asian productivity organization monthly newsletter july 2010

8/9/2019 Asian Productivity Organization Monthly Newsletter July 2010

1/8Printed on Recycled Paper

APO national programs: two-year retrospectiv

APOnews

InformationtoMakeaDifferenceinProductivityISSN: 1728-0

2....p-WatchThailand....Common sense talk

4....Productivity methodologies, tools, andtechniques

6....Value chain approach or enhancedagribusiness competitiveness

6....Developing certifed evergy managers/auditors

7....Program calender7....APO Productivity Photo Contest 20107....New APO publication7....Photo op8....New Mongolian Productivity

Organization in action8....People behind the scenes

7, Contest submission call

6, Seminar, Indonesia study tour

As Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka pointed out in his annual report to the Governing Body in April 2ofcers suggestions in the new project reporting system had led to improvements, including introduction

two-tiered project approach, reerred to as Category A/C or B/C projects. This involves ollowing up a tymulticountry project with national programs in three member countries or approximately 50 participants each. A

presentation on this at the 2007 Workshop Meeting o Heads o NPOs in Hanoi, NPO heads agreed that it was a e

method to increase the training outreach o the APO and meet the increasingly diversifed needs o member countrthe pace o development picks up. The Category A/C or B/C approach premiered in 2008 with our projects, ollow

our in 2009, fve planned or 2010, and our or 2011.

To ensure a clear, uniorm understanding o national programs

among Secretariat ofcers, the Secretary-General instructed a teamto drat guidelines, which came into eect in June 2009. The basic

concepts o the national programs under Category A/C and/or B/Cprojects are:1) There should be no overlap with and be clearly dierentiated

rom the activities o other national or international organizations.2) They should be strongly linked to a preceding multicountryAPO project, with the essential content tailored to local needs in

cooperation with the NPO and main resource person so that they are

enriched, more valuable, and have a stronger impact on more pro-ductivity practitioners.3) At least one resource person should have been involved in thelinked multicountry project.

4) National training programs must be airly distributed amongmember countries.

In this time o ever-tightening fnances,

Secretary-GeneralTakenaka requested

that a review be

conducted ear lythis year to determine how eective Category A/C or B/C project

been so ar in meeting the objectives and how they could be imprOn behal o the Secretariats National Program Team, Agricultur

partment Program Ofcer Dr. Muhamad Saeed gave a presentati

the results o that review entitled APO National Programs: LessonInsights on 12 May to Secretariat sta.

An obvious beneft o the national programs was being able to transer knowledge to more individuals more econcally, Dr. Saeed pointed out, since the cost o a typical multicountry project runs well over US$2,000 per partici

while in national programs the cost per participant is oten around US$250. He also acknowledged that Secretari

C O N T E N T S

Volume 40 Number 7 July 20

8, MPO, Ulaanbaatar

(Continued on p

Secretariat Agriculture Program Ofcer Dr. MuhaSaeed bries Secretariat sta on national progrTokyo, 11 May 2010. APO/Eriko Sugita

APO Program Oicer Dr. Muhammad Saeedadjusts presentation material on a computer inTokyo. APO/Eriko Sugita


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APO News July 010

A

Google Internet search or the phrase knowledge management (KM) on

any given day will display over 50 million links. While this phenomenal

interest comes as no surprise today, it has not always been that way.

Many deinitions o KM exist. These deinitions include terms that range rom

citing wisdom and sharing to technology transer and data mining. One common

characteristic o these denitions is the need or KM to be translated or demys-

tiied by a technical expert on the subject. An approach that acknowledges the

theory o KM but ocuses on the practical applications was thereore needed. This

type o approach can be embraced by all members o an organization, regardless

o size, geography, or complexity.

In establishing a baseline o thinking or the introduction o the KM concept in

Thailand, the Thailand Productivity Institute (FTPI) chose Xerox Corporation or

a case study (Figure 1). Xerox, along with well-respected corporations such as

IBM, Nokia, Accenture, Microsot, and Siemens, was in the earliest years o KM

recognized as a pioneer in internalizing and promoting knowledge.

