NAMRIA NEWSCOOP


NAMRIA passes ISO reassessment audit
By: Cherrylin Mendoza

After a rigorous three-day reassessment audit conducted on 25-27 August 2015, NAMRIA reached another milestone as it was recommended for continued registration to ISO 9001:2008 for Mapping and Geospatial Information Management subject to satisfactory closure of three action requests. The decision from Certification International Philippines (CIP), Inc. was announced during the presentation of the final audit report held at the NAMRIA Board Room on 27 August 2015. NAMRIA Administrator Peter N. Tiangco thanked the CIP auditors saying that their findings and recommendations should be taken positively for these will help benefit the agency’s clients. The CIP auditors and their respective audit areas are the following: (1) Mr. Renato Julian M. David--Mapping and Geodesy Branch, NAMRIA hydrographic survey vessels, namely, BRP HYDROGRAPHER PRESBITERO and BRP HYDROGRAPHER VENTURA, and Management Responsibility; (2) Mr. Justo R. Batoon, Jr.-- Geospatial Information System Management Branch; (3) Mr. Carlos I. Somera--Resource Data Analysis Branch; and (4) Mr. Arnel D. Guevara--Hydrography Branch (HB) and Support Services Branch (SSB).

According to the CIP report, the audit plan was fully covered and the Quality Management System of the agency is in compliance with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 standards. The three minor nonconformities reported were for the following: (1) Inappropriate implementation of the requirement of the organization’s procedure “Learning and Development” to conduct a training effectiveness assessment after three months upon implementation of the training; (2) No documented corrections and corrective actions, through the Request for Action (RFA), for the unmet targets of the objectives of the Physical Oceanography Division, Property and Supply Management Section, Financial Management Division (FMD), and Policy and Planning Division; (3) Measurement of attainment against the target of the objective not evident/ provided in the monthly accomplishment reports for the FMD and the Engineering Services Division (ESD). The two minor nonconformities raised during the fifth surveillance audit for the performance evaluation of outsourced tide observers (LGR-01) under the HB-Physical Oceanography Division, and the appropriate control for the records (RJD-02S5) used by the SSB-ESD were already reported as seen and closed. A total of 29 opportunities for improvement and 13 observations for the different areas covered were also reported.

To date, the agency has undergone and passed six surveillance audits since 2011 when its ISO certification journey started and it first engaged the consultancy services for technical assistance of the Development Academy of the Philippines. Following the success of the reassessment stage, NAMRIA will now undergo just an annual audit.

Audit for Physiography and Coastal Resources Division with CIP auditor
Carlos I. Somera (center)

Audit for Supply Management Section with CIP auditor Arnel D. Guevara
(second from left)

Audit for Geodesy Division with CIP auditor Renato Julian M. David (extreme right)

Audit for Geospatial Information and Communications Technology Division
with CIP auditor  Justo R. Batoon, Jr. (extreme right)

Administrator Peter N. Tiangco (center) with NAMRIA officials and CIP
auditors during the presentation of audit results



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