Cambodia Trust Rehabilitation Services Implements ISO

In this addition to the article, "ISO 9001 for Nonprofits: Is It Worth the Expense?" Michael "Mick" Stimpson includes more details as to how this feat was accomplished in Cambodia.

Like many small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the Cambodia Trust began by trying to fulfill a desperate need in a war-ravaged country with just a couple of expatriates and a few local staff. Practices and procedures tended to be committed to memory and became almost rumor. written down. Policies and procedures frequently changed with the arrival of new management. In the meantime the organization grew to provide services in three clinics, operate an International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Level II prosthetic and orthotic school and employ almost 100 staff members.

Initially, the Bendigo Regional Institute of Taffe (BRIT) was contracted from Australia to assist with quality management and audit training of senior staff and to give advice on implementation. Two volunteers from Ireland's Agency for Personal Service Overseas (APSO) were recruited to document procedures and practices, a task so big that it took one year and required the assistance of all CT senior staff. An implementation team or steering committee was set up to meet on a regular basis to discuss progress.

The first and probably the biggest hurdle for the implementation process was to get the staff to take ownership of the project. Developing trust and allowing staff to speak openly were facilitated with the formation of small meeting groups. Khmer staff were encouraged to chair and take minutes for their own meetings. Monthly appraisal meetings began to be held to promote two-way communication between staff and supervisors. Internal audits provided another firm lever for the recruitment of Cambodian hearts and minds as Khmer staff were trained to be quality managers and auditors.

A necessary part of the implementation process is staff training. All staff members have a job description written in their mother tongue and can explain how their job contributes to the quality of service to the patient.

The Khmer staff were highly enthusiastic and keen to prove that they could achieve international standards and be judged by them, which is why I feel implementation of ISO9001:2000 wins against adopting a homemade quality system.

Senior staff undertook the final phase of procedure writing. A volunteer from New Zealand replaced the APSO volunteers and took on the position of human resources advisor, partnering with the quality manager, Tang Kea. This highly successful partnership was a keystone in the foundation of the QMS. Realization of Kea's organizational and managerial abilities allowed all the ingredients of the quality management system to be effectively consolidated.

In late August 2001, ISO auditors from BM Trada, a certifying organization, swooped in from Thailand, armed with clipboards and wearing no-nonsense expressions, for a pre-audit check. Despite the best preparations, some serious nonconformities were highlighted. After a further three months of work, the implementation team felt that more work was still required to meet the standard. The final audit was rescheduled from mid-December 2001 to March 2002. This realistic decision gave the organization more time to develop quality objectives and work with preventative and corrective responses to nonconformities.

The focus on continuous improvement provided some positive results early on in the implementation process. For example, spoilage of polypropylene when draping dropped to almost nil in provincial clinics. Even in the Phnom Penh clinic, where third-year students from the Cambodian School of P and O conduct their internship, the technical supervision of students when manufacturing their devices improved, and the number of aborted drapes decreased to only one per month per student. These statistics are collected by the workshop staff themselves and a month to month running total displayed on a white board. This visible example of continuous improvement provides staff with motivation that their quality system is showing results.

Building Confidence, Saving Money Achieving ISO accreditation has resulted in more efficiency and cost effectiveness, along with building donor confidence and increasing the pride and job satisfaction of the Khmer staff. Now the challenge remains: to maintain this achievement and this quality system.

Cambodia Trust Rehabilitation Services Implements ISO

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Cambodia Trust Rehabilitation Services Implements ISO

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Sample Photograph Release Form

File Documentation: Key to OIG Compliance

ABC Gives Ballert Perfect Score

O&P JOBS

HH Manager, Orthotics & Prosthetics

Orthotics and Prosthetics Assistant

Certified Orthotist — Full-Time or Part-Time, Pediatric Practice

Get unlimited access!

EDGE DIRECT

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password

Not enough quota to unlock this post