It should be noted that Xerox rst initiated the concept o benchmarking in the

1970s, which is now another well-recognized, pervasive management tool and

arguably a key component o an eective KM strategy. What began as a simple

practice o cost comparisons or machine components between Japanese and US

photocopier manuacturers evolved into a 10-step, structured, systematic approach

to identiy and codiy best practices or use by other organizations as varied as

private industry, healthcare institutions, and governments.

Figure 1. Original Xerox benchmarking model.

Through its revolutionary benchmarking eorts, supported by its innovative Leader-

ship Through Quality Program, Xerox successully reinvented its business in the

p-WatchThailand

Knowledge management: Evolution from theory to practice

1980s and 1990s and went on to achieve recognition as a recipient o the Malcolm

Baldrige National Quality Award in 1989 and 1997. Building on those approaches,

it was initially intellectual curiosity combined with the constant need or smartproducts that led to advanced research into KM. But one premise was always ore-

most in the minds o Xerox management: How do you conduct empirical research

(then supported by the company-initiated, Caliornia-based Institute or Research on

Learning) and balance that with common-sense implementation within the company?

The thought process o the FTPI closely mimicked the previous Xerox experience

as a basis or applying KM. With the Xerox approach as a baseline, planning was

begun in mid-2002 to begin pilot implementation o a KM strategy within selected

Thai enterprises. Ater thorough screening by the FTPI, our pilot sites were chosen:

Faculty o Medicine, Siriraj Hospital; True Corporation Public Company Limited;

Spansion (Thailand) Limited; and the FTPI itsel. Supported by the APO through a

Technical Expert Services (TES) assignment, the implementation was launched by

the FTPI in February 2003. A six-step model was used in the launch as a roadmap

or implementation (Figure 2); each pilot organization was requested to select at

least one project on which to ocus using KM-based tools identied in the model.

Project-based KM application was chosen to allow or gradual learning by doing.

For example, the Faculty o Medicine, Siriraj Hospital decided to use communities

o practice to create a knowledge-sharing network in clinical continuous quality

improvement to acilitate best practices in patient care.

Figure 2. KM pilot project model developed by the FTPI.

The initial launch o KM was anything but smooth, although setbacks were antici-

pated. Many obstacles to successul implementation were cited by the pilot sites,

including Its the Thai culture; We dont have time; and Its too complicated.Although the list o potential roadblocks was lengthy, the benets o trying to ap-

ply KM, such as increased knowledge sharing and employee learning soon began

to outweigh the obstacles. As people understood KM better and grasped how it was

relevant to the daily processes o their enterprises, the project was successully com-

pleted in 2004. As a result, at least three KM books were published to disseminate

the concept, implementation steps, lessons learned, and case studies rom this project.

In 2005, the FTPI assisted the Thai Oice o the Public Sector Development

Commission to train and plan or KM implementation in all government oices


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APO News July 010

Common sense talk

by Robert J. Osterho and Boondee Bunyagid

nationwide covering all ministries and provincial oces. The FTPI has also provided

public and in-house KM training as well as consulting services to state enterprises

and private companies since then.

During the same period, the number o organizations embracing the Thailand Quality

Award (TQA) ramework as a means or organizational improvement has continuedto increase. The importance o KM is recognized as it has been explicitly included in

one o the seven TQA criteria requirements and implicitly embedded in other catego-

ries. Thereore, the FTPI decided to start a project on the Development o Knowledge

Management Assessment (KMA) Methodology in which the seven categories o the

TQA, a Malcolm Baldrige-based assessment system, were used as a ramework to

construct pertinent questions to validate the eectiveness o KM within organizations.

With APO support through the TES Program, a our-year pilot project (20062010)

was initiated to develop and evaluate the eectiveness o KMA methodology involv-

ing 10 pilot organizations, our in the government sector, and three each rom the

manuacturing and service sectors. Seventy percent o the participants were Thailand

Quality Class winners. A public orum is planned later in 2010 to disseminate the

lessons learned rom this project.

