This diploma thesis deals with the issues related to the quality management system in the field of secondary education, specifically in relation to the provision of education with an apprenticeship certificate. The quality management system is mostly associated with the private sector as a production process. However, the quality of services is as important as the quality of products. Quality management has also been known to the public sector for several years. Also state administration organizations, local authorities, universities, etc. deal with the quality management system. Secondary schools should certainly not be excluded from this sphere, as it is a necessary part of the school education system. The quality of the education provided, its course and results should undoubtedly be systematically managed. The first part of the thesis contains the definition of basic concepts focused on education and the school education system, defining quality, quality management methods (ISO, TQM, EFQM, CAF) and the principles of quality management in education. The definition of terms and related principles is based on the study of scientific literature, valid legal regulations and other documents focused on the quality management system. The empirical part of the diploma thesis is focused on the analysis...

Groundwater contamination is a growing problem that is receiving increasing attention on the national scene. There is recognition that federal, state, and local, programs for the protection of the nation's groundwater lack coordinated, integrated policy. Consequently, much of the responsibility for groundwater protection in rural areas falls upon local elected officials and public administrators who may be ill equipped to deal with technically c01nplex issues that are becoming increasingly germane and costly for many communities. This dissertation examines a rural county in Virginia (Clarke County) noted for its progressive groundwater protection policies, with the intent of the examination to improve the knowledge base of the dynamics of the groundwater protection process in rural areas. Case study methodology, implementation theory, and ethnographic techniques are used to determine what factors and forces play the greatest role in initiating and influencing groundwater protection outcomes in a rural setting. Answers are suggested for questions such as: (1) why does Clarke County display a different attitude towards groundwater protection than many of its neighbors in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia; (2) how was Clarke County able to initiate and institute groundwater protection plans; and (3) is there a special role for the public administrator in the rural groundwater protection policy process? / Ph. D.

Within the study area for Industrial Technology, there are Quality studies. The concepts of quality and customer are common in these studies of organizations, and the concepts are interconnected since quality is defined as customer satisfaction. In the introduction to the collaboration with Riksförbundet Sveriges 4H, it is discovered that concepts are not used. Therefore, it is interesting to study quality management within 4H based on the people who work within the organisation. The purpose of the study is to explore how people within the non-profit organisation 4H share about quality management today, and their vision for the future as well as to answer the question: who is 4H:s customer? The study also sheds light on the problem of customer-defined quality management in non-profit organisations. In the theory chapter the concept of quality is presented in order to, through its definition and a description of Total Quality Management, move on to a description of the customer concept. After presenting the connection between the two concepts to non-profit organisations, it is concluded that non-profit organisations also only have one customer. With the help of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, it is that 4H:s customer is the member. The analysis also presents the themes and sub-themes that summarize the interviewees' statements about quality management in 4H. The conclusions are that quality management in 4H today and in the future can be described within values ​​of Total Quality Management and shows the potential for improvement and a unified vision. / Inom studieområdet för Industriell teknik återfinns kvalitetsstudier. Begreppen kvalitet och kund är vardag i dessa studier av kommersiella organisationer. Dessutom är begreppen sammankopplade då kvalitet definieras utifrån kundtillfredsställelse. I inledningen till samarbetet med Riksförbundet Sveriges 4H upptäcks att kund och kvalitetsbegreppen inte används. Därför är det intressant att studera kvalitetsarbete inom 4H utifrån de personer som arbetar inom organisationen. Syften med studien är att undersöka och kartlägga hur personer inom den ideella organisationen 4H ser kvalitetsarbetet idag och hur deras vision om kvalitetsarbetet ser ut i framtiden samt att svara på frågan: vem är 4H:s kund? Studien belyser även problematiken med kunddefinerat kvalitetsarbete i ideella organisationer inom teorikapitlet. Där presenteras kvalitetsbegreppet för att genom dess definition och en beskrivning av offensiv kvalitetsutveckling gå över till en beskrivning av kundbegreppet. Efter att ha redovisat de två begreppens koppling till ideella organisationer i tre studier dras slutsatsen att även ideella organisationer bara har en kund. Med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta personer och tematisk analys konstateras det utifrån intervjupersonerna utsagor att 4H:s kund är medlemmen. I analysen redovisas även de teman och underteman som sammanfattar intervjupersonernas utsagor om kvalitetsarbete i 4H idag och i framtiden. Slutsatserna av analysen är att kvalitetsarbete i 4H och i framtiden kan beskrivas inom ramarna för hörnstensmodellens värderingar och visar den förbättringspotential som finns och en enad vision.

