European Union Support in the Improvement of Quality Management Systems in Administration Offices in Poland

Abstract

In many countries of Europe and the world, in the past several years, management in the public sector has been radically changed. The experience of the administration of each country shows that organizations in this area have a significant impact on the economies, taking over increasingly more responsibilities in solving many complex socio-economic problems. In order for the task of public entities to be effectively executed and correspond to social expectations, it becomes necessary to implement structures of management tools, in particularly, quality standards. Implementation of practical solutions in the field of quality management results in the establishment of corporate standards, more efficient use of resources and greater citizen satisfaction with the work of public institutions.
Quality management systems have become the standard in public administration offices in Poland. The most common tool in this area is ISO 9001. Some offices choose to improve the quality of services with the use of the CAF self-assessment. Many authorities improve their services by utilising project financing from the European Union funds. This paper analyzes the effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of the implementation of quality management tools in local government units in Poland.