Overview
ISO 10018:2020 - Quality management - Guidance for people engagement provides practical guidance for increasing people engagement in an organization’s quality management system (QMS). Applicable to any organization regardless of size or sector, the standard explains how to build a positive quality culture, align leadership, enhance competence and awareness, and integrate people engagement into strategic planning. ISO 10018:2020 is the second edition (replacing ISO 10018:2012) and is linked to ISO 9001 and ISO 9000 principles.
Key topics and requirements
ISO 10018:2020 is a guidance document (not a certifiable requirement) and focuses on these technical topics:
- Context and quality culture: understanding organizational culture and embedding quality into values and behaviour. (Clause 4)
- Leadership: roles of leaders and managers in creating unity of purpose, demonstrating behaviours and providing resources for engagement. (Clause 5)
- Planning and strategy: aligning people engagement with organizational strategy and quality objectives. (Clause 6)
- Knowledge and awareness: communicating quality intent so people understand expectations and how their role contributes to quality. (Clause 7)
- Competence: ensuring people have the skills and competence needed for quality activities (note: much competence guidance has been harmonized with ISO 10015:2019). (Clause 8)
- Improvement: leveraging engagement for continual improvement of the QMS. (Clause 9)
The standard also provides practical elements for each topic: considerations, links to ISO 9001, possible action steps and potential benefits. Example action steps include embedding quality in written value statements, cascading values through organizational structure, using support systems for communication, capturing stories that demonstrate quality, and celebrating successes.
Practical applications and users
ISO 10018:2020 is intended for:
- Top management and leadership teams seeking to strengthen quality culture and strategic alignment.
- Quality managers and QMS implementers integrating people engagement with ISO 9001 systems.
- HR, learning & development, and change managers responsible for competence, awareness and workforce engagement.
- Consultants and auditors who advise on human factors in quality management.
Practical uses:
- Designing engagement programs that support ISO 9001 objectives
- Framing training, communication and recognition strategies that drive emotional commitment to quality
- Measuring and improving workforce involvement to boost performance and customer satisfaction
Related standards
ISO 10018:2020 is a practical companion for organizations that want to make people engagement a central element of their quality management and continuous improvement efforts.