With over seven years o implementation experience, ve lessons learned so ar are:

Keep implementation simple and evolve rapidly rom theory to relevant practice.

Emphasize that KM does not have cultural barriers and can be implemented in

Thailand or any other country.

Start small; think big. Select an initial KM application where there is a great like-

lihood o success.

Develop and use a means o assessment. Be prepared to answer the undamental

question, How are we doing?

Be patient and keep trying. Implementing KM is not a quick activity and need

evolve over time.

While the seven-year KM journey in Thailand continues, another undamental less

learned rom the FTPI experience was that the sharing o knowledge among organitions clearly provides an invaluable tool to improve productivity.

Photo courtesy o FTPI

Robert J. Osterhoff (L) is a former director, Quality and Knowledge Sharing, Xerox Corporatio

and served as treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of the Malcolm Baldrige Nation

Quality Award Foundation. He has assisted the FTPI in KM projects as a project adviser an

supported other APO member countries through TES consulting assignments since 1995.

Dr. Boondee Bunyagidj is an adviser to the Executive Director of the FTPI and serves a

member of the TQA Technical Subcommittee and TQA assessor. She has been involved in K

initiatives at the FTPI since 2002.

Poverty is a societys disrespect or human labor. Poverty strips a person o

his or her humanity and poverty takes away their reedom.

Ela Ramesh Bhatt

History is largely a record o human struggle to wrest the land rom nature,

because man relies or sustenance on the products o the soil. So direct is

the relationship between soil erosion, the productivity o the land, and the

prosperity o people, that the history o mankind, to a considerable degree at

least, may be interpreted in terms o the soil and what has happened to it as

the result o human use.

W.C. Lowdermilk

An expert is someone who knows some o the worst mistakes that can be

made in his subject, and how to avoid them.

Werner Heisenberg

Our subconscious minds have no sense o humor, play no jokes, and cannot

tell the dierence between reality and an imagined thought or image. What

we continually think about eventually will maniest in our lives.

Sidney Madwed

Nobody motivates todays workers. I it doesnt come rom within, it doesnt

come. Fun helps remove the barriers that allow people to motivate themselves.

Herman Cain

Time is ree, but its priceless. You cant own it, but you can use it. You cant

keep it, but you can spend it. Once youve lost it, you can never get it back.

Harvey Mackay

Everything about business comes down to people. Where in business can

we escape the impact o human care, human creativity, human commitment,

human rustration, and human despair? There is no reason or anything inbusiness to exist i it does not serve the needs o people.

Bruce Cryer

It shouldnt be too much o a surprise that the Internet has evolved into a

orce strong enough to refect the greatest hopes and ears o those who use

it. Ater all, it was designed to withstand nuclear war, not just the puny hus

and pus o politicians and religious anatics.

Denise Caruso


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APO News July 010

In the APOs TPS-related projects, I have always emphasized the impor-

tance o point 3) and spent a lot o time on this issue during my lectures.The participants actively exchange their opinions on and experiences with

point 3) and understand how important it is to grasp points 1), 2), and 3)at the same time. In the meantime, they also recognize that the TPS is nota system that you can just learn and then apply in your own company,

but rather it is a system that people need to create by cooperating witheach other.

Once during an APO TPS project, one o the participants mentioned that hehad come to realize that, The TPS is not like the computer system in my

company, it is rather a system that we must make by ourselves. You cannotjust purchase it and start using it. By engaging in active discussions, par-ticipants recognize why the TPS requires many group activities and why

continuous eorts are needed. Then they start thinking what they coulddo to make better-quality products, shorten lead times, and reduce costs,

which are the purpose o the TPS and every companys daily activities.

Productivity methodologies, tools, and techniques

Through APO projects, I have visited several o its member countries in-cluding India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. to give lectures and

consultations on the Toyota Production System (TPS). I have also delivered

presentations through the APOs distance-learning courses to 13 dierentcountries during the past three years. People in other Asian countries arealways eager to learn rom Toyotas manuacturing competitiveness and areinterested in implementing the system within their own companies.

