There is an increasing interest in quality worldwide. Over the past ten years, more and more companies and institutions in industrialized countries have become involved in quality activities of various kinds.
These developments are also influencing developing countries. In the more industrially advanced of these countries, the interest in quality is equal to that in industrialized countries. In other countries, interest is emerging.
The international series of standards for quality systems, ISO-9000, has had an immense impact. A growing number of enterprises in developing countries are taking ideas from these standards as a basis for developing and introducing procedures for their own quality activities, primarily relating to product and service quality. More and more quality activities are tending to focus on ISO-9000 and on international accreditation.
In this context, a number of steps and activities should be taken to ensure compliance with the accelerated development in all fields. Documentation and implementation of a quality system based on the requirements of ISO-9000 in the international standard for industry and services is an important step to enter the international market and obtain membership in the General Agreement for Trade and Tariff (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Royal Scientific Society (RSS) undertook the responsibility to help the national industries to gain a better chance in the open-market competition through obtaining ISO-9000 series certificates or international accreditation for technical laboratories. Therefore, besides the Quality Committee which was formed earlier, RSS established the Quality Assurance Department (QAD) and a quality system for RSS centers and laboratories according to international standards, in order to ensure the quality of RSS activities (services, testing, calibration, technical consultation, and research) and to carry out appropriate quality control checks and audits at RSS centers and laboratories.
Quality Applications Division
This division aims to document, maintain, and develop the RSS Quality System according to the latest international standards for all activities and laboratories of RSS, as well as to update RSS capabilities in the field of quality systems to help local and regional industries to obtain international accreditation for their activities. In order to achieve these aims and tasks, firstly, the division has prepared the RSS Primary Quality Manual and its related procedures, and supervised the preparation of the secondary manuals for the RSS centers/laboratories. Secondly, the division develops short-term and long-term work plans to upgrade and prepare the RSS laboratories for international accreditation. Thirdly, the division prepares and conducts training programs to enhance RSS employees’ awareness of its quality system. Also, the division follows up and coordinates work with the quality officers of RSS centers through conducting periodical meetings and reviewing relevant reports generated. On the other side, the division coordinates with RSS centers upgrading their capabilities in the field of quality system. The division, furthermore, coordinates the RSS activities with the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology and RSS relations with regional and international institutions and organizations specialized in the fields of specifications, standards, and quality aspects.
Quality Control and Audit Division
Thisdivision aims to verify and audit all technical activities at RSS centers and laboratories including research, testing, calibration, and services. The tasks of the division include: firstly, establishing a calibration system at RSS, supervising the calibration of RSS equipment and monitoring the updating of this calibration; secondly monitoring the quality and accuracy of results generated by RSS divisions and laboratories; thirdly, receiving copies of all complaints and anomalies raised by RSS clients, analyzing their causes, recommending appropriate solutions and following up on the implementation of warranted corrective/ preventive actions. The division, as well, schedules an annual program for internal audits of RSS laboratories and divisions, implements this program, and follows up on the findings of internal audits.
The Quality Assurance Department (QAD) had followed up many activities in the field of quality assurance and other quality aspects. The most important activities of QAD through the year 1997 are as follows:
For supervising the RSS Quality System implementation phases, QAD conducts periodical meetings of the RSS Quality Committee. This committee, in cooperation with QAD, assesses RSS quality documents and approves all amendments or any additions needed to develop the RSS Quality System.
QAD follows up, in cooperation with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh International, the preparation of RSS technical centers for obtaining the international registration, ISO-9000 certificate. For the year 1998, QAD plans a program for conducting the Electronic Services and Training Centre, and The Environmental Research Centre at RSS to be registered internationally for ISO-9002.
In order to conduct RSS laboratories toward the international accreditation, a technical delegation from UKAS/NAMAS -UK visited RSS to make a pre- assessment audit for three laboratories nominated by RSS for international accreditation; metallography; cement and test; and quality control laboratory. The NAMAS delegation report shows that the RSS Quality System is in a high level and that the documents are well prepared. It also shows that the RSS laboratories are prepared to meet all international accreditation requirements with the exception of calibration traceability to international calibration systems. However, the international rules demand that the calibration and national metrology systems should be internationally accredited. QAD plans to solve this matter and arranged communications with some regional related institutions to provide requested metrology to ensure all requirements.
