apo news january 2010

8/14/2019 APO News January 2010

1/8Printed on Recycled Paper

APOnews

InformationtoMakeaDifferenceinProductivityISSN: 1728-

.p-LeaderCambodia

.Comment board

.Productivity methodologies, tools, andtechniques

.Cluster approach or local agroood

industry development.SME fnancing ater the global fnancialcrisis

. Innovating production systems

.Productivity o women and retirees

.Program calendar

.Certifcation o 19 new ISO14001 leadauditors

.New APO publication

.Photo report

.Recruitment announcement

. Indonesia to host EPIF 2010

.People behind the scenes

olume 40 Number 1 January 2

Training course, Japan

Study meeting, Republic o Korea

Study meeting, Indonesia

New Year messagefrom APO Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka

January is a month o hope and an opportunity to make new resolutions. It is a time to examine mistakes o

previous year and use them as stepping-stones to a better tomorrow. I hope that all APO News readers will tadvantage o the new year to step up productivity endeavors resulting in a more ruitul, prosperous 201

would like to express my sincere appreciation or your support and cooperation or the APO in 2009.

As reported in theAPO News, the APO carried out numerous activities to meet the needs and expectations o memcountries in 2009. The 50th Workshop Meeting (WSM) o Heads o National Productivity Organizations (NPOsthe Philippines successully completed its major tasks o inalizing the 2010Program Plan and reviewing the proposed priority projects or 20112012. Thatwas the second time the WSM conducted a review exercise or submission oa list o priority projects to the Governing Body Meeting (GBM), where APODirectors determine the total membership contributions or the next biennial

budget. The smooth management o that critical task by the WSM conrmed theeciency o the new budgeting system.

The continuous improvements in our major projects in 2009 deserve mention.With better methodology, quality o data, and deeper analysis, the 2009edition oThe APO Productivity Databookmoved closer to becoming a primereerence or decision makers, both inside and outside the APO membership.The resounding success o the th Eco-Products International Fair held in thePhilippines in March was signicant given the serious economic downturn at thetime. Additionally, inormation on ood saety was widely disseminated thanks to expanded use o the APOs two-tieapproach, which combines a multicountry project with ollow-up national programs in member countries. Four natioworkshops with a total o around 200 local participants ollowed a multicountry ood saety management project in 2009

2009 also witnessed action taken by the Secretariat to develop ideas suggested at the GBM and WSM. One was the pCenter o Excellence (COE) project designating SPRING Singapore as the rst COE in the area o business excellenThe two-year action plan or the COE pilot project got underway in 2009. Those initial eorts will show results t

year. Another example was the introduction o the impact evaluation, a new evaluation measure, last year as a jointort o the APO Secretariat, NPOs, and project participants and their supervisors. The ndings and comments receirom all involved will be essential or ne-tuning our projects.

The achievements o 2009 were only possible due to the eorts o those dedicated to increasing productivity. I wolike to thank all who contributed to the APOs mission and request their continuing support.

New Year message rom theAPO News

The APO News would like to wish all our readers a happy, healthy, and productive 2010. We hope to deliver morinormative, useul reports to assist productivity practitioners and stakeholders within and beyond the Asia-Paciregion in making a dierence in the lives o all. Your suggestions and eedback are always welcome and appreciated

C O N T E N T S


2/8

Cambodia made a strong, consistent moverom a traditional to a modern economicstructure, and thus Cambodians enjoyed

rapid growth in the last decade. Furthermore, tocope with the eects o globalization, productiv-ity and quality development in both the public and

private sectors is deemed to be a contributor toeconomic growth and poverty reduction. Politicalstability in Cambodia has opened up a window oopportunities or social and economic develop-ment ater a decade o political instability andinsecurity as well as economic and social chaos.

The threat o the Khmer Rouge eroded and thendisappeared ollowing the win-win policy underthe initiatives o Samdech Techo Hun Sen, PrimeMinister o the Royal Government o Cambodiarom 1996 to 1998, which led to the uprooting othe Khmer Rouge military and political organi-zations. The sweeping changes in the political,social, and economic environment have madeCambodia an oasis o peace, security, stability,and development. Due to our hopes, eorts, and

practical thinking, Cambodia has successullyturned rom a nightmare into a continuous devel-opment landscape.

all Cambodians have

a role in developing the

country, and productivity

has a significant role to

play as there is no human

activity that does not

benefit from improved

productivity.

