31st August 2009 - 3rd September 2009
Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
The 3rd APLAC/PTB Proficiency Testing Training, Workshop and Symposium was part of a series of measures for enhancing the capabilities of accreditation bodies in developing the provision of proficiency testing. The measure was based on a combination of different instruments as (a) workshops with moderated goal oriented discussions and room for exchange of experience, (b) training modules on specific technical issues, (c) real proficiency testing programs, (d) homework exercises and (e) awareness raising events. Twenty-nine participants from 18 economies participated in the training. PTA was involved in both the planning and co-presentation at this event.
The assistance package was jointly set up by APLAC and the Technical Cooperation group of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) within the framework of a development aid project funded by the German government that aims at supporting developing countries to provide better Quality Infrastructure services. The Training, Workshop and Symposium was jointly hosted by the Department of Medical Sciences (DMSc), the Department of Science Service (DSS) and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) in Bangkok, Thailand from Monday, 31 August to Thursday, 3 September 2009.
The 1st PT Training, Workshop and Symposium was organized in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during 13-15 February 2007 and the 2nd one was organized in Hanoi, Vietnam during 11 - 13 September 2007. Since the 2nd PT Training and Workshop, a series of 5 PT programs has been run of which 3 have been finalized (pH in Water, Cement, and Cytopathology) and 2 were not completed (Ultrasonic, Mass calibration). These programs formed part of the participant review and workshop activities.
Also a half-day symposium was organized on the 1st September 2009 with the title of ‘Food Safety: the Role of Quality Infrastructure'. The objective of the symposium was to raise awareness to general public of the host country concerning the importance of Quality Infrastructure in ensuring safety of food. The symposium was designed to address the Thai specific food safety challenges and the importance of the Thai Quality Infrastructure. A few case studies of standard and PT activities in Thailand were presented and followed by the views of the international experts on the regional and international Quality Infrastructure. There were altogether 8 topics presented by 7 competent speakers.
The participants of the APLAC/PTB PT Package (3 PT Training Courses, Workshops, and Symposiums) expressed great benefits of the PT package. The participants also expressed needs for continuity. Further development of proficiency testing training in the future and continued cooperation with PTB will be discussed by the APLAC PT Committee at the next meeting in Bali in December 2009.
Philip Briggs
Proficiency Testing Australia
