What is ISO 18091:2019 Compliance for Government Entities?

To be accountable to the community and rate payers, councillors and administrators should ensure that their business operations, administration systems and procedures are compliant with Quality Standards ISO 9001 and ISO 18091.

Quality Standard for Government ISO 18091:2019

Quality management systems — Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2015 in government, are Standards which government entities of all countries should embrace.

This article outlines the benefits of Council administration implementing ISO 9001 Quality Standard in accordance with ISO 18091 Government Quality Management Systems Guideline Standard and being audited for compliance with these Standards.

Performance, accountability and ‘value for money’ for ratepayers are fundamental to good government. Yet, government Ministers and decision-makers can’t always know whether their business operations and administration arms are performing efficiently and effectively, despite feedback, complaints and anecdotal evidence (such as negative feedback from ratepayers, cost blow-outs, delays in projects, and costly service delivery) often suggesting otherwise.

What can Councillors do to have confidence that their administration is providing high quality standards of service delivery that are legislative compliant and meet and the international benchmarking standard ISO 18091 and ISO 9001?

Governments around the world and the more progressive Councils throughout Australia are recognising that ISO 18091:2019 Quality Management Systems Guideline Standard for government allows them to use ISO 9001:2015 Quality Standards as a benchmark standard for Council administration, providing Councillors with confidence that their administration’s management systems:

1. are providing consistently high levels of service delivery in terms of meeting defined quality outcomes;

2. incorporate risk management including identification, analysis, evaluation, treatment, implementation, communication, monitoring and reporting;

3. are the same quality performance standards/benchmarks as top performing companies in the private sector;

4. are increasing efficiency and not wasting taxpayers money;

5. provide opportunities for review and service optimisation;

6. provide a quality system structure for change management;

7. control outsourcing of goods and services, ensuring value for money, and service delivery/operational efficiency;

8. improve resource allocation, by ensuring that resource allocation is proportional to assessed risk, preserving accountability for the way in which public funds are used;

9. control fraud, corruption, bribery and conflicts of interest;

10. improve Council administration’s responsiveness and capacity for meeting community expectations;

11. provide a means of measuring and evaluating administration’s performance;

12. facilitate continuity planning and knowledge management;

13. are auditable in accordance with ISO 19011:2018 Auditing Standard against ISO 18091:2019 Quality management systems — Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2015 in government; and

14. identify opportunities for continual improvement.

Note: Due to the risks facing government, we recommend that Quality Management Systems be developed in alignment with AS 8001:2008 Fraud and Corruption Control Standard and ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management Standard.

Summary

Certification to ISO 18091:2019 Quality management systems — Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2015 in government demonstrates governments are committed to efficiently delivering the best possible services to their ratepayers and the community, and that they have robust systems in place to provide a framework for managing changes, addressing risk and facilitating continual improvement.

How Certification Oceania can help

Certification Oceania can help governments by providing ‘gap analysis’ and compliance auditing services to help government departments know what current state and level of compliance of their operational and administrative service delivery systems.

Contact Us Today

If you’d like more information, please use the form to the right and one of our helpful staff will contact you within one business day. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact us directly on 1800 717572 or by emailing contact@certificationoceania.com