For those who want to learn about the implementation o any system, it isimportant to know there are three points they should be aware o: 1) the

principles; 2) the background; and 3) how to implement the system (Figure1). I shared this idea with all the participants in the APO projects that I

have been involved in.

Figure 1. Essential points to grasp beore implementing a system.

To explain this urther: 1) The principles are what people can grasp romany type o seminar or course. In terms o the TPS, they include the concepts

o just-in-time, elimination o waste, jidoka (automation so that machinescan detect the production o deective parts and immediately stop theline), etc. People want to know what these concepts are and they normally

understand them very well in a relatively short time. 2) The backgroundexplains why an enterprise (in this case, Toyota actories) operate based

on those principles. I there is a principle, there must be a background tothe why and how the principles were developed. By examining the back-ground, people achieve a better understanding o the principles.

However, it is not enough or people simply to grasp points 1) and 2).

They also need to know point 3), i.e., how to put the system into practicewhen they actually try to adopt the concept within their companies oractories. There always are some difculties and obstacles in any organi-

zation when trying to implement new systems. For example, some peoplemay not be willing to cooperate, there may be some who oppose the

concept o the new system, and others may eel they that do not have su-fcient time to practice improvement activities. Participants learn points1) and 2) easily, but quite oten they are not able to put into practice what

they have learned within their own workplaces or many dierent reasons.

Synopsis of the APOs Toyota Production System projects

Hisazumi Matsuzaki in action at APO program in Tokyo Photo courtesy o H.Matsuzaki

Hisazumi Matsuzaki is a Senior Consultant, Central

Japan Industries Association; and Lecturer, Keio Univer-

sity Graduate School o System Design Management, in

Tokyo. His areas o expertise include specifc techniques

or system unctionality and their systematization (trans-

planting Japanese-style production systems overseas, cli-

ents marketing practices and systematization, etc.). Matsuzaki has served

as an expert in numerous APO projects on the TPS. He has published

numerous books in Japan, the Republic o Korea, and Republic o China,

and two o the most popular are Learning the Toyota Production System

through the English Language andToyota Production Systems in English

Conversation.


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APO News July 010

APO national programs: two-year retrospective ......................................................................... (Continued rom page 1

fcers, resource persons, and NPOs had greater responsibility in organizingnational programs, especially when ofcers do not attend: Care must betaken to ensure that there is a clear linkage with the multicountry project to

meet participants expectations, that project enrichment includes the distri-bution o training manuals/materials that are abundant in practical content

and o immediate use in the specifc national setting, and that interactive,practical sessions are provided.

Resource persons involved in the previous multicountry project are in-structed to give short, to-the-point presentations, encourage questions, and

include group assignments and exercises. The length and ormat o suchlead presentations become even more important when participants are notcompletely profcient in English and presentations must translated into the

local language or eective communication between the teaching and thetaught. NPOs are requested to arrange a venue with seating arrangements

or small group work, ind skilled interpreters and translators o trainingmaterials/presentations when necessary, appoint a local coordinator, andsource local resource persons i possible to enrich sessions in the local

context. Above all, NPOs are responsible or seeing that unds or nationalprograms are managed wisely in line with fnancial regulations.

Precious unds are saved when oicers attend only i they can make avisible, substantial contribution to the national program. Dr. Saeed

assured the Secretariat audience o the high quality o the national pro-grams, stressing that, When no ofcer is present, it is very important toreceive detailed reports rom the resource person and NPO using a stand-

ard report ormat or each and remain in close communication with bothduring the preparation stage. Dr. Saeed estimated that the Secretariat o-

fcers involved in organizing the national programs could access 90% ormore o all their details.

A standard report ormat was developed or both resource persons and NPOs

by the Secretariat team to obtain maximum inormation and complementparticipants eedback. The two report ormats vary slightly in coverage butdetail the course content, methodology, and logistics; local counterpart lec-turers; type and number o participants, their comments; course limitations;

suggestions or ollow-up activities; and recommendations.

