UP ISSI is gearing towards Integrated Management System (IMS) certification by the end of Dec 2010. The IMS certification covers three international standards: ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System), and BS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

The IMS Certification seeks to establish a management system that satisfies the quality requirements of UP ISSI customers and comply with statutory and regulatory requirements on environmental, occupational health and safety.

More particularly, the IMS certification will enable UP ISSI to improve the consistency of its service and product performance, customer perception, productivity and efficiency, communications-morale-job satisfaction and environmental-occupational health and safe work environment; increase levels of customer satisfaction; reduce costs; and increase its competitive advantage and provide more marketing and sales opportunities.

A steering team headed by Director Nestor Rańeses was established to spearhead the certification project. The team includes Mohidin Abdul, Luisa Solarte, Claire Esteban, Adele Ordillas, Ludy Cubillas, and Bless Clerigo, staff members. A consultant was also hired to help in the process. The team meets weekly to assess the progress of the project.

UP ISSI was tapped by the St. Louis College (SLC) in San Fernando City, La Union to conduct a job evaluation and systems audit of the School.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed on July 12 in San Fernando City by Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, SLC President and UP ISSI Director Prof. Nestor O. Rańeses.

The consultancy project, which runs from July 12 to December 12, 2010, will involve these activities: (1) job evaluation of SLC personnel; (2) organizational and operational review with the end view of assessing the effectiveness of the performance of current personnel and the relevance of specific positions; (3) formulation of strategies for improving SLC’s services; and (4) design of a monitoring and evaluation scheme that will enable SLC to effectively sustain its performance standards.

The expected outputs consist of a job evaluation report and Salary structure models. This joint consultancy project of UP ISSI and SERDEF is being implemented by the ACE Department, in particular, Celia Pascual, Dong Cubillas, and Tony Maghirang. The team also engaged the services of a consultant, Dr. Marie Aganon, a former dean of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR).