TQM Implementation at Agriculture

GAO commented on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). GAO noted that: (1) 36 percent of USDA installations have implemented TQM; (2) many USDA installations have begun implementation of the early phases of TQM within the past 3 years; (3) similar to other federal installations, USDA involvement with TQM training, quality councils, and problem-solving teams increased as TQM maturity increased; and (4) two-thirds of USDA installations believed that TQM had a positive impact on internal operations and labor-management relations, and one-third believed it was too soon to judge TQM benefits.