CSIR organizes an auditing training workshop on Quality Assurance Management
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has organized a two-day auditing training workshop on Quality Assurance Management for staff of its institutes. The program was held on the 6th – 7th October, 2020 at the conference room of the Soil Research Institute (SRI) at Kwadaso, Kumasi.
The purpose of the training was to develop and implement Quality Management Systems (QMS) by CSIR, understand the requirements of the International Standardization Organization (ISO), learn the principles, processes and methods of auditing in QMS as well as develop skills for conducting effective audit.
The event received Participants from all the 13 Institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) which include the Animal Research Institute (ARI), Building and Roads Research Institute (BRRI), Crops Research Institute (CRI), Food Research Institute (FRI), Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Institute of Industrial Research (IIR), Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation (INSTI), Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI), Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute (PGRRI), Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), Soil Research Institute (SRI) and Water Research Institute (WRI) as well as participants from the Head Office in Accra.
Prof. Joseph Opoku Fening, CSIR’s programs coordinator for Quality Assurance Management, said CSIR is implementing a Quality Management System (QMS) which include the scope of everything ranging from administrative issues, research issues, field work, laboratory work, project work, manufacturing among others. He informed participants that focal persons have been trained for the various institutes and they have developed a document on Quality Assurance Management. He pointed out that there cannot be Quality Management System without internal auditors because it is part of the requirements of ISO (International Standardization Organization), hence the reason for the workshop.
Prof Fening noted that there would be series of trainings for participants where certificates would be awarded. He mentioned that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the work plan for the program changed as they were supposed to meet the focal persons before meeting the internal auditors this year.
Prof. Mohammed Moro Buri, Director at the CSIR – SRI, emphasized on quality, stating that CSIR would need to compete since the market is saturated. He added that products which are not of high quality are being returned to the producers and therefore if CSIR would want to compete then they need to standardize their activities.
He stressed on the need for quality products and noted that, that is the reason for the creation of a division on quality management in the system. He assured participants that they would be given a lot of training on the need for quality checks for the two days and expected that after the program there would be significant changes in the way of doing things by the CSIR.
Prof. Buri stated that quality does not mean buying expensive things or looking good but maintaining what is supposed to be done at all times. He noted that there was therefore the need to build the capacity of staff in order to maintain quality standards.
Source: Kwaku Agyeman