The City of Tshwane signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in the City Manager’s office on 6 February 2012. Here the CEO of SABS, Dr Bonakele Mehlomakulu, and City Manager Jason Ngobeni shake hands and exchange documents after the signing ceremony.
The SABS ISO 9001: 2008 standard provides a framework for comprehensive business management and improvement. Should the City of Tshwane comply with all the necessary requirements, it will be the first municipality to be ISO-certified in almost all its functional areas.
To ensure that the City of Tshwane delivers quality services, an SABS delegation led by the General Manager of the SABS Certification Division, Mr Frank Makamo, presented a quality assurance solution to the Mayoral Committee (MAYCO) on 21 September 2011. Following the MAYCO’s approval, the Office of the City Manager processed the appointment of the SABS, which led to signing a memorandum of understanding on 6 February 2012.
In order for the City to perform at such levels, it needs to close the gap between strategy implementation and operations improvement. Operations management will place the City in a position to set quality standards and understand its processes, thereby improving efficiency and eliminating waste.
Total quality management is underpinned by key management principles. ISO 9001 will benefit the City of Tshwane in the following areas:
| Involvement of staff |
- Motivated, committed and involved staff understand their part in the service delivery value chain.
- Staff feel accountable for their own performance, which is aligned with the Municipality’s strategic objectives.
- Staff are eager to participate and contribute to continual improvement.
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| Process approach |
- Effective use of resources lowers cost and shortens cycle times.
- All processes related to service delivery are mapped and measured.
- Results are improved, as well as consistent and predictable.
- Improvement opportunities are prioritised.
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| Systems approach |
- Processes related to service delivery are linked to create a process map that defines a “best-run municipality”
- The processes that will best achieve the desired results are aligned.
- Effort is focused on effective processes.
- Confidence in the effectiveness and efficiency of the Municipality is provided to interested parties.
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| Continual improvement |
- Increased competitive advantage is gained through improved organisational capabilities.
- Flexibility is provided to react quickly to community needs and external environmental changes.
- Improving individual KPIs will improve the City's strategic objectives
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| Factual approach to decision-making |
- Informed decisions will be taken.
- An unqualified report is ensured by demonstrating the
effectiveness of past decisions by referring to factual histories and
records.
- The ability is provided to review, challenge and change decisions.
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| Mutually beneficial supplier relationships |
- Supplier relationships will enhance service delivery and cost-effectiveness.
- The requirements of the Municipality will be clear and reviewed against targets for continual improvement.
- Supplier performance will be measured by criteria such as on-time delivery on service agreements.
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