While the Secretariat values all those details, the limitations and recommen-dations or improvement are particularly important. For example, resource

person Jimmy Chua pointed out that or a National Workshop on the Food

Saety Management System ISO22000 and Traceability or the Seaood In-dustry, Time is certainly a limiting actor, especially as interpretation doestake up some o the presentation time.

When reporting on a National Seminar/Workshop on Food Saety Manage-

ment or the Seaood Industry: HACCP Requirements and Applications,Chua wrote: The objective has defnitely been achieved. Further, this has

been very much assisted by the good management o the course by the coor-

dinator and Secretariat (i.e., Mr. Sayco, Ms. Leslielyn, and their assistants).The schedule was ollowed well and the program certainly went according

to plan. No limitations were experienced.

At the recent national training course in Pakistan on the FSMSISO22000:2005 or Auditors/Lead Auditors held in Karachi, 68 May, andLahore, 1012 May, expert Yong Kok Seng o QMC Resource Centre

Malaysia, was backed up by local counterpart experts Dr. Riat AyshaAnis, Chie o the Nutrition Division o the National Institute o Health in

Islamabad, in Karachi and by Tariq Qamar, Auditor and Expert, Food Division, Bureau Veritas Pakistan, in Lahore. The course attracted a combinedtotal o 109, and Yong believed that, The presence o Pakistans National

Productivity Organization CEO Ishaq Sheikh, his welcoming speech, andpresentation at both venues gave the training course additional importance.

His evaluation report also mentioned the greater than expected number oparticipants rom a range o proessions and the act that their ees weresupported by the Agribusiness Support Fund o the Government o Pakistan

At the end o Dr. Saeeds review, he listed improvements and modifcations

that could be made in the national programs. First, to enhance the APOsvisibility and secure its ownership o the national programs, it was suggestedthat the acronym APO be added to national program names and displayed

on banners, lyers, and other publicity materials. APO should thereoreappear in the program title o the Project Implementations Plans issued bythe Secretariat. This would also indicate added value or participants.

Second, multicountry project participants should be involved in the nationa

programs to the extent possible, serving as local coordinators, acilitatorsand translators/interpreters. For example, the Development Academy o thePhilippines invited all its multicountry participants to play roles in its na-

tional program on ood saety management or the seaood industry, includ-

ing giving presentations.

The Secretariat National Program Team concluded that the takeaway romthe past two years o Category A/C or B/C projects was that they are man-

ageable, economical, and benefcial to extend the APOs outreach to moreproductivity practitioners in member countries. Some Category A/C or B/C

project topics scheduled or 2010 are energy management capacity buildinginnovation in production systems, FSMS ISO22000 or auditors/lead audi-tors, and planning and management o community-based rural and agrotour

ism enterprises.

National program participants in Vietnam beginning a hal-day visit to Bac DauCo., Ltd., a fsh-processing enterprise in Danang. APO/Muhammad Saeed


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APO News July 010

Value chain approach or enhanced agribusiness competitiveness

Businesses constantly ace new challenges rom demanding markets. A value chain

(VC) approach is one strategy to cope. A VC is an alliance o enterprises collaborating

vertically to strengthen market competitiveness. At each link in the VC, value must

be added in terms o quality, system eciency, service, and product dierentiation. A VC ap-

proach can increase eciency and control costs, reduce risks, and respond to consumer demand.

The APO organized a seminar on Building Value Chains in Agribusiness, in Bogor, Indonesia,2327 May 2010. Twenty-two participants rom 11 member countries, along with ve overseas

and local resource persons, attended. In group discussions they identied issues in developing

agribusiness VCs in the Asia-Pacic and ormulated recommendations to overcome dicul-

ties. Indonesias expertise in this area was clearly demonstrated in site visits to three acilities.

