ORIGIN AND IMPACT OF QUALITY STANDARDS ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

This work focuses on the path that the notion quality - in its current meaning - has followed within public administration. It reviews the origin and changes that the concept has undergone. Particularly, it emphasizes the facts and the context which enabled quality to raise as a transformation axis which foresaw a substan- tial improvement in the way of providing services, from the changes made to in- ternal public administration processes, following with the application of the pro- cedures which profit organizations used to improve their performance efficiency, and ending with the quality charters of the service. In this vein, is also highlights the work performed by international organizations which have promoted models and quality standards, with particular emphasis on the International Organization for Standardization ISO, to know their nature and sources of legitimacy and authority to certify public  administration. Finally, we review the implementation of quality and  standards of quality in the Mexican  public administration.