Within the study area for Industrial Technology, there are Quality studies. The concepts of quality and customer are common in these studies of organizations, and the concepts are interconnected since quality is defined as customer satisfaction. In the introduction to the collaboration with Riksförbundet Sveriges 4H, it is discovered that concepts are not used. Therefore, it is interesting to study quality management within 4H based on the people who work within the organisation. The purpose of the study is to explore how people within the non-profit organisation 4H share about quality management today, and their vision for the future as well as to answer the question: who is 4H:s customer? The study also sheds light on the problem of customer-defined quality management in non-profit organisations. In the theory chapter the concept of quality is presented in order to, through its definition and a description of Total Quality Management, move on to a description of the customer concept. After presenting the connection between the two concepts to non-profit organisations, it is concluded that non-profit organisations also only have one customer. With the help of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, it is that 4H:s customer is the member. The analysis also presents the themes and sub-themes that summarize the interviewees' statements about quality management in 4H. The conclusions are that quality management in 4H today and in the future can be described within values ​​of Total Quality Management and shows the potential for improvement and a unified vision. / Inom studieområdet för Industriell teknik återfinns kvalitetsstudier. Begreppen kvalitet och kund är vardag i dessa studier av kommersiella organisationer. Dessutom är begreppen sammankopplade då kvalitet definieras utifrån kundtillfredsställelse. I inledningen till samarbetet med Riksförbundet Sveriges 4H upptäcks att kund och kvalitetsbegreppen inte används. Därför är det intressant att studera kvalitetsarbete inom 4H utifrån de personer som arbetar inom organisationen. Syften med studien är att undersöka och kartlägga hur personer inom den ideella organisationen 4H ser kvalitetsarbetet idag och hur deras vision om kvalitetsarbetet ser ut i framtiden samt att svara på frågan: vem är 4H:s kund? Studien belyser även problematiken med kunddefinerat kvalitetsarbete i ideella organisationer inom teorikapitlet. Där presenteras kvalitetsbegreppet för att genom dess definition och en beskrivning av offensiv kvalitetsutveckling gå över till en beskrivning av kundbegreppet. Efter att ha redovisat de två begreppens koppling till ideella organisationer i tre studier dras slutsatsen att även ideella organisationer bara har en kund. Med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta personer och tematisk analys konstateras det utifrån intervjupersonerna utsagor att 4H:s kund är medlemmen. I analysen redovisas även de teman och underteman som sammanfattar intervjupersonernas utsagor om kvalitetsarbete i 4H idag och i framtiden. Slutsatserna av analysen är att kvalitetsarbete i 4H och i framtiden kan beskrivas inom ramarna för hörnstensmodellens värderingar och visar den förbättringspotential som finns och en enad vision.

The turbulent markets and changing business landscapes of today put pressure on companies to be competitive, adaptable, and capable of rapid change. Qualifications that can be achieved through high operational performance and continuous process quality improvement. The changing business landscape also provides opportunities for companies to use technology to create value-creating processes in collaboration with their customers. The study presents an organisation that has benefited from the new business landscape with a high capacity to adapt and change, but which currently lacks a structure for process quality development, which does not make them competitive.  Thus, the study aims to create a unique approach to processes as a basis for the organisation’s continued process quality development. The study, conducted within a young company on a rapid growth journey, analyses its current ways of working, process needs, and identifies what is needed to increase process knowledge within the company. The case study is based on a quality engineering theoretical framework with elements of change theory to ensure short and long-term results.  The study shows that the organisation has integrated ways of working which supports continuous improvement, customer-centricity, and employee involvement with the help of an engaged management. However, there is a lack of ways of working that support process work and fact-based decisions, which means that all processes need to be optimised and systematically improved through documentation, delegation, and relevant measurements. Finally, the unique approach to processes is presented, based on the organisation’s current approach, Trial and error, with associated tools to ensure the organisation’s process quality development and process understanding. / Dagens turbulenta marknader och föränderliga affärslandskap bidrar med en press på företag att vara konkurrenskraftiga, anpassningsbara och dessutom inneha snabb förändringsförmåga. Kvalifikationer som kan uppnås genom hög operativ prestanda och ständig processkvalitetsutveckling. Det föränderliga affärslandskapet bidrar dessutom med möjligheter för företag att med hjälp av tekniken skapa värdeskapande processer i samverkan med dess kunder. I studien presenteras en organisation som dragit nytta av det nya affärslandskapet med stor anpassningskapacitet och förändringsförmåga, men som i dagsläget saknar struktur för processkvalitetsutvecklingen, vilket inte gör de konkurrenskraftiga.  Studien syftar således till att skapa ett unikt arbetssätt för processer som underlag för organisationens fortsatta processkvalitetsutveckling. Studien, som är genomförd inom ett ungt företag med snabb tillväxtresa, analyserar dess nuvarande arbetssätt, processbehov och identifierar vad som behövs för att öka processkunskapen inom företaget. Fallstudien bygger på ett kvalitettekniskt teoretiskt ramverk med inslag av förändringsteori för att säkerställa kort- och långsiktiga resultat. Undersökningen visar att organisationen besitter integrerade arbetssätt som stödjer ständiga förbättringar, kundcentralisering och medarbetarinkludering med hjälp av en engagerad ledning. Däremot saknas arbetssätt som stödjer processarbetet och faktabaserade beslut, vilket innebär att samtliga processer behöver optimeras och systematiskt förbättras genom dokumentation, delegering och relevanta mätningar. Slutligen presenteras det unika arbetssättet för processer, som baseras på organisationens nuvarande arbetssätt Försök och lär, med tillhörande verktyg för att säkerställa organisationens processkvalitetsutveckling och processförståelse.