Growth was impressive in the past decade, espe-cially in the past our years, registering around10% per annum. Economic growth in 2007 wasestimated at 9.6%, and although somewhat dimin-ished compared with 20052006, it underscoredthe increasing resiliency o the economy andshowed that the perormance during 20052007was not ortuitous but relected the underlying

strength o the countrys economic undamentals.During the decade ending in 2007, Cambodia dou-

bled the per capita GDP to US$589. Cambodiasper capita GDP is expected to reach US$1,000 by2015, or possibly even earlier when oil and gas

production comes onstream.

However, Cambodia is still acing major challeng-

es, such as low labor productivity in many sec-tors, negative capital deepening, and insignicantcontribution o total actor productivity to eco-nomic growth. For the sustainability o economicgrowth, productivity improvement is necessaryor all sectors in Cambodia as we are ully awareo the challenges in turning around our economyto create employment opportunities, stimulateeconomic growth, and alleviate poverty. I believethat all Cambodians have a role in developing thecountry, and productivity has a signicant role to

play as there is no human activity that does notbenet rom improved productivity. Thereore, the

National Productivity Centre o Cambodia underthe auspices o the Ministry o Industry, Minesand Energy initially developed a ramework orthe national productivity movement in response tothose challenges.

Productivity has a direct linkage with an improvedstandard o living in the short- and long-termgoals o the country. The national productivitymovement aims to achieve higher productivity,

p-LeaderCambodia

Initial stage of the productivity movement in CambodiaChea Sieng Hong

APO Director for Cambodia andSecretary of State of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy

stimulate productivity consciousness, determinproductivity levels, monitor productivity trendsand promote and lead the productivity movement to attain higher levels o productivity iall sectors o the Cambodian economy, with thultimate goal o enhancing the living standard othe people. To this end, it will develop and builthe human capacity needed to alleviate povertthrough developing skills, expanding businestransactions, and attracting more investmenwhich will eventually lead to job creation and higher standard o living. Improving Cambodia

productivity through the national productivitmovement to achieve those goals will depends othree important actors:

Developing and building the human resourcecapacity to deliver quality outputs;

Friendly working environments that encouragcooperative, constructive workplace relationleading to productivity improvement; and

Participation by the Royal Government, businesassociations, and labor unions to establish a suitable ramework or productivity improvement.

The right competencies with

access to knowledge, skills,

resources, and technology will

actualize the potential implicit

in our labor force.

To create ertile ground or a productive mindseand behavior, we need to empower our workorc

with skills. The right competencies with access tknowledge, skills, resources,and technology wiactualize the potential implicit in our labor orceIn addition, special attention should be paid tactors aecting labor productivity, particularlthrough restructuring o sectors and subsectorwhile improving management capacity and theectiveness o scientiic research, applyinadvanced technologies, improving the use o captal, and upgrading work and proessional skillthrough training programs. In the capacity build

APO News January 010


3/8

Comment board

Pro. Yazdani (seated R)

ing o labor and management operations in organizations, especially SMEs,the NPCC has a signicant role in guiding and providing tools and techniquesto enhance the productivity o organizations through seminars, training cours-es, and demonstration company projects.

The attitude, willingness, and ability o business owners and corporate manag-

ers to restructure the internal organization o enterprises to create a riendlyworking environment that encourages cooperative, constructive workplace re-lations are important. Likewise, it has been ound that when labor and manage-ment collaborate on issues, workplace morale improves, and so do productivityand competitiveness. In addition, we should promote a culture o continuousinnovation where employees are encouraged to share their ideas regularlyon how to improve productivity and eciency within the organization. Thisshould become a trend in all enterprises. A satised, skilled worker is an as-set in any organization that wants to achieve maximum productivity, growth,

best service delivery standards, or prots. On the contrary, the opposite canthereore also be true or a worker who is disgruntled and has inadequate skillsin any workplace. Thereore, ocusing on productivity improvement as the

result o a conducive working environment can lead to wealth creation, moremployment, value reorientation, enhanced socioeconomic development, animproved standards o living o the people o Cambodia

