The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) co-organised a Regional Training on Quality Management in Mine Action from 7-12 September.
The German Federal Foreign Office, through GICHD, funded the training which took place virtually as ramification of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The training provided theoretical and practical knowledge on how to implement the Mine Action project cycle for better results to 20 trainees from the ASEAN region. Participants expressed interest in improving their understanding of information management, using priority setting techniques for work plans and managing risk in mine action.
The training included extensive discussions of a wide range of topics revolving around quality management in mine action such as; (i) Quality Management and Land Release Overview; (ii) Key Quality Management Principles; (iii) Quality Planning of Non-Technical Survey, Technical Survey and Clearance; (iv) Mechanical Demining Operations and Quality Management; (v) Quality Assurance; (vi) Quality Control; (vii) Accreditation, Testing and Evaluation of Mine Action Staff and Equipment; and (viii) Application Changes in Mine Action Organisations.
GICHD Advisor on Operational Efficiency, Yuri Shahramanyan, and other GICHD Advisors delivered the training.
Shahramanyan began with introductory topics including land release, which involved the identification of hazardous areas, the cancellation of land through non-technical survey (NTS), the reduction of land through technical survey and the clearance of land.
Participants further discussed key quality management principles such as customer focus, leadership, engagement of people; process approach; continuous improvement; evidence-based decision making; and relationship management.
Further, the training also outlined the role of gender and diversity in mine action, particularly in quality assessment. The trainer, GICHD advisor on Gender and Diversity, Dominic Wolsey, explained that women, men, boys and girls have different roles and responsibilities, different mobility patterns and exposure to risk, different participation in decision making and access to services & resources. He pointed out the importance of mainstreaming gender and diversity considerations to implement efficient and effective Quality Management.
Meanwhile, GICHD Advisor on Operational Efficiency, Armen Harutyunyan, delivered a session on Introduction to Quality Management Terminology, ranging from the definition of efficiency and effectiveness, to the explanation of what process and products are in the context of quality management in mine action. “One of the main reasons for quality management is to continuously improve the way we operate. If we don’t aim to improve something, we go backwards,” he said.
He discussed PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) Approach with the participants, before introducing quality assurance and quality control as parts of a mine action quality policy.
Stanislav Damjanovic, GICHD Advisor on Operational Efficiency, provided input on the accreditation process of Mine Action organisations, specifically the need for organisations to be formally recognised as able to plan, manage and implement mine action activities and to run an effective internal Quality Management system. He discussed the best approaches to training Mine Action staff and the effective transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Shahramanyan facilitated the breakout group discussion, and touched on cancellation of hazard areas through NTS. He deliberated on consideration to be given to setting metrics and tolerances prior to conducting NTS through evidence-based decision-making process. This process is essential to conduct cancellation and achieve confidence in releasing land through cancellation.
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