Reports that pressures to address citizens’ needs amid growing financial constraints have led government agencies to consider adopting total quality management (TQM) philosophy as a change agent in the public sector. Examines one state agency’s attempt to institutionalize TQM and explores the effectiveness of TQM implementation in the agency by assessing the perceptions of management and employees. Also, offers a conceptual model that identifies TQM elements essential for success in both implementation and post‐implementation phases in all federal, state, and local government agencies. Believes that by examining the TQM elements identified in the model (internal/external environment, learning, and teamwork), public administrators can anticipate opportunities, avoid barriers to change, and improve agency performance.