Michał Kaczmarczyk, the mayor's commisioner for the system of quality control for the City Office in Szczecin.

The idea to introduce the ISO system was formulated along with the foundation of the Client Service Office (BOI) incorporating the whole service for the inhabitants of Szczecin-from the simplest matters to more complicated ones, like the registration of vehicles, receipt of identity cards or driver's licenses. We are planning to widen the BOI range of activity to additional matters. The system introduction process, including compilations of the necessary documentation as well as the training of employees, a team compiling the documentation and a team of internal auditors, took about nine months. Our efforts were crowned with a certification audit held by the Polish Center for Testing and Certification (PCBC) in March 2002. The certification unit was appointed in the course of the Act on Public Orders. We wanted the certification unit to possess a
Polish accreditation and satisfy Polish norms. Along with the PCBC certificate we obtained the international IQ Net certificate granted by an international "quality net" and recognized by all countries belonging to the "quality community."

Surveying, certifying and granting the certificate together with a three-year-long service (annual checks of the system) cost around zl.30,000. Money for this cause came from the city budget.

At the very beginning, some minor fears among the office employees appeared, but they were resolved by a series of training courses on the subject. An indispensable element of the system is securing resources and creating proper conditions for the organization's functioning. The City Office in Szczecin possesses one of the most modern computer systems in Poland, a very good Client Service Office and an excellent employee training system, all of which made the requirements of the ISO 9001:2001 much easier to fulfill. Due to the introduction of the system, the efficiency of these institutions' work increased, which was also reflected in a reduced number of complaints.

The certificate guarantees good operation of the office. It shortens the time that internal and external clients must wait for realization of services. It breaks barriers and stereotypes of behavior in the relations between office workers and clients. Consequently, it increases the municipality residents' satisfaction and trust in local government.