Introduction of TQM in Eurostat, a supranational statistical service

Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, describes its experiences on its long journey to quality. Its TQM project, which started some eight years back, has been a typical story of hope and frustration, success and failure. The study shows how Eurostat evolved its own way of dealing with TQM in a multinational public administration environment, the specific tools it developed (and applied) and the current status. It also shows how this project has helped the Office to cope with the more general reform of the European Commission, to which Eurostat belongs. The study concludes with some thoughts about the additional efforts that will be needed to ensure the complete success of Eurostat's approach at an international level.