To achieve higher productivity in Cambodia, we need participation romevery relevant stakeholder ranging rom those at the grassroots to manage

ment levels. The citizenry o Cambodia should be sensitized and prepared tembrace the concept o productivity and to accept training in productive wayWe need to put our concerted eorts into productivity improvement in all ouspheres o infuence and use productivity as a uel or our countrys shared anaccelerated growth. To this end, we need to call on business associations anorganized labor unions to come together to voice their constructive opinions o

policies and management at the industrial level, business level, and individuaenterprise level to ormulate an acceptable common ramework.

Professor Saeed Yazdani,

University of Tehran Ka-

raj, IR Iran.Participant, workshop onthe Development o Com-petitive Supply Chains in

Agribusiness, Vietnam, 2327 November 2009.It was indeed a greatopportunity or me to par-ticipate in the workshop.

I beneted greatly rom the workshops deliberations and the discussion o variousaspects o supply chains. The workshop presented the collected, analyzed data andconclusions on the perormance o selected agribusiness supply chains rom an APOresearch project conducted in 2007 and 2008. Those ndings became the basis o ourdiscussion to ormulate action plans and a roadmap or their adoption. I am sure thatall o the participants will use this invaluable experience in our own countries to ben-et the agriculture sector. The workshop gave me condence and encouraged me inmy plan to establish an MBA program in Agriculture and Food Science at my univer-sity. This would be the rst such course in IR Iran. We are now trying to obtain thenecessary permission rom the Ministry o Science, Research, and Technology andare hoping to accept students rom October 2010. I am quite sure that this subject willbe very attractive in IR Iran and will be successul. Another big benet I gained romthe workshop was the opportunity to establish a network with great experts. I metwith good colleagues rom Pakistan, India, and Malaysia. They shared their experi-ences with me, and I will surely make use o their academic services in the uture.

ConsultantAtsushi Kaneko, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Japan.

Participant, study meeting on Knowledge Management Measurement, Republic o

China, 1720 November 2009.

I am a knowledge management (KM) consultant in Japan. The measurement oKM activities is one the biggest issues or many Japanese companies since it helpevaluate and veriy the KM activities that are implemented. I attended the meetinto obtain new perspectives on KM measurement to support companies seeking thesanswers. At the meeting, I learned more about the various aspects to be considerein measuring KM practices. In particular, the ramework presented by Dr. Sera

Talisayon, an APO resource speaker rom the Philippines, which includes societaand environmental dimensions, was very impressive. In addition, the study meetingave me an opportunity to make new connections with KM practitioners and leaders rom dierent countries and understand the current situation o KM activities ithose countries. All the inormation learned rom the meeting will be ully utilizein providing guidelines and solutions or my clients in their KM implementation.

Quality Services Officer Lusiana Rabeka Rauqeuqe Nuqanuqa, Training an

Productivity Authority of Fiji.

Participant, training course on the Development o Productivity Practitioner(DPP): Advanced Program, Malaysia, 220 November 2009.The DPP: Advanced course added to my knowledge gained rom the basic coursthat I had attended in Manila in 2007. The basic course introduced me to productivity and quality tools like 5S, quality circles, and suggestion schemes. Learninadvanced tools such as the balanced scorecard, business process reengineering, SiSigma, knowledge management, and lean production systems increased my understanding and appreciation o these methodologies as ways to assist organizations traise their standards. The course comprised inormative lectures rom experienceacilitators, an interactive workshop, and the practical component o plant visits. Aa whole, it has equipped me with improved capacity as a productivity consultanand trainer. This will enable me to help Fijian organizations and companies identiopportunities or improvement and ormulate solutions or achieving organizationaexcellence and competitiveness.



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Figure 1. Breaking down the components of a job during task analysis.Source: Teian Consulting International, Singapore.

Task

Figure 2. The four-step structured coaching process.Source: Teian Consulting International, Singapore.

