Governments - local or otherwise - are under increasing pressure around the world to provide results that matter to the public, often within severe resource constraints. Now they are taking pointers from the private sector by using ISO 9001 for quality management to provide efficient and reliable services vital to the lives of millions of people.

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the use of private security companies (PSCs) came into the public eye. A number of incidents, including alleged involvement in the deaths of innocent civilians and the use of unnecessary force and torture, led many to believe such companies were operating outside the rule of law.

A landmark ISO standard outlining key measurements for evaluating a city's service delivery and quality of life has just been published. Its use will help city managers, politicians, researchers, business leaders, planners, designers and other professionals to focus on key issues, and put in place policies for more livable, tolerant, sustainable, resilient, economically attractive and prosperous cities.

One of the world's most popular quality management standards is being revised, with the current draft now available for purchase. ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems, one of the most widely used ISO standards, has now been made available as a Draft International Standard (DIS), a key milestone in its revision process.