PT Saung Mirwan, established in 1984 near Bogor, grows vegetables and fowers, acts as a

vendor, and supplies central distribution systems o supermarkets with 18 fower varieties

and more than 40 resh vegetables. Its own production is supplemented with items rom 50

other growers, 40 o which are small-scale operations. Participants agreed with Director

Tatang Hadinata, PT Saung Mirwan, when he advised that successul integration o small

producers into VCs depended on mutually benecial, air, transparent partnerships between

the VC actors.

MJ Flora has a 6-ha garden located 600700 m above sea level in West Java. It grows

ornamental plants or landscaping and interiors, mainly under plastic and shade structures.

Cocober dust is used as a growth medium, allowing or export to countries where imported

plants containing soil are prohibited. While speaking on VCs or ornamentals in Indonesia,

Dr. Benny Tjia, Technical Adviser o MJ Flora, stated: The most pressing problem prevent-

ing the rapid development o the ornamental industry in terms o value chains is the lack o

knowledgeable manpower to run operations with the needed discipline.

Warso Farm, located in Cihideung village, a popular Bogor ecotourism destination, spreads

over 15 ha containing 800 durian trees o several species. This arm has become a center

or durian R&D or regional and international organizations and oers visitors samples o

durian in many orms.

Resource person Grant Vinning, Marketing Adviser, Government o Solomon Islands Ag-

ricultural Livelihoods Program, commented, I have been a resource speaker at a number

o APO seminars. The Bogor Value Chain Seminar was one o the best. I saw a greater

willingness to talk about lessons learned rom problems aced, which is surely at the heart

o any genuine exchange and learning experience.

Workers plant chrysanthemums at PT Mandiri Jaya Flora in Desa Munjul nearBogor, Indonesia, 26 May 2010. APO/Muhammad Saeed

Developing certifed energy managers/auditors

With rising energy costs, concerns about global warming, and increasing

energy use as development progresses, it is clear that commercial energy

must be managed eciently. This requires a cadre o energy managers

and auditors. Indias Energy Conservation Act and Bureau o Energy Eciency have

institutionalized energy eciency services. A national scheme in India has developed

some 7,500 certied energy managers auditors and managers since 2004.

In the belie that Indias success in those training eorts should be publicized, the

APO organized a workshop on Energy Management Capacity Building: Formulation

o National Frameworks or the Development o Certied Energy Managers and Au-

ditors in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2428 May. Two experts rom India, K.K. Chakar-

varti and A.K. Asthana, were deputed to the workshop. They covered the basics o

energy eciency concepts in specic areas such as lighting, rerigeration, and air-

conditioning; explained Indias national certication examination or energy manag-

ers and auditors; and then oversaw the drating o national planning rameworks by

the 22 participants rom seven member countries.

It was acknowledged that it would be dicult to replicate the Indian system soon. Joint

Secretary Ahmed Ulla, Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Government o Bangla-

desh, commented that his immediate task would be trying to convince higher-ups in the

ministry o the need or implementing a course. Deputy Head, Planning and Tari O-

ce, Tek Socheath, o Electricit du Cambodge, said that, We have no energy auditors,

so we gained knowledge but can

apply it only to a limited level.

The relative newness o cer-

tiication systems or energy

managers and auditors also led

several participants to request

that the APO organize na-

tional training programs in their

countries. Some APO member

countries already have energy

guidelines in place and plans or producing certied managers and auditors. For exam-

ple, Indonesia identied eight priority sectors or energy management and calculated

that 25% reductions could be achieved in cement, petrochemicals, and commercial

buildings. The country requires 800 energy managers and 1,600 energy auditors to

achieve those goals.

In their workshop evaluations, both resource speakers noted that ollow-up activities

would be necessary or the drat planning rameworks to result in workable certication

systems. Noted Asthana, Due to the increased threat o global warming, most countries

have initiated the process o enacting an Energy Conservation Law. Such laws would

lead to greater recognition o the need or energy managers/auditors, he predicted.

