The following article appears in the Summer 1995 edition of
_The_Public_Sector_Network_News_, pages 6 and 7.]

            QUALITY IN GOVERNMENT: CSG SURVEY REPORT

     The October 1994 State Trends & Forecasts, a report
published by the Council of State Governments (CSG), highlights
the status of total quality management (TQM) activities in state
government in the United States. The report incorporates findings
of a recent 50-state survey of quality management efforts in
state government conducted by CSG and the results of
brainstorming sessions conducted with experts on state quality
management efforts. The following are selected excerpts from this
report.

     The TQM survey conducted by CSG revealed that state TQM
activities have been initiated for the following reasons (in
order of the frequency of mention):

1. To reduce costs of management and delivery of state services (
to do more with less")

2. To use the talent of front-line employees in management and
decision-making

3. To enhance images of the state or agency

4. To improve employee morale, skills, and productivity

5. To change traditional management style (hierarchical,
centralized, control-oriented, etc.)

6. To deal with complaints from customers (clients, constituents,
and other agency workers)

7. As part of strategic planning 
activities

     In addition, the report documents that the rapid increase in
privatization activities in state agencies across the nation in
recent years poses an added challenge to traditional management
approaches. Unless a radically different management philosophy,
like TQM, is introduced, the use of the private sector in
management and service delivery in state government is likely to
gain a more widespread acceptance in the near future, with all
the uncertainties that accompany privatization.

     Can private sector TQM principles be successfully
transferred to state agencies? Can state agencies adopt W.
Edwards Deming's 14 points for management or those of other TQM
gurus, such as Phil Crosby, Joseph M. Juran, and Kaoru Ishikawa?
Despite the obvious differences between the public and private
sectors--such as frequent turnover of elected and appointed state
officials and lack of personal and financial rewards for
management improvement in state government--state TQM
coordinators tend to believe that the quality management
philosophy can be adopted in the public sector.

     According to the CSG survey, TQM, either in pure or hybrid
form, has been initiated in selected executive branch agencies in
approximately 40 states. These states have initiated their TQM
efforts under gubernatorial executive orders (13 states); agency
head's directives without gubernatorial executive orders (11
states); special legislation (two states), or by other means (13
states, including agencies not under a governor's direct
jurisdiction).

     Implemented on either a mandatory or a voluntary basis,
state TQM efforts bear a variety of names: quality management,
quality partnership, quality leadership, quality service, quality
initiative, and quality through participation. All but two of the
states that participated in the CSG survey are using the term
"quality" in their management improvement practices. The label
"Total Quality Management" is formally used in only three states.

     Most state quality management activities, however named,
contain the following eight elements (in order of the frequency
of mention):

1. Greater efforts to satisfy customers (clients, constituents,
and workers in other agencies)

2. New leadership commitment toward achieving management
excellence

3. Greater emphasis on employee empowerment and participation in
decision-making

4. Greater emphasis on process, product, and service-measurement
tools (data-based)

5. Streamlined work procedures (shorter chain of command, less
paperwork, etc.)

6. Strategic, long-term plans to improve the quality of products
or services

7. New organizational and work environment to improve employee
morale

8. More flexible operational systems (personnel, purchasing,
etc.)

     What is TQM? The following is a sample of definitions of TQM
used in selected states.

     "TQM is a process designed to give workers and managers the
tools to improve the way they work and the power to make changes
that will benefit the customers they serve." (Maine)

     "Quality through Participation (QtP) is a major initiative
to implement TQM in New York State Government. QtP's goal is to
improve the capacity of New York State Government to deliver
quality services to the public by introducing the principles and
methods of total quality management, and demonstrating that those
principles and methods can be successfully adapted to the
government context and result in more effective operations." (New 
York)

     "TQM is a philosophy that focuses on customer satisfaction,
decisions based on data, employee involvement, reward and
recognition, and continuous improvement." (Texas)

For more information, contact: Andrea Lewis, Assistant for
Quality Programs 
California Environmental Protection Agency 
555 Capital Mall, Suite 235 
Sacramento, CA 95814 
Phone: (916) 324-7316 Fax: (916) 322-6005