LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME LEONARDO DA VINCI

Transfer of innovation2010-1-GR1-LEO05-03967

EcoQualify III: Workshop 4 – May 30th - June 1st , 2012 - Bucharest

WP4: Testing of the Quality Assurance System in Bulgaria

REPORTON

Auditors Retailers Teachers/Trainers

Invited to participate in the testing phase

ParticipatedInvited to participate in the testing phase

ParticipatedInvited to participate in the testing phase

Participated

10 6 66 12 12 9

One of the auditors gave some additional remarks on the Quality Handbook.

too complicated………..questions are difficult to answer…………

00

4

2

0

2

2

2

00

4

2

0

2

2

2

0

2

4

0

0

2

4

0

00

4

2Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.1.1. Evaluation of the following topics:The organic retail topic is being approached by the project in a satisfactory way

The monitoring criteria regarding to educational institutions audits are relevant for the purpose of the tasksThe Quality Handbook is adequate for the target group

The Quality Handbook is applicable in my countryThe Quality Handbook is flexibleThe Quality Handbook is reliable

The audit system of Eco-Qualify is practicable for your national conditions and requirements

Auditors

Auditors

000

2

4

000

2

4

000

2

4

000

2

4

000

4

2

00

2

4

0

000

2

4

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

0001

5

000

5

1

00

3

3

0

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

000

4

2

00

2

2

2

00

2

2

2

00

2

2

2

Potat

oes

Veget

able

s and

Fru

it

Bread

and

Bak

ery P

rodu

cts

Dairy P

rodu

cts

Milk

, dair

y pro

ducts

Organ

ic eg

g

Soya

prod

ucts

Cerea

ls an

d ce

real

prod

ucts

Dry fr

uit

Seeds

for s

prou

ting

and

spro

uts

Oil, fa

t and

nut

s

Honey

and

hon

ey p

rodu

cts

Sprea

dabl

e an

d sp

icing

pro

ducts

Bever

ages

Stimula

nts (

swee

ts, c

offe

e, te

a, a

nd co

coa)

Baby

food

Cosm

etic

Produ

cts

GMO

-der

ived

prod

ucts

Mea

t Pro

ducts

Froz

en p

rodu

cts

Delica

tess

en

Herbs

and

med

icam

ents Fi

sh

Essen

tial o

ils

Deter

gent

s and

was

hing

agen

tsSna

ck

House

hold

ute

nsils

and

cere

al gr

inder

s

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.1.2. Evaluation of the topics regarding to their necessity for the further development of the Quality Assurance sector

000

4

2

0

000

2

4

0

000

4

2

0

00

3

000

000

4

2

0

000

4

2

0

00

4

2

00

000

4

2

0

00

2

2

2

0

00

2

2

2

0

00

2

2

2

0

00

2

2

2

0

00

2

4

00

00

2

4

00

1.The

topics

cov

ered

in th

e Q

uality

Han

dboo

k ar

e ap

prop

riate

...

2.The

dur

atio

n of

the

cour

se is

reas

onab

le

3.O

rgan

ic fo

od re

tailin

g tra

ining

is a

n actu

ally

dem

ande

d iss

u...

4. T

he s

tructu

re o

f the

Quali

ty Han

dboo

k is a

ccor

ding

to n

atio.

..

5.The

Con

tent

- Qua

lifica

tion

stan

dard

s at

the

mana

gem

ent le

v..

6.The

pro

pose

d tra

ining

met

hodo

logy

is c

ompr

ehens

ive a

nd ...

7.The

voc

ation

al tr

ainin

g pr

ovid

ers e

valu

ation

crite

ria a

re re

l...

8.The

Con

tent

- Bus

iness

com

pete

ncie

s is i

n re

levan

ce w

ith ..

.

9.The

crit

eria

rega

rdin

g ed

ucat

iona

l insti

tutio

ns a

udits

com

ply...

10.T

he s

tructu

re a

nd re

spon

sibilit

y iss

ues

abou

t loc

al Q

ualit.

..

11.T

he s

tructu

re a

nd re

spon

sibilit

y iss

ues

abou

t ext

erna

l Qua

l...

12.T

he c

heck

list f

or th

e va

lidat

ion is

app

ropr

iate

for t

he n

atio.

..

13.T

he te

ache

rs’ q

ualifi

catio

ns a

re w

ell-d

efine

d and

com

ply ..

.

14.T

he e

valu

ation

of t

he tr

ainin

g se

rvice

outco

mes i

s in

com

p...

N/A Not applicable

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Auditors

Fig.1.3. Answers to the questions related to the Quality Handbook

The results showed that as a whole the auditors in the country are not well-acquainted with the specific contents of the Quality Handbook.

There is a need of additional specialisation.

This analysis showed the importance of EcoQualify III project for the quality assurance systems in organic retail training in the country.