Session o Energy Management Capacity Build-ing workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Photocourtesy o NPCC


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APO News July 010

SeptemberIndia

Study Meeting on Reorming Agricultural Extension Systems throughKnowledge Management, 911 September 2010.

Objectives: To review recent developments and trends in agricultural

extension; examine the role o knowledge management (KM) in reormingagricultural extension systems (AES); and identiy challenges in the use oKM or improving AES.

Participants: Senior oicials, experts/proessionals directly involved inmanaging AES.

JapanMulticountry Observational Study Mission on Knowledge-creatingEnterprises, 1317 September 2010.

Objectives: To learn about knowledge-creating enterprises in Japan andidentiy innovative practices or application in other APO member countries.

Participants: CEOs/chie knowledge oicers o enterprises practicingKM; KM consultants, proessionals, and researchers; and NPO consultantsspecializing in KM.

PakistanWorkshop on Building Sae, Competitive Horticultural Chains in theAsia-Pacifc Region: Fruit and Vegetable Chains, 1318 September 2010.

Objectives: To enhance understanding o the principles and practiceso building sae, eicient, competitive horticultural chains; and analyze

problems in operating resh ruit and vegetable chains in member countries.

Participants: Producers, processors, retailers, wholesalers, traders,and others involved in ruit and vegetable supply chains; and governmentofcers, academics, and consultants engaged in capacity building o actorsin ruit and vegetable chains.

USAStudy Misssion to a Nonmember Country on Quality and Innovation,

1317 September 2010.Objectives: To learn rom the US quality management experience and providersthand exposure to the best practices in quality and innovation in the USA.

Participants: Quality award administrators and business leaders involved inaward programs; award assessors; and senior managers o quality award-winners.

Program calendar

Please contact your NPO or details o uture activities, including eligibility orparticipation. The project details along with the address o your NPO are avail-able rom the APO Web site at www.apo-tokyo.org.

Photo op

APO Director or Malaysia Tan Sri Dato' Seri Azman Hashim (R) attends the AGoverning Body Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, 22 April 2010. Tan Sri Dato' Seri AzmHashim assumes the position o the Second Vice Chair or 20102011, representMalaysia. On let is APO Director or Lao PDR Somdy Inmyxai, First Vice Chair 20102011. APO/Kaoru Negishi

The August deadline is approaching for this year's APO Produc-tivity Photo Contest.We're waiting for pictures that illustrate efforts in productivity(people working together for improvement in agriculture, indus-try, schools, communities... there are topics all around us). Fordetails, see our Web site (www.apo-tokyo.org).

2001 Special Prize Cutting steel by Lu Chee Yang, Malaysia

New APO publication

ENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENT FORSUSTAINABLE PRODUC

TIVITY ENHANCEMENTAPO 40 pp. June 2010

ISBN: 92-833-2408-0 (print edition)ISBN: 92-833-7094-5 (e-edition)


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APO News July 010

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

People behind the scenes: Khanendra Kumar Dulichand Bhardwaj

The energy and environment czar o the APOthats how K.D. Bhard-

waj, or KD or short, is known at the Secretariat.

With extensive academic training and experience under his belt, K.D.

has been responsible or developing and managing projects in these felds since

he joined the Secretariat in 2005. K.D. is also reerred to as the godather o

APO e-learning courses. He pioneered the implementation o e-learning meth-

odology using the videoconerencing acilities o the World Bank Tokyo Develop-

ment Learning Center, as well as the WebEx online meeting applications.

It didnt take long or his presence to stand out at the Secretariat. Among more

senior colleagues, his rank views on issues about APO operations quickly began

to gain attention. The outspoken trailblazer has constantly strived to surpassexpectations, looking at an issue rom various angles and exhausting all pos-

sibilities beore reaching an appropriate solution. Hes demanding o the support

sta he works with, and a colleague commented that K.D. can be vocal with

dissatisaction, while at the same time generous with praise or work well done.

Some support sta, as well as new program ofcers who work with K.D. or

the frst time, remark that it can be hard to keep up with the ast talker and ast

thinker. K.D.s voice sometimes reverberates across the Secretariat as his thought

processes are verbalized to drive across his point.

