MUNICIPAL COMMITMENT TO TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT - A SURVEY OF RECENTPROGRESS

How do cities implement Total Quality Management (TQM)? In which areas is TQM most common? Evan M. Berman and Jonathan P. West report the fi ndings of a national survey of city managers and chief administrative officers in all cities over 25,000. They find that local governments u se a broad range of strategies, and that city managers play an importa nt role. The data indicate that currently 11 percent of cities have a ''substantial'' commitment to TQM. TQM efforts are most common in poli ce, parks and recreation, streets, and personnel services. While modes t positive results are reported for some cities, it is too soon to dra w definite conclusions about the outcomes of municipal TQM initiatives .