MSC - Distance

Module Title: Assignment Title:

Total Quality Management

Total Quality is a myth or at best wishful thinking from the HR People. Our so-called customers dont want to be here and the staff just follow orders. Whatever Quality we achieve results from the way my managers and I control what is happening, 24 hours a day. Draft report, Comment on assumptions.

To the attention of the Prison Governor North of England

Sir, Following are some national scale statistics related to prisons performance and associated costs as issued by the Center for Social Justice in March 2009 (A Policy Report by the Prison Reform Working Group), which I would like to use as argument in reply to your statement on Total Quality. They are not to show where we stand among other prisons, rather how they are the result of a distinct culture with which you clearly identify, and how embracing a Total Quality culture can stop and reverse this longterm progressive loss, financial and human. - Prisons population has increased dramatically in the last decade, counting as of today about 83000 people; - Approximately three quarters of young prisoners under 25 and two thirds of all adult prisoners are reconvicted within two years of release; - Today, the annual public expenditure costs of running prisons and managing offenders is over 5 billion, which combined with 11 billion costs of re-offending as estimated by Social Exclusion Unit (in 2002), amount to an annual total of 16 billion.

It is obvious from the statistics that the correctional system is stuck in a closed cycle between overcrowding and failure to rehabilitate. Evidently there is something wrong with the system, but first of all with the traditional approach to prison management. Contrary to traditional management, a TQ approach requires that we stop and identify the root cause for prisons overcrowding and increased re-offending. It is a process where system, process and individual defects and shortcomings are identified and recognized, followed by an improvement plan and implementation, then measurement of results and again, plan rearrangement and implementation according to results. This may seem the same previous closed cycle, with the difference that instead of making more of the same to get more of the same, we consistently apply the principles of change, improvement and learning, in favour of increased efficiency and improved performance. In this new light, it is necessary to return to the basics: why do prisons exist and what is their purpose? (CSJ report, March 2009) 1. Prison is for protecting the public 2. Prison is for the punishment of offenders 3. Prison is for rehabilitation.

Clearly, failure of prisons management and correctional systems to grasp the third why of the prison, heavily affects the how they do their work. I also refer to your statement, as clear evidence of how you personally as prison governor define your role and purpose (Bryans, Sh., Prison Governors: Managing prisons in a time of change, Review), very much in line with the traditional prison management leadership culture (CSJ report, March 2009). Failure in prisoners rehabilitation causes a chain reaction, whereby re-offending leads to overcrowded prisons, less quality of care and security, more efforts to meet any standard (CSJ report, March 2009) and as you say, whatever quality. Overcrowded prisons have no room for any reform, let alone efficiency. In these conditions, I somehow agree with you, Total Quality is a myth; until you identify failure and its effects and recognize the need for change and improvement. TQ is about continual change and improvement; most of all, a change of culture to the benefit of increased performance towards a set purpose. Change of culture needs a strong and innovative leadership backed by real commitment at all levels (CSJ report, March 2009), that calls for individual commitment and belief in final purpose. Prison leadership culture in particular, needs to change and extend its focus from basic containment and control, to prisoner rehabilitation, as an issue of mutual interest for both prisoners and society (CSJ report, March 2009). Relating this to your statement, it is society the ultimate customer of the correctional service, represented by taxpayers, government, and local labour market. Your so called customers are a minority representation of society, passive customers, seeking for opportunities to change their life for the better, and reduce re-offending. Note how various customers interests converge in one point: offenders rehabilitation. TQ is about customer satisfaction. As a private business we should make best use of our ability for flexibility and innovation to meet and exceed customer satisfaction. It is your duty as prison governor to make the first change by redefining your role and purpose, and create a vision for rendering prison not a place for punishment; rather an effective environment for prisoner rehabilitation. To achieve this you must avail of many TQ elements, practices and tools: Identify and implement processes and functions that serve and facilitate strategy

implementation and effectively produce measurable results. This brings focus on process rather than people management and requires a less vertical management structure. It represents a major challenge in terms of cultural and behavioral change, especially for the occupational group culture you represent. Leadership, long-term view and commitment to change are essential. Identify and eliminate the root cause of problems rather than act towards effects. Eg.

