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Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office, Republic of Korea

The Problem

Yeongdeungpo-gu, one of the 25 ward areas of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, was born as an administrative unit, named "Yeongdeungpo-myon, Siheung-gun, Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 1, 1917, whose name was changed to the current one on Oct. 18, 1946.
Yeongdeungpo-gu, located in the south-west part of Seouland south of the Han River, has about 159,000 households with a population of 408,000. The ward covers 24.56 sq. km, accounting for 4.05 percent of the whole of the capital. It is composed of 22 dongs (smallest administrative unit).
Manned by 1,306 officials, the Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office comprises of five bureaus, two officer's offices and 24 divisions at the headquarters, a health center and the secretariat of a ward council.
Yeongdeungpo-gu plays leading roles as a mecca of politics, national economy and broadcasting sectors in the southwest part of Seoul. The ward serves as a center of traffic and living quarters in the south-east area of the capital. Yeongdeungpo-gu, which is partially covered by quasi-industry zones, has been transformed into a "green city"with environment-friendly living conditions like the Han River and Anyang Stream. Yeongdeungpo-gu is striving to become a ward area filled with dynamics with futuristic industries with the goal of pursuing the welfare of ward residents;.
In particular, Yeouido, epicenter of the ward, serves as a gateway of Seoul, which is striving to establish itself as a hub of Northeast Asia. Yeouido, developed under an urban planning plan for the first time in Korea, is trying to become a center of Northeast Asia with the country's major functions, including financing/stock trading, politics and broadcasting like Manhattan of the United States.
Yeongdeungpo-gu is expected to undergo remarked changes as the ward has been maintainingsustainable development by undertaking such projects as the Yeouido Development Project, New Town Development Project and the development of the underground space of YeongdeungpoMarket in accordance with the 2020 comprehensive plan on the development of Yeongdeungpo-gu.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office has carried out a project¸ dubbed the "Public Project Quality Management OK Program," as its innovative task designed to not only prevent shoddy work and defects but to also ensure quality management. Our ward office aims to establish itself as a quality management leader with the goal of making public projects defect-free and meeting residents' demands under the vision "A Happy City Full of Hope."
To realize the vision, the ward office has performed the Public Project Quality Management Ok Program as an innovative brand project designed to apply policy quality management to the field of the execution agency of the local administrative body, not to policy-making bodies like the ministries of the central government.
The project has adopted a more aggressive and active "quality management" approach in undertaking public projects, departing from the past, passive approach under the name of "defect prevention."
In February 2006, the project was designated as an innovative brand project by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs. From April toOctober 2006, the ward office developed the Public Project Quality Management OK Program system and manual to digitalize a database, make offices paperless, improve business efficiency by overhauling the way work is done and establish work process and contents.
Residents' participation was reinforced through the whole process of the public project by introducing a ward resident auditors' system, resident appraisal system, real-time SMS service on contract duties, and prior notice system on construction projects. The implementation of every process involved in a project is also made public in real time to improve transparency. In addition, a defect penalty system and the appraisal and management of contractors have been conducted and other systems have been reformedso that trusty contractors can land contracts according to their capabilities and performance, thus building a foundation for ensuring quality management.
The project is expected to enhance the profile of "quality Korea", and our office is striving to become an international "mecca of quality public projects."

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
March 14, 2005 : Organized a brainstorming workshop
May 13, 2005 : Selected its own innovative task
June 1, 2005 : Declared the first year of driving out sloppiness and defects
July 1, 2005 : Establisheda defect prevention team
Sept. 1, 2005 : Designated asa leading body of local administration innovation and the signing of a pact
Feb. 8, 2006 : Designated as an innovative brand project by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs
Feb. 28, 2006 : Comprehensive plan drawn up for the building up of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program.
March 28, 2006 : Commissioneda contract on the defect prevention system of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program.
March 28, 2006 : Submitted a request on whether the software has been already developed (Approved by MOGAHA on Jun 10, 2006)
April 7, 2006 : Formed a task force of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program (10 teams with a staff of 23).
April 11, 2006 : Held a technology appraisal and screening committee meeting (contract candidate selected)
April 24, 2006 : Signed a contract with contract candidate (Sangah Management Consulting Co.)
