ABSTRACT
This chapter defines the total quality management (TQM), traces its historical roots, discusses its components, provides numerous examples, and distinguishes TQM from traditional forms of public administration. It examines the knowledge and advice about the implementation strategies of quality management. Careful attention to implementation is crucial, and a variety of strategies exist. The chapter also examines the "force field" or context of TQM in local government. In TQM, agencies and individuals are called upon to identify all of their stakeholders, and to design services to ensure that the objectives meet the needs of all stakeholders. Stakeholders of local government include external customers who depend on agency services. Continuous improvement implies that customer satisfaction should be periodically assessed, and that managers should continuously strive to improve upon customer satisfaction and service delivery processes. Improvements should be based on measures that are S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, accountable, realistic, and team-based.
