The integration of management systems in a council's waste management service

This article details how a council service established an integrated management system (IMS) within a wider corporate framework. In this context, an IMS was used as a tool to improve (i) Performance, (ii) Quality, (iii) Environment, and (iv) Health and Safety Management. A key factor was that the IMS had to be appropriate for accreditation and integratible with an emerging corporate management framework. In this case study, the authors provided a literature review before considering the issues facing the management team in implementing the IMS. Next, the discussion reflected on how the IMS has delivered improvements before concluding with recommendations on how to implement an IMS within similar services. These points of learning may be relevant beyond local government. This article therefore provides a summary of action research and the steps taken to deliver an IMS within a broader context.