We are an international organization with clear aim to promote and facilitate better practices in the use of management systems, through application of dedicated international standards and specialized networks for the exchange of knowledge, finally resulting in a more tangible an sustainable improvements for society.
As a result of discussions and decisions taken in a number of meetings between international organizations involved in the area of quality and/or development of international standards and a great number of recognized experts in quality, the idea was born to start the process for creating a worldwide organization for quality (WCQ) and a worldwide network of knowledge systems.
During the World Quality Forum 2003, organized by the Latin American Institute for Quality Assurance (INLAC) and held in Cancun in May 2003, the opportunity was given to a group of experts to reflect on the issue how to achieve a more dynamic and more determined integration of Latin America through Quality.
It was considered that within this integration it would be increasingly feasible that a vision of countries of Latin America being united in their projects, well identified by their cultures and values and, above all, respected in the community of nations of the world. Under this perspective it was acknowledged, as a matter of urgency, that promoting quality culture in many ways and in many areas, such as the food industry, small and medium enterprises, induction of quality in education, among others, would transcend and permeate everything as a new, better and more sustainable way of performing activities.
Given these considerations, the Declaration of Cancun was agreed and signed on May 30th of 2003, with proposals to:
In 2004, at a regional meeting of INLAC in Santiago de Chile, ≈ the results were analyzed of the Mexican experience in assessment of quality in municipal management in the states of Guanajuato in 1995 and Nuevo León in 2003. This allowed the development of "Agenda Desde lo Local” (Agenda from the Local), inspired by the local Agenda 21 of the UN.
The proposed model provided an integral and complete vision on management in local governments based on application of minimum standards on one side and process of creating the culture of quality resulting with high impact on the quality of life of citizens.
In order to give this model more international impact, it was important to make a reference with an internationally recognized quality management system standards; the most widely accepted, fitting in this context was ISO 9001:2000.. In February 2005 the Technical Management Board of ISO gave it approval for this international workshop, which was held in Veracruz, Mexico, in May 2005. The result of this workshop was the document called International Workshop Agreement (IWA-4); being a guide for the implementation of quality management systems in local government based on the already existing international standard ISO 9001:2000.
Given the introduction of this document for its application in the field of local government (organizations providing basic services to citizens, with evident need to establish adequate measurements of their processes and services ), it was considered appropriate to link the purpose of IWA-4 with the Worldwide Council for Quality proposed in Cancun back in 2003.
During IWA-4 workshop in Veracruz the document called “The Declaration of Veracruz” was proposed and signed. The outcome of this workshop was also the formal establishment of WCQ, of the being represented in different regions of the world by personalities of the ISO and the quality community. The purpose of this declaration was to promote, disseminate, evaluate, and enrich the "IWA 4" project in a World Network for Quality in Governments (WNQG) which would depend of the WCQ, in order to support and lead the WNQG.
It was decided this World Network should be constituted on global, regional and national or provincial level, being part of local and regional governments, as well as all those organizations and individuals included under prior agreement. In this framework a Regional Alliance in Latin America was formed, in order to support the construction of the Network, being led by INLAC, and participating in the Federation of Municipalities of Central America (FEMICA), the American Association of Sociology of Organizations (AISO), Latin American Organization of Intermediate Governments (OLAGI) and Ibero American Foundation for Quality Management (FUNDIBEQ).
To promote and facilitate better practices in use of management systems through international standards and relevant networks to share knowledge and appropriate projects with the ultimate goal of providing tangible improvements to society.
To be acknowledged for making a difference in transforming the theory of management systems into results of improvement for society in the world.