DepEd NCR is Now Recommended for Certificate Issuance to ISO 9001:2015
The Department of Education- (DepEd) National Capital Region, together with 14 regional offices of DepEd have been recommended for certificate issuance to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 by the TÜV NORD Philippines, Inc. following a two-stage external audit of its quality management system.
The recommendation of this certification to an organization signifies the cohesiveness of effective operational processes and that its personnel are able to deliver products or services anchored on the established guidelines that meet the customer satisfaction standards.
TÜV NORD Philippines, Inc., renowned for its expertise in company management system certification, conducted a certification audit for the Regional Offices of the Department. During this audit, it identified two notable Good Practices (GPs) across the entire DepEd organization, particularly in the realms of digitalization and automation systems, as well as monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes. Additionally, the audit acknowledged the projects, programs, activities, and initiatives undertaken by the different regional offices of DepEd.
Prior to this nationwide external audit, DepEd launched its National Quality Management System (NQMS) pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 605 s. 2007 and cascaded through DepEd Order No. 009 s. 2021, entitled “Institutionalization of a Quality Management System in the Department of Education.” The establishment of the One DepEd, One QMS is in line with the thrust towards consistent, effective, and efficient delivery of basic education services across all governance levels: the central office, regional offices, school division offices, and schools.
DepEd NCR established its QMS Teams to mobilize the operationalization of its own Quality Management System. Several activities were conducted, including training sessions, QMS Team meetings, internal quality audit, readiness assessment, 7S implementation and monitoring, management review, and participated in the inter-region audit. These activities collectively contributed to refining the existing systems and improving office workflows and other processes including its working environment.
The Stage 1 audit in DepEd NCR took place online on February 2, 2024. This audit involved careful examination of documented information to evaluate the Office’s readiness for the Stage 2 onsite audit. In the subsequent Stage 2 audit held on February 29 to March 01, 2024, the Office’s processes, procedures, documented information for the implementation of its QMS were evaluated and verified by the two auditors from TUV Nord.
Under the leadership of Regional Director Jocelyn DR. Andaya, together with Assistant Regional Director Cristito A. Eco, the NCR Team successfully hurdled the Stage 2 Audit. They ensured that all systems, processes, and documented information adhered to the Department’s QMS Manual, Procedures, Work Instructions Manual (PAWIM), other regulartory requirements and ISO 9001:2015 Standards.
The positive recommendation for certification to ISO 9001:2015 is a product of teamwork and passion of the people behind DepEd NCR to reach its vision of having a learner-centered public institution. Indeed, “One NCR, Stronger Together.”