An auditor’s remarks on the Quality Handbook concerning the processes which are specific for the quality assurance systems

1. The abbreviation “ORA” should be written by its full name in the text.

 2. Applying the quality assurance system needs a definition of the concepts used in the Handbook which will help the users in implementing activities according to the requirements. For example the Personal Matrix (A04_003) is not defined in respect to its purpose and use.

It will be useful to include in Part 1 a section called “Terms, definitions and abbreviations”.

A similar practice is applied in the creation of standards, quality handbooks, procedures and documents in the management systems.

3. In Structure and handling of documents (A01_001) is written that “This document determines the structures of all Quality Assurance System documents” but the documents are not determined.

The users should go through the rest of the Handbook.

For example in Criteria regarding educational institutions audits (A07_003) it is pointed: Policy of the Institute; The Legal Contracts of Institute; Housekeeping Organizational Chart.

There is a need of definitions of the terms.

The same is the case and for the Quality Handbook.

In p.8.1 of the same document it is written: 1. Writing the handbook / quality-manual, a) Contents (see below), 2. Creation of all major documents, a) For the acquisition of office workers and teachers; and in 14. Structure and responsibilities of local QM (A 12_001) the quality handbook is pointed too. Furthermore, in the procedures a number of operative documents and records are quoted.

In this connection the section 1 Structure and handling of documents (A01_001) could be named “Requirements towards the documentation and management of documents” where the documents required by the Quality assurance system to be classified and determined and the requirements towards the management of documents to be précised – identification, approval, confirmation, change, distribution, management of documents of external origin, etc.

4. The review of the common rules of the system shows that the topic of auditing the Quality assurance system is considered in several sections: Failure Management (A05_001), Criteria regarding educational institutions audits (A07_003), Certification - Structure (A08_001), The structure and responsibilities of External Quality Management (A12_002), as well as in Part 2: Checklist.

It is possible that this diversity could confuse the users and they could miss some important requirements concerning auditing when developing the system.

It will be more efficient if the auditing rules are united in one or two sections – “Internal audits and third-party audits (certification)”.

At the end of 2011 a new international standard ISO 19011:2011 was published “Instructions for auditing management systems” which can present some directions of planning, organization, implementation and documentation of the audits of the system.

In the current version of this Handbook a full text was not proposed in respect to the organization of audits, and especially their planning.

5. The same is the situation in respect to the Quality Manager, the requirements towards the status, obligations, responsibilities and rights are distributed among the different sections.

It will be more advisable to be differentiated in a separate section or a point in some of the sections.

  6. The system needs a process connected to the information exchange –

internal and external, with the interested parties.

The requirements towards this process are worth to be differentiated in a separate section – “Information exchange”.

  7. An unchanging part of the quality assurance systems is undertaking

actions of correction. This question is just marked in the Handbook in Failure Management (A05_001), Structure and responsibilities of local QM (A12_001), The structure and responsibilities of External Quality Management (A12_002) and Part 2: Checklist.

It should be concentrated in the section Failure Management.  

Retailers

male ; 9

female ; 3

Fig.2.1. Personal information of the organic retailers participated in the interviews

8

2 2

00

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Owner Manager Employee Other

Fig.2.2. Status of the interviewees

Retailers

4

5

3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

less than 5

between 5 and 10

more than 10

Fig.2.3. Years experience in organic retailing

Retailers

Retailers

0 0

2 21

6

0 0

1

0

12

34

56

7

Hypermarket /B

illa, M

etro, C

arrefour, K

aufland, etc

Independent supermarke

t

Independent health/natural product store

Natural products co

operative

Supermarket

Open Market

Supermarket chain

Natural products su

permarket chain

Organic food shop

Fig.2.4. Type of the retail store

Retailers

0

1 1

4

3 3

00

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

PrimaryEducation

SecondaryEducation

TechnicalCollege

VocationalTraining

University SpecializedCourses

Other(Specify):

Fig.2.5. Educational background of the retailers interviewed

Retailers

8

4

yes

no

Fig.2.6. Education or training related to organic retailing

Retailers

1

1

2

4

0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5

Less than a year ago

Two years ago

Three years ago

More than three years ago

Fig.2.7. Period when passed some form of training

Retailers

1

2

9

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Top management

Mid level management

Basic / execution level

Other:

Fig.2.8. Demanding level of training

Retailers

000

5

7

000

6

6

000

4

8

000

5

7

000

5

7

Basic qualif icationin organic retailing

Retail management Businessmanagement

Productknow ledge

Production

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.2.9. Demanding topics of training

Retailers

1110

1211

12 1210

8

02468

101214

Fig.2.10. Most essential topics for business and staff’s competence

Retailers

000

8

4

000

9

3

000

7

5

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

7

5

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

7

5

Basic Knowledge organic trade

Organic Agriculture

Fair Trade

Hygiene and Safety

Care for Goods

Good Storage

Communication Skills

Computing, Technology K

nowledge

Environmental Protectio

n

Standardization, Processin

g, Packaging and Transporta

tion

Nutrition Science

Organic food production

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.2.11. Topics from the Quality Handbook regarding to their relevance

Retailers

3

9

yes

no

Fig.2.12. Staff attending training in topics related to the shop and the assortment

Retailers

000

2

10

000

2

10

000

3

9

000

2

10

000

5

7

000

8

4

000

6

6

000

7

5

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

8

4

000

4

8

000

8

4

00

8

4

0

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

6

6

000

8

4

000

7

5

000

8

4

000

8

4

000

7

5

000

6

6

000

8

0

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.2.13. Topics regarding retailers training on business development

7

5

yes

no

Fig.2.14.1. Becoming a trainer in organic retailing

Retailers

001

4

2

001

2

4

000

5

2

000

5

2

000

4

3

000

4

3

001

3

3

00

2

4

1

000

4

3

001

4

2

001

4

2

000

4

3

001

5

1

Basic Knowledge organic trade

Organic Agriculture

Fair Trade

Hygiene and Safety

Care for Goods

Good Storage

Communication Skills

Computing, Technology K

nowledge

Environmental Protectio

n

Standardization, Processin

g, Packaging and Transporta

tion

Nutrition Science

Organic food production

Individual product k

nowledge

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.2.14.2. Topics of interest to provide training in

Retailers

000

8

4

000

9

3

000

5

7

000

4

8

000

8

4

000

9

3

00000

Face to face tra

ining courses

On-the-job tra

ining

Short seminars

Information sessions

e-learning training

Printed materia

ls (handbooks, r

eferent materials,

etc.).

Other (Please, specify

):

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.2.15. Types of training tools preferred in organic retailing training

Retailers

Generally, the retailers interviewed did like the Quality Handbook as a whole and the idea of introducing the Quality Assurance System (QAS) in organic retail training was welcomed.

It was common expression that this is very important activity, especially in a situation when the organic sector in the country is not well-developed and particularly organic trade and specialised training related to it.

Trainers

5

4

0 00

1

2

3

4

5

6

PhD, MSc University Technical college Other

Fig.3.1. Studies background

1

3

1

4

0

0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5

PhD, MSc

Research experience

Practical training

Other (relative experienceas agronomist)

None

Fig.3.2. Experience in the areas of organic agriculture and related fields

Trainers

3

4

1

1

0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5

up to 5

between 5 and 10

between 10 and 15

more than 15

Fig.3.3. Years of work as a trainer

Trainers

4

5

Regular

Unregular

Fig.3.4. Frequency of courses hold

Trainers

3

6

yes

no

Fig.3.5. Providing trainings other than in the institution of work

Trainers

0

0

6

9

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lower secondary –compulsory school

Upper secondary

University

Vocational training

Other:

Fig.3.6. Level of training that the trainers’ institutions provide

Trainers

5

5

5

5

9

9

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Retail management

Business management

Foreign language

Social studies

Science

Production

Fig.3.7. Subjects provided in the trainers’ institutions

Trainers

5

9

9

9

9

5

5

5

9

5

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Retail in foodstuff

Marketing and sales

Product knowledge

Working procedures

Hygiene and safety in workplace

Accounting

Advisory and sales communication

Nutrition science

Marketing tools

Implementation of Quality Assurance Schemes

Fig.3.8. Answers to the question“Is training provided by your institution related to the following categories?”

Trainers

8

0

1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

yes no maybe

Fig.3.9.1. Would you be interested to provide training in organic food stuff issues and special requirements for organic retailing?

Trainers

000

7

2

001

7

1

00

5

3

1

00

3

4

2

001

6

2

001

5

3

001

6

2

000

6

3

001

6

2

001

7

1

00

2

5

2

00

2

6

2

00

2

6

2

Basic Knowledge organic t

rade

Product Know – how and its

diversifica

tion in fresh/dry/nonfood

Organic Agriculture

Fair Trade

Hygiene and Safety

Care for Goods

Good Storage

Communication Skills

Computing, Technology Knowledge

Environmental Protection

Standardization, P

rocessing, P

ackaging and Transportation

Nutrition Science

Organic food production

Strongly Agree

Agree

Hard to say

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Fig.3.9.2. Evaluation of the topics from the Quality Handbook regarding to the interest to provide

Trainers

8

1

yes

no

Fig.3.10. Answers to the question “Can you imagine and are you able to go for training and/or internship to advanced countries in the EU to receive this special training-competence?”

Trainers

8

1

yes

no

Fig.3.11.1. Speaking foreign languages

Trainers

7

1

6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

English German Russian

Fig.3.11.2. Foreign Languages

Trainers

7

2

yes

no

Fig.3.12. Experience with E-Learning

Trainers

7

0

2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

no yes I don't know

Fig.3.13. Answers to the question “Would you consider any additional content regarding the special conditions and requirements

in your country?”

Trainers

The results showed good opportunities for application of the Quality Handbook and the Quality assurance system in organic retail training in the country just with some small changes and adaptations to the national environment.

It means that this would be an internationally established standard applied in Bulgaria and giving the bases for comparisons and recognition of qualifications.