TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND SERVICE DELIVERY OF THE KENYA SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT

Quality service delivery is a fundamental indicator of public institutional performance, particularly for entities mandated to develop civil service capacity such as the Kenya School of Government (KSG). Despite its statutory responsibility to provide efficient and high-quality training, KSG continues to experience systemic challenges, including delayed program implementation, inconsistency in training standards across campuses, limited stakeholder engagement, and administrative inefficiencies. This study examined the effect of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices on service delivery at KSG. The specific objectives were to: examine the effect of leadership commitment on service delivery efficiency; assess the influence of continuous improvement initiatives on service delivery; evaluate the effect of customer focus on service quality and stakeholder satisfaction; and determine how employee empowerment influences service delivery. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design, targeting 1,729 individuals comprising administrative staff, trainers, and trainees across all five KSG campuses. Stratified random sampling yielded 313 respondents, with 290 completing questionnaires (92.7% response rate). Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Correlation analysis revealed that employee involvement exhibited the strongest relationship with service delivery (r = 0.676, p < 0.001), followed by continuous improvement (r = 0.649), customer focus (r = 0.603), and leadership commitment (r = 0.602). Regression analysis demonstrated that TQM practices collectively explained 57.1% of service delivery variance (R² = 0.571, F = 105.47, p < 0.001), with employee involvement emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.364, p < 0.001). The study concluded that TQM practices significantly enhance service delivery, though implementation consistency and resource equity require improvement. Recommendations include investing in employee empowerment programs, strengthening leadership commitment through consistent resource allocation, prioritizing uniform continuous improvement frameworks, and developing formalized complaint resolution systems. Future research should explore organizational culture, financial constraints, and mediating variables influencing service delivery outcomes.