Coaching

ProcessDemonstrate

Prepare

Practice

Follow-Up Demonstrate

Prepare

Follow-up

Practice

Main t ask 1 Main t ask 2 Main task 3 Main t ask 4

Job

Task TaskTask Task

Knowing

Related information

Doing

Taskelement

Key points Training guidelinesStandards

Productivity methodologies, tools, and techniques

Skills, among other actors like innovation and service, have been identi-

ied as an important actor in helping companies to create value in thenew economy. Although companies are aware o the benets o training,surveys have revealed that generally many companies were unable to sendtheir employees to attend courses owing to:

A shortage o manpower and busy work schedule Employee reluctance to attend training during nonworking hours Work standards taught in courses are not exactly relevant to the compa-

nies practices No training providers are available or the specic skills required

The obvious solution is on-the-job training (OJT), and many companieshave some orm o OJT. Some companies have unpleasant experiences as

their unstructured OJT programs are dicult to monitor and not eectivein developing the required skills among employees. The problem is notthe technique itsel, but the process o execution o OJT. A well-structuredOJT program will resolve implementation issues as specic job knowl-edge and skills are identiied and documented to guide trainers duringtraining. Employees will be motivated to learn as the training is directlyrelated to their jobs in their actual work environment. At the same time,the trainer can observe, correct, and reinorce skills to point out any errors

beore they become poor work habits.

The Structured OJT technique was introduced in Singapore sometime in1990 and has since gained popularity among companies. In a actory thatmanuactures electronic products, it was reported that the implementa-

tion o Structured OJT resulted in an 11% increase in production outputand a 28% decrease in rejects. In another company that operates a chaino ast-ood restaurants, Structured OJT had led to improvements in job

perormance o its employees, as shown by a 25% decline in customercomplaints and a 50% reduction in sta turnover. Structured OJT can alsohelp in reducing training costs by as much as 75% as employees need not

be released rom their jobs during training.

There are three stages in the implementation o Structured OJT.

Stage 1: PlanningThis stage involves the identication o jobs or OJT, and thereater taskanalysis, as outlined in Figure 1, is conducted to develop the OJT blue-

print. The OJT blueprint is then reviewed, tested, and nalized.

Stage 2: ImplementationThe training needs o each trainee are identied and the required train-ing is scheduled. The trainer, who is usually the immediate supervisor,will then prepare or coaching based on the schedule and OJT blueprint.Coaching the trainee is done in our structured steps, as shown in Figure 2.The training contents can be tailored to suit the existing skill level o eachemployee as the coaching process is done on a one-to-one basis.

Gearing up employees for corporate competitiveness through structured on-the-job trainingKelvin Chan

Stage 3: Evaluation

This stage involves the evaluation o the perormance o the trainee atertraining, and additional training hours may be added i the skills o thetrainee in a particular task are ound to be unsatisactory. This step willalso help to review the eectiveness o the OJT blueprint or continuousimprovement.

When eectively developed, Structured OJT will become a useul trainingtechnique or employee skill development and to supplement o-the-jobtraining programs.

T o p r o v i d e ea s y r e e r en ce t oproductivity-related terms includingmethodologies, tools, and techniques,the APO developed the p-Glossary,

available on its Web site (www.apo-tokyo.org).

Contributed by Director and Principal Consul-

tant Kelvin Chan, Teian Consulting Interna-

tional Pet Ltd, Singapore, resource speaker for

the APO training course on the Development

of Productivity Practitioners: Basic Program.



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Employees o Perum Pegadaian, a state-owned microfnancing enterprise, welcominAPO participants

Taste-testing Katsunuma wine in Yamanashi preectur

Ageographic concentration o interconnected enterprises, suppliers, serviceproviders, and research institutes in a specic industry constitutes a clusterin which collaboration can increase productivity. This approach is par-

ticularly applicable to the agroood industry. The APO organized an observationalstudy mission in Japan, 815 December, to study successul examples o agricul-tural clustering with 14 participants rom 11 member countries.

Numerous site visits were arranged to showcase examples. A visit to the Katsunumawine country in Yamanashi preecture, 100 km west o Tokyo, was the rst. Katsu-numa is amous or the quality o its grapes, and several large-scale wine producersas well as small and medium ones currently operate there. With the assistance othe Institute o Enology and Viticulture, University o Yamanashi, the vineyardsdeveloped new wines using a local grape variety called kosyu. Local governmentsupport was also provided to wine producers and grape armers. As a result o thatcollaboration, Katsunuma has become a major wine-producing region in Japan, andwines rom kosyu grapes have won awards in several international competitions.

