The General Secretariat of the Tender Board has been awarded the international certification for Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with ISO 9001/2015 across all its directorates. This recognition comes after fulfilling the requirements of the QMS, which serves as the primary benchmark for obtaining certification. Receiving this certification, following an external audit, is an international acknowledgment of the General Secretariat's commitment to implementing a QMS in the services it provides to beneficiaries and all relevant stakeholders.
The General Secretariat of the Tender Board has adopted the QMS as a key tool to ensure the achievement of its strategic goals, enhance its performance indicators, manage risks effectively, and encourage employees to measure beneficiary satisfaction. This approach directly contributes to ensuring the successful implementation of annual plans and increasing beneficiary satisfaction with the provided services by adopting a distinguished system that guarantees continuous service improvement and institutional performance development within the General Secretariat.
The QMS was launched under the decision of His Excellency Badr bin Salem Al Maamari, Secretary-General of the Tender Board and Chairman of the QMS. He approved the organizational structure of the QMS as a leadership role, endorsed the quality policy and quality manual as key requirements of the system, and supported risk management, performance measurement, and beneficiary satisfaction assessment to meet QMS requirements. He emphasized the importance of efficiency and effectiveness in applying the QMS to achieve the objectives of the General Secretariat of the Tender Board.
Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al Marhoubi, Chairman of the QMS Committee, stated that his role was clearly defined within the quality structure decision. One of his key responsibilities was developing a strategy for system implementation and supporting the execution of the QMS project advancement plan. This was achieved through regular meetings with directorates and employees to ensure adaptation to system changes, assess their impact on goal achievement, and address challenges to prevent non-conformities during internal and external audits.
Asma Al Balushi, Director of the Quality Department, highlighted that implementing the QMS in the General Secretariat was a strategic goal to ensure continuous improvement and development. She noted that achieving this was not easy, requiring cooperation among employees and fostering a spirit of harmony across all divisions of the General Secretariat. Overcoming challenges was essential to securing the certification.
Dr. Ali Al Darmaki, Head of Quality Assurance and Quality Team Leader, stated that his role focused on the practical implementation of QMS requirements. The process began with planning, establishing processes, ensuring their completion, approving them, and disseminating them for execution across divisions. This was followed by auditing process implementation according to documented guidelines, providing feedback, and finally implementing improvements based on audit findings and recommendations. The final stage involved preparing for external audits to secure QMS certification.
Dr. Khadija Al Balushi, responsible for awareness and communication processes, emphasized that QMS awareness efforts focused on knowledge transfer by presenting ISO requirements in mind maps for better comprehension. Additionally, articles were published within the General Secretariat to ensure all employees understood QMS requirements.
Sara Al Balushi, a Quality Specialist, added that the QMS team meticulously addressed system requirements by identifying gaps, studying ISO standards, and ensuring compliance before the external audit.
Azza bint Amer Al Habsi mentioned that the Planning and Development Department played a crucial role in setting annual objectives across all divisions of the General Secretariat. Sheikha Al Issaiyah, a Planning Specialist, explained that after planning and implementing objectives, the department monitored their execution and performance indicators. The department ensured the continuity of monitoring and reviewing objectives throughout the year, providing improvement suggestions where necessary. Through the Power BI program, the department verified the quality of annual planning and ensured the achievement of target indicators.
Eng. Abdullah bin Hassan, Head of Risk Management at the Planning and Quality Assurance Department, emphasized that risk management is one of the most critical aspects of the QMS. The department has developed a system to enhance institutional risk management efficiency, improve processes, and proactively address challenges by adopting a risk-based approach. This methodology helps prevent issues before they arise by analyzing internal and external contexts, improving internal and external communication, and reducing operational risks—all key requirements of ISO 9001.
With the belief that "quality is everyone's responsibility," all employees across the General Secretariat's directorates contributed diligently to meeting QMS requirements, working collaboratively with their expertise to secure certification. The team overcame challenges through effective risk management. A Quality Team was established, comprising members from different directorates to monitor progress. Additionally, a group of Quality Ambassadors was trained in ISO 9001 requirements and audit mechanisms. Some employees were also certified as IRCA auditors to enhance their capabilities in implementing QMS and supporting their directorates in meeting system requirements.