ISO 11367:2025
(Main)Service excellence — Principles and model for public service organizations
Service excellence — Principles and model for public service organizations
This document establishes the principles of public service excellence and gives guidance on a public service excellence model. This document is applicable to public service organizations that deliver services and aim to provide an outstanding experience to their key stakeholders, such as the society (the citizens) they serve, and other partner organizations for the purpose of delivering excellent service.
Excellence de service — Principes et modèles pour les organismes de service public
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
International
Standard
ISO 11367
First edition
Service excellence — Principles
2025-02
and model for public service
organizations
Excellence de service — Principes et modèles pour les organismes
de service public
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Relevance and benefits of public service excellence . 5
5 Principles of public service excellence . . 6
5.1 General principles of service excellence .6
5.1.1 Managing the organization from outside-in .6
5.1.2 Deepening customer/citizen relationships .6
5.1.3 People make the difference .6
5.1.4 Balanced attention to customers/citizens, employees, subcontractors and other
stakeholders .6
5.1.5 Cross-functional management approach .6
5.1.6 Leveraging of technology.6
5.1.7 Create value for stakeholders .6
5.2 Specific principles of public service excellence .6
5.2.1 Public interest .6
5.2.2 Equitable approach .6
5.2.3 Transparency and communication .7
5.2.4 Accessibility .7
5.2.5 Efficiency and effectiveness .7
5.2.6 Accountability .7
5.2.7 Agility .7
6 Public service excellence model . 7
7 Elements of the public service excellence model . 8
7.1 Public service excellence leadership and strategy .8
7.1.1 Public service excellence purpose, vision, mission and strategy .8
7.1.2 Public service leadership and management requirements .9
7.1.3 Public accountability .14
7.2 Public service excellence culture and employee engagement .14
7.2.1 Public service excellence culture .14
7.2.2 Employee engagement .16
7.2.3 Integrity and conflict management .21
7.3 Create best available outstanding customer/citizen experiences. 22
7.3.1 Understanding customer/citizen and societal needs, expectations and desires . 22
7.3.2 Designing and renewing outstanding customer/citizen experiences .24
7.3.3 Public service innovation management . 26
7.4 Operational service excellence . .27
7.4.1 Managing customer/citizen-experience-related efficient and effective
processes and organizational structure .27
7.4.2 Managing equity, fairness, transparency and accessibility . 30
7.4.3 Monitoring public service excellence activities and results .31
Bibliography .34
iii
Foreword
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 312, Excellence in service.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
Introduction
The purpose of public service organizations is to fulfil essential societal needs and provide services that
contribute to the well-being, development, and progress of communities, and customers and citizens. These
organizations are typically government/public services or semi-government entities established usually by
statute to serve the public interest and promote the common good.
Public service organizations are responsible for delivering a wide range of essential services to citizens,
such as healthcare, education, transportation, public safety, social welfare and environmental protection.
They play a crucial role in a functioning society, ensuring that the needs of citizens are met, resources are
efficiently managed and communities progress in a safe and supportive environment.
At the same time citizens and the society at large, expect public service organizations to be committed to
the idea of consistently providing high quality services all the time, not only meeting but exceeding these
expectations. More importantly citizens expect public services to provide protection as well as improvement
of the way of life and at the same time addressing a multitude of challenges such as demographic shifts,
shifts of economic power, accelerating urbanization, the climate crisis/resource scarcity and technological
breakthroughs but also crisis due to geopolitical changes that have a more immediate impact.
It is no longer enough for public service organizations to deliver the basic services expected by customers/
citizens resulting in customer/citizen satisfaction at its most. Public service excellence describes an
approach that enables the creation of outstanding customer/citizen experiences by public service according
to citizen/societal needs and surprising service provision, resulting in the creation of trust so that societal
challenges are addressed through innovation. Consequently, public service excellence leads to addressing
future societal challenges.
This document describes the principles, elements and sub-elements for creating outstanding customer/
citizen experiences. The basic foundations of implementing service excellence are the two lower levels of the
public service excellence pyramid (see Figure 1). These are described in standards such as ISO 9001:2015,
ISO 10002:2018, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 and ISO 18091:2019. This document deals with the upper levels
which are:
— public service according to citizen/societal needs (Level 3);
— surprising public service provision (Level 4).
Public service according to citizen/societal needs (Level 3) results in service that is perceived by customers/
citizens as warm, genuine and value-creating. The customer/citizen experiences an emotional reaction by
feeling valued as his/her needs are being addressed.
Surprising public service provision (Level 4) results in service that is tailor-made and leads to emotions
of surprise and joy. It is delivered by exceeding customer/citizens expectations. This can be achieved by
delivering unexpected outstanding customer/citizen experiences.
The public service excellence pyramid should be used to explain to managers and employees why a public
service organization must focus on both: fulfilling the promises (Levels 1 and 2) and exceeding customer/
citizen expectations by delivering excellent services (Levels 3 and 4).
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Figure 1 — Public service excellence
...
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