Members of standards bodies undergo training

Officers from national standards bodies from West and Central African counties have begun a four-day training programme in Accra to ensure efficiency in Managing National Standards Projects and Programmes (MSPP).

The programme is being organised by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

It is being attended by participants from Ghana, Mali, Benin, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Cameroun and Cote d’Ivoire.

Other countries with representation at the meeting are Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Togo and Sierra Leone.

The regional programme is aimed at highlighting the fundamental principles of standardisation, deepening the understanding of applying project management approaches to standards development and improving the capacity of national standards bodies in managing their work programmes in a timely manner, among other objectives.

Significance

The Deputy Director-General of the GSA in charge of Operations, Ms Prudence Asamoah-Bonti, said standards development was important for the social and economic development of countries.

To that effect, she said: “We need to understand the processes involved and improve upon them to assist in the strategic development and management of standards work programmes”.

“Equally important is the need for participants to fully understand and appreciate a project management approach to enhance the process of standardisation.

If this is carried out effectively, it will help improve the capacity of national standards officers in a manner that would support national standards bodies to operate within the expected framework of coming out with products and services to ensure public health and safety, as well as the environment,” Ms Asamoah-Bonti added.

She, therefore, entreated the participants to show great interest and also contribute effectively in the programme to maximise the benefits that would accrue from it.

Technical support

A Programme Manager at the Capacity Building Unit of ISO, Ms Nesereen Al-Khammash, also explained that the training was part of the organisation’s move to provide technical support within the framework of the ISO Action Plan for developing countries.

He said the programme would also support member countries to enhance their activities to help them provide better services to their clients.

“There are many benefits of ensuring standards and it depends on those who are using them.

Ensuring standards enables companies, for instance, to access markets and enhance the quality of products they provide”, the manager added.

On consumer protection, Mr Al-Khammash said it would ensure that products available on the market were safe, as it would also support governments to realise their policy objectives in the health, safety and environment sectors.