May 29, 2006 : Heldthe first innovative brand project consulting and advisory committee meeting
June 20, 2006 : Offered SMS services on contract business
June 22, 2006 : Announced regulations on policy quality management of the Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office
June 30, 2006 : Held a forum on the innovative brand project
July 28, 2006 : Changed the system design of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program. (additional development of manual)
July 31, 2006 : Held the second innovative brand project consulting and advisory committee meeting
Sept. 6, 2006 : Held the innovative brand project experts' group invitational consulting and advisory committee meeting
Sept. 29, 2006 : Held a contest rally on study cases on public project quality management
Oct. 13, 2006 : Completed development of the system and manual of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Public mistrust over public projects has prevailed since such defect-related safety accidents as the collapses of the once-plush Sampoong Department Store and the Seongsu Grand Bridge in Seoul posed a social headache. Despite the government's diverse countermeasures, sloppy and defect-ridden construction was not rooted out. Such malpractice as sloppy construction, sloppy supervision and illegal subcontracting practices still existed with an insufficient understanding of quality management.
With this as the backdrop, the "Fireflies," an innovative-minded experts' group from the Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office, held a brainstorming meeting in March 2005 and selected defect prevention of public projects as its own innovative task.
Defect prevention of public projects is a well-understood yet tricky issue that is normallyoverlooked. Our ward office launched the project after recognizing that public project quality management should become an administrative reform to lay a strong foundation for building up Korea.
The Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office was designated as an innovative local administrative body and the Public Project Quality Management OK Program became an innovative brand project on Feb. 8, 2006.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
One of the major features of the project system is that the field work information system is hooked up to the ward office's website and electronic settlement system. A speedy work approach is available through navigation. Information on the current progress of a project is offered and users can have easy access to menus. It performs as a function of issuing a warning on things requiring priority quality management. The status of the comprehensive quality of each project is visualized like the traffic light warning system colors (red, yellow and green) in a bid to helpthe person in charge of each business make sure of thorough project management.
The project system also manages the schedule of the various stages of a project and acts as a warning to keep a project on schedule. It works with the Policy Customer Response Management system that can allow differentiated services by allowing residents to communicate with each other online. A public project quality management manual has been developed and is available on the site. It was developed in accordance with a suggestion by the MOGAHA's brand project consulting and advisory committee members for a comprehensivemanual designed to prevent sloppy and defect-ridden construction. The contents of the manual, written on the basis of the standards of ISO 9001 and KS A 91:2001, suggest the items that can be connected with the Public Project Quality Control OK Program system. Contractors'performances can be managed through a database system. It is also characterizedby an appraisal management system which can examine each site to select excellent companies.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The business vision, "Sloppy Work Is Zero Satisfaction for Ward Residents," led to customer-oriented and result-oriented strategies. From the customers' point of view, the ward resident auditors' system and resident evaluation system were designed to ensure that public projects aremade transparent. Opinions of residents were reflected from the planning stages and during the construction stages in order to raise the satisfaction level of the facility user.
From the point of results, the quality management system for public projects and manual were developed in order to select a company which is considered very good in terms of capability and work result. The management of work results with a penalty assessment for sloppy work and a post-project management system were strengthened to improve the work methods for public projects. The Public Project Quality Management OK Program was designed to boost the quality of projects ordered by the government in order to raise the degree of customer satisfaction.
To view more detailed strategies, first, the participation of ward residents and private experts became more active through the establishment of expert groups, advisory committees, reform-brand business guidance, the ward resident auditors' system and the resident evaluation system.
Second, the moves helped to intensify the participation of those interested parties, builders and auditing associations by reflecting their opinions. They also raised the interest level of system users and theirparticipation through rallies, the TF team, forums and workshops.
Third, a system to check the progress of complex public works projects through the function of navigation has been developed and has boosted the effectiveness of business.
Fourth, a manual to standardizework systems was developed with guidance and consultations from advisory members of revolutionary brand businesses, consulting services fromoutside professional organizations and the meetings of TF teams on the quality management of public projects.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Various changes were made because of the development of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program system and manual in the areas of knowledge management, participation, transparency, business management practices with the consultation and guidance of advisory members, outside professional groups and the public project quality management task force team from April to October this year.