Japanese cluster organizers we met possessed unique leadership qualities and styles,along with determination, sensibility, honesty, and condence, said Market Special-ist Ramon Morato Policarpio, Department o Agriculture, the Philippines. The strongleadership qualities needed were conrmed in Tochigi preecture, where conection-eries made rom indigenous two-rowed barley, which has a higher sugar content thanthe more common six-rowed type, were the ocus. Yoshimitsu Hasegawa, a barley

armer, and Yutaka Uetake, amanager o the conectioneryshop Omugi Kobo Roa, de-veloped new types o bakedsweets and cereal products.Their dedication attractedcoopera t ion rom other

relevant industries. The newproducts now have a broadbase o satisied customers.Mission participants alsorecognized the leadershipo Hibiki Corporation President Yoshiharu Hibiki, who along with other local ooprocessors and restaurants established Kawagoe City as a brand. Tokyos Shinagawdistrict demonstrated how to organize collaborative activities by local industries tpromote specic products. Several ood retailers there cooperate to promote uniquood items based on traditional, region-specic vegetables.

All the eld visits and lectures were more than expected, said Director FatimAlvi, Alvi Corporation Pvt. Ltd., Pakistan. I am planning to set up a goat arm iPakistan and this study mission gave me a lot o good ideas on how to utilize thcluster concept. Other participants agreed that they had acquired useul inormation and inspiration or uture plans.

All Asian countries have a very large concentration o micro and SMEunits and they contribute 20% to 50% o GDP. Many units wereclosed down or became sick due to cuts in production and services

ater the global inancial crisis. This directly aected their inancing, DirectorBankim Bhatt, Bisman Fintech Pvt. Ltd., India, explained to theAPO News. Bhatt

was one o three APO experts at the recent study meeting on SME Financing in theAtermath o the Global Financial Crisis held in Indonesia, 2327 November.

The study meeting examined SME nancing rameworks in the Asia-Pacic region,explored nontraditional sources o inancing ater the inancial crisis, identiiedbest practices, and ormulated recommendations or member countries. The APOexperts presented suggestions or uture policies based on their experience andanalysis o current SME nancing practices.

Bhatt listed suggestions rom various perspectives to overcome obstacles aced bySMEs in obtaining nancing. One solution was a cluster approach: A cluster oSMEs could create and manage common inrastructure acilities with an advantageo scale. He pointed out the benets o clusters as inormation sharing among

members with regard to market trends, customers, and technologies, and the viabil-ity o raw material banks to shield SMEs rom price fuctuations.

The presentation on the SME nancing support programs o the Micro Businessand Individual Unit o the Japan Finance Corporation (JFC-Micro) was recognizedas a best practice example o government policy-based inance. Nobuyo Hiratao JFC-Macro introduced the JFC as a comprehensive, policy-based inancialinstitution wholly owned by the Japanese government. JFC-Micro oers general,special, managerial improvement, and environmental health business loans. Specialloans, accounting or 43.8% o business loan schemes, adhere to the governmentseconomic and nancial policy or SMEs and include loans or business start-ups,

inormation technology, saety nets, business reconstruction, etc. Ater the crisinancial support measures or SMEs are provided through this policy-based systemunder which JFC-Micro also oers saety-net loans, emergency credit guaranteesand crisis response measures.

Proessor Moon-Kyum Kim, Soongsil University, Republic o Korea, explaineSME nancing as high risk and high inormation asymmetries, with the result thanancing or SMEs is characterized by high interest rates and unstable nancing.He emphasized the need to establish an equity investment device or innovativSMEs to enable the development o a market or technology appraisal, nurture venture capitalists, and promote trust and the liquidity o technology.

The meeting suggested urther study o SME nancing. The APO will thereorconduct research on nancing or SMEs based on the ndings and recommendations o the study meeting.


