Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
The National Productivity Organization (NPO), Pakistan, in partnership with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, has announced the commencement of an International Training Course for Assessors of the Productivity Specialists Certification Program. Scheduled from September 4th to September 8th, 2023, this event was inaugurated at a local hotel in Islamabad.
This essential training program is set to welcome 17 esteemed overseas participants representing 10 APO member countries, alongside 5 local participants. The course curriculum will be expertly delivered by renowned international resource speakers hailing from Singapore, Malaysia, and Mongolia.
The primary objectives of this intensive workshop are to nurture and equip proficient assessors within National Productivity Organizations, who play pivotal roles as APO-accredited certification bodies. Participants will be intimately acquainted with the requirements for Productivity Specialists, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, criteria, and competencies essential for conducting assessments leading to the certification of productivity specialists.
At the opening ceremony of the event, Ms. Ismat Gul Khattak, Director General of the Pakistan National Accreditation Council, graced the occasion as the chief guest. In her inspiring opening remarks, Ms. Khattak praised the APO’s instrumental role in fostering the development of the Asia-Pacific region. She emphasized the need to rekindle our commitment towards realizing APO’s vision of “Inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in the Asia-Pacific.”
Ms. Khattak extended a warm welcome to the international delegates and expressed her deep gratitude to both APO and NPO for addressing this vital subject matter. She underscored the significance of Pakistan’s collaboration with APO as a means to tackle long-standing productivity challenges.
The NPO is dedicated to complementing and strengthening the Ministry’s mandate by striving towards its vision of “Economically Productive and Globally Competitive Pakistan.”
NPO Pakistan has recently achieved Certification Body status under the Asian Productivity Organization Accreditation Body, specifically for the Certified Productivity Specialists program. This initiative aims to promote the development of Certified Productivity Professionals in Pakistan and advance the cause of cultivating a culture of productivity improvement in the nation.
Mr. Zafarullah Khan, Program Officer at APO Tokyo, Japan, highlighted the collective efforts of the APO and NPO teams in enhancing productivity across the region. He provided valuable insights into APO’s journey of success stories and significant achievements in the Asia-Pacific region.
Muhammad Alamgir Chaudhry, CEO of NPO, welcomed participants and resource persons, underlining the significance of this Certification Body as a strategic initiative that will contribute significantly to Pakistan’s productivity drive.
He also noted that three other APO member countries, namely Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mongolia, recently attained accreditation for their Certification bodies from APO, in alignment with the vision of their respective country leaders, with the assistance of APO, Japan. This achievement underscores the pivotal role that Certification Bodies play in driving productivity initiatives in Pakistan.