The Department participated in the G. T. Z. workshop, Seminar on Quality Assurance/Quality Management in Analytical Sciences, held at RSS in November 1997. QAD nominated a number of RSS employees who were involved in quality aspects to participate in this workshop, and two papers prepared by QAD were presented also in this event. One paper is regarding the RSS Quality Management System and the steps taken by RSS toward the international certification while the second paper is related to RSS Metrology Systems and the steps taken by RSS toward the international accreditation.
QAD organized and supervised theFifth Jordanian Science Week/1997 under the title “Enhancing Jordan Competitiveness: Quality, Productivity, Transparency and Accountability”in the period of 15-18 September 1997. A group of Jordanian and foreign experts participated in this science week and presented papers/case studies, which covered all fields of science week’s main themes. The Fifth Jordanian Science Week was under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal. The science week participants proposed a national work plan that included a number of recommendations, which unveiled the necessity of modifications on different issues and themes, such as legislation, organizational arrangements, human resources development, and research and development. The proposed recommendations will develop and improve the industry, management, and services toward the international competition.
Preceding the week event, QAD, also organized and supervised three round-table meetings. The first round-table meeting, which was organized by RSS jointly with the cooperation of the Higher Council for Science and Technology /HCST Secretary General, was on “Industrial Policy in Jordan & Japan Experience”. This valuable meeting was under the patronage of His Majesty King Hussein and His Royal Highness Prince El- Hassan Bin Talal. The second round-table meeting was on “Civil Service and the Canadian Experience in this Field”. The meeting was attended by Canadian and Jordanian experts and top management leaders. The participants discussed the Canadian experience in administration reforms while the Jordanian experts presented case studies reports and steps taken by some Jordanian institutions towards increasing the productivity and human resources development in Jordan. The third round-table meeting was conducted by the international expert Mr. Jeremy Pope, Managing Director of Transparency International ( TI). Mr. Pope presented all aspects of transparency and cleared the role of implementing transparency in administrative, legislation, and financial systems, besides that, he cleared the role of transparency as a tool to combat corruption.
Jointly with Sir Jordan Establishment and the Higher Council for Science and Technology /HCST Secretary General, QAD organized the first Jordanian exhibition, ISO-9000. A technical paper about steps taken by RSS towards international accreditation was presented by QAD in the ISO - 9000 seminar which was held beside that exhibition.
In cooperation with RSS centers, QAD edited and published a technical catalogue including full information related to RSS centers’ fields, tests, and other laboratory services. In addition to that, the catalogue includes further information regarding laboratory/ field test equipment and instruments in use.
In the field of training and human resources development, and for improving QAD employees and other RSS centers/department employees qualification in quality aspects, the international standards ISO-9000 series and the international accreditation matters, QAD had implemented and participated in the following training courses and programs:
Participation in the “Advanced International Training Program of Total Quality Management TQM” held at Stockholm/ Sweden in the period of 4th March - 18th April 1997.
Participation in the International Total Quality Management Seminar for Managers and Directors held at Stockholm/ Sweden in the period of 4th -19th June 1997.
Organizing two training courses for RSS departments/centers’ employees to introduce in detail RSS Quality System, and Quality System’s Documentation (Manuals and Procedures related to the Quality System).
QAD nominated a number of the RSS centers’ employees and centers’ quality officers to participate in quality related training courses and workshop seminars related to quality, ISO-9000 series standards and international accreditation. The aim of those training courses is to obtain knowledge in the fields of quality aspects and to qualify employees to follow up and supervise the implementation of RSS Quality System, internal auditing programs, and to help centers and laboratories to obtain international registration and accreditation.
As a major topic of the QAD mission, the department had carried out the annual program of internal auditing on some RSS laboratories nominated in phase one of the international accreditation plan. In addition to that, QAD also implemented a technical audit program to ensure the accuracy of the calibrations/tests performed at the RSS laboratories.