Cluster approach for local agrofood industry development

SME fnancing ater the global fnancial crisis


6/8

Learning TPS-style kaizen at Hirayama

Discussing how to bring women and retirees backinto the workorce

Innovating production systems

The conerence room o the Japan Productivity Center (JPC), Tokyo, was ullo enthusiasm in the aternoon o 20 December 2009. Inside were partici-pants in the APO training course on Innovation in Production Systems who

were animatedly discussing how strategies learned during the two-week course, 30November11 December, could be applied in their organizations. All the knowl-edge and skill obtained in this course will be eective solutions to the issues weace, said one group.

The course was designed and conducted in close collaboration by the APO andJPC to develop the capacity o senior and mid-level production managers and train-ers/consultants or the innovation o production systems. The course ocused onpractical learning and hands-on workshops or participants. The majority o themwere selected rom among holders o a certicate rom the APO e-learning courseson the Toyota Production System (TPS), noted Secretariat Industry Program O-cer Keiichi Tanabe.

A highlight o the program was a two-day practice in kaizen and the TPS atHirayama Co., Ltd., a Japanese consulting and training company specializing inthe TPS. Three instr uctors trained participants in the core principles o TPS-stylekaizen through hands-on practice on simulated assembly lines. They emphasized

the importance o action on the shoploor, through three adages: utilize theknowledge learned on the shopfoor; kaizen will not occur without adaptation byworkers on the shopfoor; and there is no end to kaizen.

Another hands-on exercise in cost reduction and planning took place at the JPCsInternational Productivity Center over two days. The main method used was the

teardown, or completely disassembling a product to separate each element. Cosreduction measures can then be identied by examining and analyzing each part iterms o weight, unit cost o materials, labor time, machine operation time or production, etc. President Takashi Horiguchi, Horiguchi Business Consulting Corpthe session instructor, explained the our teardown steps: conrm unction in a

operational check; make up a bill o material ater teardown; identiy cost reduction opportunities and compile an idea sheet; and presentations by all groups.

On the nal day o the training course, participants shared the outcomes o groupdiscussions, in which the methods taught were reviewed and adopted as problemsolving tools or innovating production systems.

Productivity of women and retirees

A

sia is aging, with the number o people living past the age o 60increasing dramatically. Lie expectancy is at an all-time high. Fur-

thermore, those 85 years and older are among the astest-growingsegment o the population. Thereore a severe shortage o workers in thelabor market is predicted by many experts, making it imperative to bringwomen and retirees back into the workorce. The APO study meeting on theParticipation o Women and Retirees in the Workorce, Republic o Korea,710 December, was the venue or experts on this topic and 12 participantsto share experiences and practices in dealing with aging societies and theirimpacts on productivity. The Korea Productivity Center hosted the meeting.

Resource speakers and participants discussed the myriad problems and issuesacing women and retirees actively considering workplace reentry options.The meeting ound many consistencies among the participating APO mem-

ber countries as well as the Republic o China, Republic o Korea, USA, and

Australia rom which resource speakers had been invited. The workorcelandscape is changing with the prospect that the old will soon outnumber theyoung. Despite this, many aging countries still have compulsory retirementages, and womens wages lag behind mens at an average o 78 cents per$1.00 earned (in the USA).

The most compelling challenge acing women and retirees is a weaker attach-ment to the workorce, a phenomenon with proound economic implications.The attachment actor is a refection o industry practices that oten under-value the role and contributions o emale workers, essentially cutting themo rom enrichment programs and opportunities. The meeting discussed how

to link women morestrongly to the work-

orce and to strengthenconnectivity with work.These are essential iworkplaces are to beretooled to adapt to thegrowing number o old-er workers, increasingdependent to workerratios, and productiveaging.

The meeting highlighted the need to showcase best practices, i.e., workplacesthat demonstrate exemplary standards or mature workers and that promote

eorts to increase the participation o women and seniors in the workplace.It also underscored the importance o restructuring education and trainingopportunities to provide women and mature workers with opportunities tolearn, acquire technological inormation, and pursue lie-long learning.Senior Policy and Research Ocer Priya SaratChandran, Australian HumanRights Commission, recommended that the APO coordinate and conducturther research into these issues among its member countries and track best

practices. SaratChandran called the meeting a success, saying, It was anexcellent and timely initiative rom the APO in an area where many countriesseem to be lagging behind.