The first change was a boost in the awareness of public project quality management. The result pushed the quality management of public projects to a new level of awareness that is an intense, active and positive one from the previously negative, inactive and passive one.
Second, it helped solidify the nature of work through open information and active resident participation. It provided an occasion for active resident participation, the resident evaluation of installations and ward resident auditors. It also established an integrated situation room through the Internet to check the progress of work, the current situation of work, and the outline of public projects, protecting the residents' right to know and making the work solid by reflecting the residents'opinions on steps of the work in progress.
The third change is the prevention of sloppy work on public projects and an increase in the quality level of those works. The ward inspector system would help find factors for unsatisfactorywork before the work is launched and correct them. It also prevents companies with a history of poor-quality work from participating in public projects with the penalty system for sloppy work. This will force the companies with a record of sub-par work to change their work ethics to find and solve the causes of bad work from the beginning. The move cuts down on maintenance costs, thus reducing budgets.
Fourth, it upgraded the effectiveness of the business related to public projects. The development of the public project quality management system has enabled the collection of all data for those public works into computers, effectively controlling the entire process through the navigation function. It raised the effectiveness of the work by inputting all data related to public projects, including design and data, resulting in reduced personnel expenses and work hours. It also developed a manual for guidance, laws, and examples of sloppy work and others information relevant to public projects in order to raise the business undertaking capacity and implementation. It also helped build the feedback system through the use of information when undertaking similar projects by referring to data collected over time in the system.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
After building up of the Public Project Quality Management OK Program system, the system's second-stage upgrading work is scheduled to take place between November 2006 and February 2007. Presently, public officials in charge of public works projectscan direct the project without going out to the construction sites by using web cameras. A system to take photos of construction sites with PDAs and to transmit both reports and photos in real time is being planned. Also, a plan is in the works to develop an electronic manual to dramatically improve the business effectiveness and convenience. Currently, though, the manual for the public project quality control system is available only in book and Korean-language file form.
Third, the ward plans to develop an educational program for construction projects organized by type of project, job position, and job description in a move to strengthen the role of the public servants in charge of public projects. Third, the ward office will hold various kinds of workshops, benchmarking, and quality improvement rallies, among others, to expand the quality management culture.
From 2007, the reimbursement system for reporting low-quality work will be expanded nationwide through campaigns. Fourth, the operation of the sloppy work reporting reimbursement system and the ward resident auditors' system willbe expanded by 2008 to reduce the rate of sub-par project work to zero and to improve the quality management system.
Our ward's core reform brand business, the Public Project Quality Management OK Programis likely to expand rapidly and with very good sustainability in view of the fact that all administrative organizations have been promoting the system andwill continue to push it in the future.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
There were difficulties in developing the Public Project Quality Management OK Program. First of all, those in charge of its development tried not to reveal the know-how and details of the development process and worried about the additional work that might come in the course of computerizing the existing business. They were also concerned that the transparency of the system would bring harm during the auditing phase. There were also problems associated with the lack of understanding and experience for the brand reform business. In order to solve these problems, the Yeungdeungpo-gu Ward Office formed the Public Project Quality Control OK Program task force team to have the public servants in charge participate by setting up government-ordered project quality management forums and other rallies.
The ward office also set the direction for the system to upgrade its effect and reduce the additional work to a minimum by holding workshops, discussions, and briefings for system development and the collection of opinions. The purpose of those activities wasto persuade those in charge of development that they can prevent leaks of information through the navigation function rather than the disadvantages from the post-auditing.
It solved the lack of understanding for the brand reform business through guidance and consultation by advisory members to raise their understanding and set the direction for its promotion.
Quality management for public projects is important but not easy. It calls for someone who can improve it by going back to the basics, and doing the difficult, although non-glorious work.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Yeongdeungpo-gu Ward Office, Republic of Korea
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Bong-keun Park
Title:   Public Project Defect Prevention Team  
Telephone/ Fax:   82-2-2670-3014
Institution's / Project's Website:   82-2-2670-3575
E-mail:   pbk733@hanmail.net  
Address:   (385-1, Dangsan-dong 3-ga) 124, Dangsan-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Postal Code:   150-723
City:   Seoul
State/Province:  
Country:  

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