Exploring the Reality of Implementing the Integrated Quality Management System for Construction Projects in Iraq

An integrated quality management system (IQMS) includes many of management systems grouped together to form a single system such as, quality management system (ISO 9001), environmental management system (ISO 14001), and Health and safety management system (ISO 18001). Other management systems can also be integrated but these three standards have been reconsidered and found more suitable to integrate. The main aim of integration is to restructure and simplify processes and avoid duplication when the implementation of several standards at same time may be cumbersome. With the revisions and new versions of the different standards, the management systems have an increased number of similarities. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the current quality management systems in the construction companies in Iraq and to explore the reality of implementing the integrated quality management system in the construction sector. The practical part of the research includes personal interviews with sample of engineers and quality experts at construction companies and using a questionnaire consists of three axes that include questions covering clauses of the quality standards mentioned above. Statistical analysis is used to find out the level of development in the quality system required in construction companies. The results of the survey have shown that the conformance ratio of quality management system requirements in accordance with (ISO9001) version 2015 is (2.94). On the other hand, the conformance ratio of the environmental and occupational health and safety management systems are (0.24) and (0.27) respectively.