INDIA BIDS TO BECOME THE FIRST GOVERNMENT WITH ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION (DEMO)
ISO 9001 certification applies to government agencies as much as companies, which are the more common benefactors. So, what does it mean to have an ISO-certified government?
This isn’t just referring to individual government agencies but the government as a whole; to be specific, India’s government. In a report by Bhaskar News, Prime Minister Narenda Modi plans on establishing an ISO-certified government, a world-first. Having planned a similar framework during his time as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi seems to be the right man for the job.
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ISO 9001 provides the basic framework needed to establish a more effective political structure. However, with the recent introduction of two ISO 9001-based standards designed for this field, Modi’s dreams of an ISO-certified government becomes even more achievable. It’s a long and winding road ahead, but the rewards at the end are worth the endeavor.
Economic Hardship
Experts say the latest blows to global economies is one of the catalysts for ISO to introduce a government-specific standard. With the implications of housing bubbles and political Waterloos all too real, ISO expert Carlos Gadsden believes governments today need to make do with the resources they have and integrate various functions into a unified, efficient system.
Fellow ISO expert Mike Low also shares the same view. Standards, Low believes, can serve as tools in mitigating the effects of another economic recession, primarily by “delivering quality whilst reducing costs.” ISO 9001 is only the stepping stone; governments should use various ISO standards to maximize efficiency in internal and external affairs.
Transparency
Transparency is deeply ingrained in ISO standards as much as it’s needed in governments today. According to Transparency International, a global corruption watchdog, many nations in Asia, Africa, and South America are suffering from deeply-ingrained graft and corruption. Many highly-industrialized nations like the U.S. and Canada are in the clear.
Regardless of corruption risk, ISO’s open data movement should be strongly considered for a more accountable government. By making more information open to the public, problems can be aptly identified and effective solutions can be developed. Cities can start implementing an open data approach as a demonstration to its efficiency.
In a way, governments are like corporations. Both have an organized structure, guidelines and regulations, and resources at their disposal. Getting ISO 9001 certification from services such as ISA Registrar will go a long way in public service. Only then can a government really be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
(Source: “Modi to form world’s first ISO 9001 certified government,” Bhaskar News, June 19, 2014)
ISO 9001 provides the basic framework needed to establish a more effective political structure. However, with the recent introduction of two ISO 9001-based standards designed for this field, Modi’s dreams of an ISO-certified government becomes even more achievable. It’s a long and winding road ahead, but the rewards at the end are worth the endeavor.
Economic Hardship
Experts say the latest blows to global economies is one of the catalysts for ISO to introduce a government-specific standard. With the implications of housing bubbles and political Waterloos all too real, ISO expert Carlos Gadsden believes governments today need to make do with the resources they have and integrate various functions into a unified, efficient system.
Fellow ISO expert Mike Low also shares the same view. Standards, Low believes, can serve as tools in mitigating the effects of another economic recession, primarily by “delivering quality whilst reducing costs.” ISO 9001 is only the stepping stone; governments should use various ISO standards to maximize efficiency in internal and external affairs.
Transparency
Transparency is deeply ingrained in ISO standards as much as it’s needed in governments today. According to Transparency International, a global corruption watchdog, many nations in Asia, Africa, and South America are suffering from deeply-ingrained graft and corruption. Many highly-industrialized nations like the U.S. and Canada are in the clear.
Regardless of corruption risk, ISO’s open data movement should be strongly considered for a more accountable government. By making more information open to the public, problems can be aptly identified and effective solutions can be developed. Cities can start implementing an open data approach as a demonstration to its efficiency.
In a way, governments are like corporations. Both have an organized structure, guidelines and regulations, and resources at their disposal. Getting ISO 9001 certification from services such as ISA Registrar will go a long way in public service. Only then can a government really be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
(Source: “Modi to form world’s first ISO 9001 certified government,” Bhaskar News, June 19, 2014)