understanding the reasons behind prisoners bad behaviors instead of punishment, and taking proper

action for remedy. This approach refers to Deming understanding of variables as main cause for poor quality. Identifying and eliminating variables enables you to allocate energies and resources to more value added and purposeful activities, contributing to prisoners personal development (CSJ report, March 2009), such as prisoners education and professional training. Evidence (CSJ report, March 2009), shows that lack of elementary education and skills for earning a living are the main causes for offending. It is the failure of the correctional system to remedy that leads to re-offending. As in a customer-supplier relationship, this requires continuous interaction and feedback from both prisoners and staff. The innovation and challenge stands with involving staff and teams and changing the communication culture. Again, leadership is essential but cannot succeed without employee involvement and commitment.

TQ is about employee involvement and commitment. In any organization with approach to TQ culture, involved and committed employees make a difference to customer satisfaction and company performance. A TQ approach, contrary to just following orders consists in: Open and clear communication on what needs to be done and what is expected. This will help

staff stay focused and act consistently, thus reducing variations resulting from inconsistent behavior of prison officers. It is the first step in building a culture of trust and involvement. Appropriate training not only on how to better cope with daily chaos and incidents and security

maintenance. Training should be to the function of your vision and strategy, tailored according to specific needs of prison officers, prisoner groups and prison itself. Prison officers must learn the complexities of prisoners, how to rehabilitate them and their role for effective rehabilitation (CSJ report, March 2009). Training should be about building relationships and guiding prisoners to law abiding lives. Training should be about what Deming calls institution of leadership; i.e. extending ones role beyond mere supervision and inspection, rather guide people to efficiently achieve a common purpose. Effects of appropriately tailored and purposeful training are: increased staff confidence, prisoner and staff safety, motivation, efficiency, job satisfaction and reduction of employee turnover. Well trained and experienced staff adds value to company performance not only by means of knowledge and efficiency, but also by improving, rooting and transferring the company TQ culture. Daily interaction with prisoners in the light of a TQ culture, apart from improving communication and processes, will help both prisoners and staff, identify prison with a place for positive personal change, apart from safety and security (CSJ report, March 2009). Creation of teams and their optimization. Staff that is equipped with the right knowledge, skills

and motivation will make for powerful teams. Teams can be grouped and designed in line with

functions and processes in efforts to effectively achieve measurable results. Continuous monitoring and assessment of results, combined with plenty of feedback from staff and prisoners will help teams redesign in search of optimization. Apart from efficiency, teams are the means for rooting TQ as a group culture rather than just individual initiative with a greater impact on prisoners life and rehabilitation. Job discretion and employee empowerment: as Juran said, in any organization, the person

who best understands his job and how to improve both product and process is the one performing it. Using discretion instead of just following orders will make them want to be involved, proud of their achievements, enhance learning and self-improvement. And if you want to get the best out of your people, you exert full trust on their skills, experience, commitment and judgment; institute empowerment. Empowerment is the ultimate tool for involvement and commitment. Enabling work place decision-making increases in turn personal and team responsibility. Employee empowerment does not weaken your role as governor; instead, it enables you to concentrate your efforts in developing your vision and strategy, improve processes for increased efficiency, continuously measure results and identify areas for improvement and create a learning organisation.

I believe this report will help you understand how TQ principles and culture are universal and can apply in any organization, most of all in a privately managed prison. As a business abiding to government set regulations and standards, with a pre-requisite to generate cost savings to public funds, and aiming to perform profitably and efficiently in an ever increasing competitive market, we cannot afford the return on investment reported in the statistics, least; neglect the benefits deriving from proper and systemic application of TQ principles and culture. _________________________________________________________________________________ REFERENCES: The management and control of quality, Evans/Linds Review of Bryans, Sh. Prison Governors: Managing prisons in a time of change, Oxford Journal Breakthrough Britain: Locked Up Potential - A Policy Report by the Prison Reform Working Group, March 2009 Published by the Center for Social Justice www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk