The effect of ISO 9001:2015 on public service quality: the case of a Gauteng provincial government department

Abstract

Public Infrastructure is one of the government's most critical responsibilities, and it cannot be ignored in favour of more controversial or unethical spending. The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) struggles to provide Gauteng citizens with high-quality infrastructure on time, and as a result, the citizens have lost faith in the department. For this reason, this research aimed to evaluate the viability of implementing the principles and standards of the Quality Management System (QMS) of ISO 9001:2015 in the public sector. This study investigated the effect of ISO 9001:2015 on the quality of public services provided by the GDID in South Africa. A mixed method was employed in this study. The key variables, which included the key elements of ISO 9001:2015, were used to measure the quality of service delivery and overall customer satisfaction. The quantitative research design focused on the ordinary citizens (n1= 113) who utilise the GDID services and GDID employees (n2=19) through two different 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaires. These questionnaires were designed and aligned with the research objectives. Quantitative data were analysed through SPSS statistical software. The qualitative research approach utilised an open-ended question embedded in the questionnaire to gather data from citizens to gain recommendations for further research. Qualitative data through content analysis. The research results showed that the workforce is well aware of the ISO 9001 quality policy. According to the workforce's responses, implementing ISO 9001 is a useful solution to address the issues identified by the staff. Some of the issues that were mentioned include a lack of leadership, focus on the customer, employee engagement, issues with the procedures, and client and customer relationship management. Upon analysing the responses, one of the possible solutions is to embrace the seven ISO 9001 principles that underpin this QMS.

This study concluded that GDID leadership needs to foster a sense of unity in achieving QMS objectives, provide the employees adequate training on the QMS, consistently communicate the department's goal of becoming ISO 9001 accredited, and emphasise the importance of adhering to the QMS for GDID to be successful in their pursuit of ISO 9001 certification. Based on an analysis of the replies from the public, the study revealed a significant amount of animosity and dissatisfaction directed toward the public sector. All governmental spheres—local, provincial, and national—are viewed in the same way by the general public. If one of these departments is unable to provide the services that the public needs, the public sector as a whole is perceived to have failed. This study recommends that the leadership of the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development should promote cooperation among employees to meet QMS goals, provide them with sufficient QMS training, constantly communicate the department's intention to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation, and emphasise the importance of QMS compliance. The South African public sector and the rest of Africa are expected to benefit significantly from this study as it was able to answer the key research question of whether the GDID's implementation of the ISO 9001 QMS is a suitable solution. In this regard, the research findings of this study can contribute to an effective solution to the long-standing problem of failure in public service delivery.