From 9 to 13 February 2015, in collaboration with the Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires (INSTN), the IAEA organized a regional workshop on developing and implementing Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the production of quality products with potentials for income generation, in Antananarivo,Madagascar.
Standard Operating Procedures are crucial for any organization interested in producing high quality products by ensuring standardised processes. The development and use of SOPs are central to the IAEA's efforts to assist African countries in their development and implementation of successful quality systems to enhance consistency in the quality and integrity of a product.
The workshop aimed at enhancing the capacities of the participating Member States to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the production of profitable, quality products and services. It included presentations and concrete case studies given by invited international lecturers from Lebanon and South Africa, and contributed to refining the skills necessary to draft accessible, user-friendly SOPs for income generating activities.
The workshop was attended by 16 managers of Business Development Units (BDUs) and National Nuclear Institutions (NNIs) who are currently in charge of writing and implementing SOPs for nuclear facilities and laboratories in their respective countries, which included Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania. Moreover, the workshop was organized under an ongoing, regional technical cooperation (TC) project1, entitled 'Promoting the Sustainable and Networking of National Nuclear Institutions for Development,' which aims to enhance the self-reliance and sustainability of national nuclear institutions, and other end-users of nuclear techniques in African Member States, through the rationalization of scientific programmes and managerial practices.
While attention is largely paid to the healthcare, energy and developmental applications of nuclear technologies, their commercial uses cannot be understated. The production of smoke detectors, cross-linked industrial cables, tritium lamps, heart pacemakers, and even non-stick frying pans rely on specialized nuclear techniques. Through the Technical Cooperation (TC) project, the IAEA provides Member States with the tools to safely develop nuclear goods and services implement strategies to reach out end-users, hence contributing to the development of nuclear institutions to further enhance their sustainability.
Several high level Government officials were in attendance to address the opening session of this workshop, including the Malagasy Minister of Public Health-who represented the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State in charge of the Gendarmerie, the Director General of the INSTN, the National Liaison Officer, and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System. In their respective statements, participants underlined the important role of nuclear techniques in supporting social and economic development of the region, and highlighted the increasing role of sustainability as a central criterion to assess the efficiency of development projects.
Based on the post-workshop evaluation, the participants agreed that the expected outcomes of the workshop have been met. In collaboration with the IAEA, Member State representatives agreed to take follow-up actions at the national level to organize expert missions to assist the participating countries in reviewing their operational processes.
1 RAF/0/042