizen participation through Integral Citizen Observatory that facilitate cooperation between government and the community, as well as participate in monitoring processes. The tested approach to process measurement according to the CAF model, which has criterion 5 «Processes», is characterized. It is concluded that the public management mechanisms of the international standards requirements’ (ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 18091:2019) and organizational excellence models’ (EFQM, CAF, IPMA ICB) implementation need further study as a basis for quality assurance of administrative services provided by local governments. Priority areas include the legal and organizational mechanisms’ formation through the development of a national system of administrative services’ standards and administrative regulations and their projection to the territorial communities’ level.