7/8

New APO publication

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS:

ESTIMATION AND REDUCTION

APO 84 pp. December 2009

ISBN: 92-833-2401-3 (print edition)

ISBN: 92-833-7086-4 (e-edition)

Photo report

Orchids produced in a multiridge-type greenhouse in Yuanlin countyMulticountry Observational Study Mission on Controlled-environment AgriculturaProduction Systems, Republic o China, 30 November4 December 2009.

The APO is seeking a qualied Inormation and Public Relations Ocer inthe Secretariat Administration and Finance Department. Candidates musthave demonstrated competencies in the areas in the job description, beenthusiastic about improving the visibility o APO activities, take a com-prehensively strategic viewpoint, and show a strong sense o responsibility.

Interested candidates must have a degree, preerably advanced, rom a recog-nized college or university in journalism/media studies, business administra-tion, or marketing. Candidates must have solid experience in writing, editing,producing publications (English and Japanese), and event planning; and becitizens o APO member countries in excellent health, preerably between30 and 40 years o age. Salary will be commensurate with qualications andexperience, tax exempt in Japan or international recruits, plus other benets.Appointment will be on a two-year basis, renewable upon mutual consent.

Please send your curriculum vitae with a recent photo (4 cm 5 cm) and a

synopsis (in English) stating why you are applying and how you qualiy orthe post. Applications must reach the APO Secretariat by 29 January 2010via post mail or e-mail. Those shortlisted will be contacted.

Administration & Finance DepartmentAsian Productivity Organization1-2-10 HirakawachoChiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093

e-Mail: [email protected]

Please visit www.apo-tokyo.org to view the job description.

Recruitment announcement

The APO organized the Certifed Lead Auditors Training Course on the Environ-

mental Management System (EMS): ISO14001 in Sri Lanka, 26 November 2009.EMS reers to the management o an organizations environmental programs in a

comprehensive, systematic, planned, documented manner. The training course wasconducted by two APO resource speakers rom DNV India, an International Regis-

ter o Certifed Auditors-approved agency. It aimed to train participants to becomeEMS auditors, allowing them to develop and operate systems in compliance withISO14001. Twenty participants rom 13 member countries were selected rom

among those who had attended the APO e-learning course on Green Productivityand ISO14001 and had passed the exam with outstanding scores. O the 20, 50%

came rom the private sector and the others rom NPOs, the SME Foundation,Center or Environment, Technology Institute, etc. Nineteen successully qualifed

as lead auditors. The one-week training in EMS auditing was a good opportunityto learn by sharing our knowledge and experience and most especially to establishnew riendships across the globe, said one Philippine participant celebrating with

the other trainees when the exam results were announced.

Certifcation o 19 new ISO14001lead auditors

March

IndonesiaInternational Conference on Green Productivity (GP) to EnhanceCompetitiveness, 47 March 2010.

Objective: To deliberate on achieving competitiveness by adoptingGP practices and discuss the latest trends in eco-business and marketingstrategies or eco-products.Participants: Top and senior managers rom private enterprises involvedin eco-product development and sta o NGOs and public organizationsinvolved in the promotion o sustainable production and consumption.

MalaysiaTraining of Trainers in Green Productivity (GP), 126 March 2010.

Objective: To develop trainers and practitioners in GP equipped within-depth knowledge o and hands-on experience in the methodology, tools,and techniques.Participants: Productivity practitioners rom NPOs, consultant teams,and trainers/consultancy rms or SMEs who wish to acquire a workingknowledge o the GP concept and practices.

USAAPO Study Mission to a Nonmember Country: Ecotourism in Hawaii,

1519 March 2010.

Objective: To enhance participants understanding o the latest trendsand developments in ecotourism, identiy the best practices o ecotourismmanagement, and develop action plans or promoting them in Asia-Pacic countries.Participants: Oicials o industry associations, NGOs, andgovernmental environmental and tourism agencies, and NPOs; sta oSMEs; and academics involved in ecotourism.

Program calendar

Kindly contact your NPO or details o uture activities, including eligibility or

participation. The project details along with the address o your NPO are avail-able rom the APO Web site at www.apo-tokyo.org.