A new program ofcer who recently supported K.D.

on a project was impressed with his proessional-

ism. Ater a ull day, K.D. would hold hours o

discussions with experts, making minor changes ac-

cording to participants needs and going over how

best to achieve program objectives. Hes energetic,

ocused, and totally involved.

Some colleagues wonder where this energy and zest come rom. Aside rom

his wie, K.D. seems to have a special lady in his lie, one whose snapshot o a

smiling ace is careully tucked away in his wallet. He says she is his source oinspiration, particularly or APO projects which have implications or the uture

generations o member countries. The beauty is K.D.s precious seven-year-old

daughter, Khushi (meaning happiness in Hindi).

When we look back at the end o our careers, what really matters is what weve

done to give to the world. I hope that I can be happy when some day I will look back,

and in that regard, I am ortunate to work on energy and environment projects o the

APO, in which we strive or sustainable development in the region.

New Mongolian Productivity Organization in action

The new national productivity organization or Mongolia is in operation. Under the

state registration certiicate granted to the Mongolia Productivity Organization

(MPO), the ocial establishment day was 15 December 2009. Although the MPO is

a nongovernmental organization, it cooperates closely with the Ministry o Social Welare and

Labor o Mongolia, and the minister overseeing its activities is H.E. Tugsjargal Gandi.

The MPO employs our ull-time sta: NPO Director Davaardorj Delgertsogt; APO Liaison

Ocer Dorj Otgonchuluun; Senior Expert Tsagaan Batbileg; and Expert Dechmaa Altanzaya.

It also relies on 18 part-time sta including those serving on the board o directors, headed by

Yamaaranz Erkhembayar, and Supervision Committee. The MPO planned to recruit more sta

rom June 2010. Five departments lead the productivity movement in Mongolia and liaise with

other APO members: Administration and Finance; National and International Cooperation;

Training and Promotion; Re-

search/Think-tank Database;

and Public Inormation/Me-

dia/Publication.

The oice o the MPO is

located on the second loor

o the building housing the

Mongolia Trade Union As-

sociation, located in the heart

o the capital o Ulaanbaatar

on Sukhbaatar Square. Near

Yamaaranz Erkhembayar (2nd/L), APO Directoror Mongolia, and his MPO team at a National Pro-ductivity Award ceremony in Ulaanbaatar Photocourtesy o MPO

NPO

focus

neighbors are Parliament House, Capital City Municipal Oce, other modern oce buildings

and business centers, and sites such as the Opera Theatre and Central Culture Palace.

The mission o the MPO is to contribute to the development and rapid growth o the national

economy and improve the social well-being o the Mongolian people through productivityenhancement programs and nationwide productivity movement initiatives undertaken in col-

laboration with the government, industries, unions, and academia. Its overarching vision is to

be the organization that acts as the core o the national productivity movement and sets and

maintains the standards o productivity to match world best practices to enable Mongolia to

develop productive, world-class human resources.

Main target groups o MPO outreach are public and private institutions, including SMEs, and

representatives o labor and academia supporting the basic tenets o the MPO charter and its

activities. Commented Director Delgertsogt, We believe that with the strong support rom

the Mongolian government and APO, the MPO can achieve its mission and objectives and we

will make every eort to promote productivity awareness among SMEs, the business com-

munity, and public institutions through eective training and consultancy. The MPO will also

seek strong institutional partnerships to support its productivity initiatives.

Immediate goals are developing a National Productivity Program in collaboration with the

Ministry o Social Welare and Labor and Agency o National Development and Innovation and

becoming a center o excellence in the application o productivity and quality tools. The long-

term goal, reported Director Delgertsogt, is the same as that o other NPOs: achieving sustain-

able productivity growth at the national level by improving human and capital productivity.

K.D. Bhardwaj at the Sec-retariat APO/Eriko Sugita

asian productivity organization monthly newsletter july 2010

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