Syfte Denna studie syftar till att bringa mer kunskap kring hur managementkonceptanvänds inom privat äldreomsorg för att hantera de aspekter av sektornsregelmiljö som berör kvalitetsarbete. Teori: Analys och tolkningar vilar på grunderna inom nyinstitutionell teori samt vidaredess skandinaviska inriktning, särskilt vad avser översättning avmanagementkoncept. Vidare tar studien hänsyn till tidigare forskning kringimplementering av Total Quality Management, såväl som konceptetshuvudsakliga egenskaper. Empiri: Kvalitetsbokslut publicerade av Vardaga respektive Attendo tre år i följd, samtSocialstyrelsens föreskrifter och allmänna råd SOSFS 2011: 9 Ledningssystemför systematiskt kvalitetsarbete, utgör undersökningens empiriska material. Slutsats: Regelmiljöns utformning gör tillämpning av Total Quality Managementpraktikerofrånkomligt inom äldreomsorgen. Det är vidare uppseendeväckandehur observerade företag utöver att enbart implementera TQM, även använderretorisk kommunikation som syftar till att legitimera praktikerna, sannolikt förbåde interna och externa ändamål. Vid sidan av TQM-retoriken, uttryckerföretagen även en annan inställning gentemot kvalitet, som snarare betonarvikten av professionell kunskap samt till viss del även problematiserarkvalitetsmätning. Detta indikerar möjlig översättning av kvalitetsbegreppet ochdess innebörd, ej helt osannolikt med syfte att hantera den problematik somframförts av TQM-kritiker. / Purpose: The study aims at bringing about more knowledge regarding the role played by management concepts within private elderly care, in handling the aspect of its regulatory environment concerning quality work. Theory: The analysis and interpretations rest upon the basis of neo institutional theory and furthermore its Scandinavian branch, mainly concerning the issue of translation of management concepts. Further, the study takes into account, previous research on implementation of Total Quality Management as well as main features of the concept. Data: Annual quality reports published by Vardaga and Attendo for three consecutive years were reviewed, as well as the regulations and guidelines SOSFS: 2011: 9 Management system for systematic quality work imposed by The National Board of Health and Welfare. Conclusion: The design of the regulatory environment makes application of Total Quality Management practices inevitable in the elderly care sector. Striking, is however how both companies more than just implementing the TQM, additionally are using rhetoric seeking to legitimize the practices, possibly in order to gain internal and/or external recognition. Alongside TQM rhetoric, the two companies also express a different approach towards quality, emphasising the importance of professional knowledge as well as suggesting quality can be hard to measure accurately. This indicates possible translation of the quality term and its meaning, possibly for solving issues presented by TQM critics.

Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2007 / In the face of international crime and terrorism, private security together with public policing and the military is playing a crucial role. The domain of private security is a fairly neglected field of study, especially in South Africa, making this investigation a substantial contribution. With the focus on the impact of organisational culture on the levels of service delivery in South Africa’s largest security company, Group4 Securicor (G4S), a model is proposed for aligning organisational culture with levels of service excellence within the company. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire with a preceding pilot study. The Competing Values Framework (CVF) and the Baldrige criteria served respectively as guideline for the development of the culture and quality sections of the questionnaire. Although organisational culture and service excellence are well-researched topics, no other investigation applies these aspects to the private security industry. The results show that organisational cultural impacts on service excellence in G4S.

Published Article / The purpose of this paper, based on a doctoral study, is to examine how teachers in the Foundation Phase of schools in the Free State province perceived, conceptualised and implemented Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) as a component of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). The epistemological and ontological perspectives pertaining to both quantitative and qualitative approaches compelled the researcher to choose the Mixed Method Research (MMR). Data analysis consisted of the inferential and descriptive statistics for quantitative data analysis and, themes, patterns and behaviours for qualitative data analysis. Unbalanced two-way ANOVA, T-test and frequency distributions were used in analysis of quantitative data while themes and patterns resembled qualitative data analysis. The majority of teachers perceived DAS as a developmental process while a sizable minority claimed to the contrary. The Department of Basic Education did not provide direct training to teachers on matters pertaining to both the DAS and IQMS. Furthermore, the money reward earned through the process of DAS was perceived to be a source of conflict between teachers and school management.

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2007 / In South Africa, water is a scarce resource and it has become very important to manage this resource effectively. The State developed a regulating framework, under the hospice of the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, which protects the country‟s water resources from over-exploitation by ensuring that it is protected, used, developed, conserved, and managed, in a sustainable and equitable manner. The laws and policies governing the use of water resources are contained in the National Water Act (South Africa, 1998), the National Water Policy (South Africa, 1997a), the National Water Resource Strategy, and the Water Services Act (South Africa, 1997b). In addition some water-related functions were transferred to Catchment Management Agencies and Water Users‟ Associations, and it is their task to ensure that the strategies, laws and policies are implemented. Effective water management can only be performed by making use of hydroinformatics which assists with simulations and estimations. As a result input data will be collected, added to a Relational Database Management System and output results generated. A Geographic Information System with the support of a geodatabase will allow users to store spatial and temporal data. The research project investigated different water-related data models (ArcHydro, Hydstra, GML, HYMOS, and WinHSPF), as well as hydrological modelling frameworks (BASINS, OMS, OpenMI, SPATSIM, and TIME) to determine whether they were adequate to assist with the decision making of water-related activities. It was found that these data models and hydrological modelling frameworks did not allow users to add new datasets to their existing data structures and in many cases only had a limited set of functions. For these reasons it was decided to develop a comprehensive, modifiable, geodatabase that will function in a modelling environment which will allow users to save their data in a centralised database. Additionally the functionality provided by other data models and modelling frameworks may be linked and used in the new modelling environment. A methodology that has been followed was to first establish the objectives of the research project, gather the necessary data, investigate various data models and hydrological modelling frameworks, determine the requirements for the modelling environment, design and create the modelling environment, design and create the geodatabase, and finally selecting the study area which will provide the research project with the necessary data. The following findings were made concerning the research project: firstly, that ArcHydro will be used as example data model to assist in designing the geodatabase. Secondly, that UML will be used as a development tool to assist with the development of the geodatabase. Thirdly, that the geodatabase will be generated from the XML schema and be made available to ArcCatalog. Fourthly, that data from different users/providers (Hydstra, Stats SA, Weather Bureau, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, etc.) be inserted into the geodatabase. Fifthly, that any other hydrological modelling framework may make use of the data stored in the geodatabase. Finally, ArcGIS was selected as GIS application and Microsoft Access as a storage area.

Although quality management is used in occupational therapy in South Africa, no comprehensive description or standardisation of it exists. Literature in the context of this topic is scarce. As a consequence of this problem, the purpose of this study was to describe the extent of occupational therapists’ involvement in quality management. A quantitative study in the form of a survey was carried out. A convenience sample of 80 occupational therapists was surveyed, using a structured questionnaire. Results of the study indicate that most occupational therapists have some knowledge of quality frameworks. Standardisation on documentation and its auditing appears to be one of a number of problems. Another challenge is that occupational therapists may work in relative professional isolation making it problematic to implement quality management. Recommendations were made for occupational therapy practice and further research, as well as recommendations for a quality management framework for occupational therapy in South Africa. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)