ISO Quality Management System in Public Higher Education Institutions: Basis for Service Enhancement

Education institutions, particularly public higher education institutions (HEIs) or state universities and colleges (SUCs), are directed to deliver excellent education to students, in-depth knowledge, ensure academic development aligned with national development demands, and contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on quality education. This study investigates the implementation of the ISO quality management system (QMS) in public HEIs. It examines the level of awareness of implementers and their level of agreement on the perceived challenges that they encountered in its implementation, including the benefits of implementing the ISO QMS in terms of the specific service deliveries of public HEIs, which are on dimensions of Instruction services, Research services, Extension services, General Administration and Support services, Resource Generation services, and Responsiveness of the Market. Despite the success of some institutions, the failure of others underscores the necessity for HEIs to adopt quality management practices, satisfy customer needs, and remain competitive. This research employs a descriptive, quantitative approach using survey questionnaires to assess the level of awareness among ISO QMS implementers, identify challenges, and identify the benefits of ISO certification ISO certified SUCs in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines, consisting of 441 service-provider employees, with or without administrative designations, as respondents. Findings reveal that implementers, mostly female non-teaching staff aged 26–35 with 11–15 years of service, are fully aware of the ISO QMS but face significant challenges, notably a lack of understanding of ISO 9001 benefits. Awareness levels vary significantly by age, job classification, years in service, and position, while perceived challenges differ by sex, years in service, job classification, and position. ISO certification proves moderately to highly beneficial in areas like market responsiveness and service delivery. The study recommends continuous training and development for implementers, enhanced communication from top management, and further research to guide other HEIs considering ISO QMS certification.