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2


Published monthly byAsian Productivity Organization, Hirakawa-cho Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 2F, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan;

Indonesia to host EPIF 2010

Green Productivity to Enhance Competitiveness is the theme o the

upcoming Eco-products International Fair (EPIF). Jakar ta, the

capital and largest city o Indonesia, will play host to the EPIF

2010, the sixth in the air series, or our days, 47 March.

Promotional activities to ensure the success o the air are underway. The

APOs participation in the Eco Products Exhibition 2009 held at Tokyo

Big Sight, Japan, 1012 December, was part o such eorts. Tokyos

Eco Products Exhibition is an annual event showcasing environmentally

riendly products, technologies, and activities by Japanese enterprises,

research organizations, academic institutions, governmental organizations,

and NGOs. The APO took a booth at the exhibition and distributed more

than 3,000 APO and EPIF brochures, the Eco-products Directory, and other

publications. The APO was also involved in promotional events during the

Eco Products Exhibition to introduce its GP activities, which included the

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Environment Business Forum and the

Eco-Presentation Stage. The Eco Products Exhibition 2009 attracted more

than 180,000 visitors during three days.

As the host o the EPIF 2010, Indonesia also joined the APO in promot-

ing GP and the EPIFs. Four delegates headed by Chairman Dr. Handito

Joewono, Organizing Committee o the EPIF 2010, attended various

events during the exhibition. They also met Sumitomo Mitsui Banking

Corporation Chairman Teisuke Kitayama, Chairperson o the EPIF Pre-

paratory Committee in Japan, shared opinions on the uture o the EPIFs

and discussed the preparation process.

As the largest international environmental air in Asia, the EPIF eature

the most advanced environmental technologies, provides opportunitieor the exploration o green business collaborations, and raises awarenes

o and interest in environmental conservation in harmony with productiv

ity improvement. The rst EPIF was held in Malaysia in 2004, with each

successive one in Thailand (2005), Singapore (2006), Vietnam (2008)

and the Philippines (2009) setting new records in scope and size.

People behind the scenes: Normandy T. Nangca, the Philippines

009 was one o the busiest years ever or the DevelopmentAcademy o the Philippines (DAP), the countrys NPO. It hostedtwo APO mega events: the Eco-products International Fair(EPIF) in March and the Workshop Meeting o Heads o NPOs (WSM)in October. Both occasions were great successes in terms o their con-tents, the hospitality oered, and the level o enthusiasm. The music,

dances, and cheers o the host country made the events even more

memorable and enjoyable.

However, what amazed me was the people behind the scenes. The DAP

team was always smiling, sharing jokes and laughter, and sometimes

singing and dancing. It was very dicult to single out only one o them

to eature in this column, but perhaps the story o Normandy T. Nangca,

Assistant to the President and Director, Corporate Operations Oice,DAP, would be the best.

During the course o preparations or the WSM, the busiest and most

nerve-wracking time or the Secretariat and the host organization is the

eve o its opening. The inal checks and conirmations are extremely

demanding, requiring tedious and meticulous rechecking that everything

is as it should be: the correct number o chairs and microphones; the

optimal positioning o the desks; the order o ceremony; the list o local

guests; the presentations on the opening stage;

etc. Under those conditions, tempers could eas-ily ray. However Norman, the local coordinator

in charge, was endlessly cheerul, sweet, and

proessional, well past the time I became ex-

hausted and said good night to him and the other sta.

On the opening morning, the stage was ready, as discussed the

previous night. Norman, the master o ceremonies or the opening

ceremony, greeted delegates with his pleasantly energetic voice.

Later I learned that he had barely slept the previous night. Amazingly,

though his gentle manner and broad smile were maintained until the

end o the rst days program, including the welcome dinner or the

delegates. He truly seemed to enjoy the entire occasion.

I realized then that it was his passion that led to excellence. People say

that, You cannot win against people who work with passion in their

hearts. Thereore you would not be surprised to learn that it was with

that same smile and passion that he wished everyone a sae trip home

on the nal day o the WSM. When asked what he planned to do now

that his tasks had been completed successully, he replied, Now it will be

amily time. Then he fashed another o his glowing smiles.

Indonesian delegates with Kitayama (2nd R) at the APO booth o the Eco ProducExhibition 2009

apo news january 2010

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