KFS conducts second ISO audit

The ISO auditors Mr. Owino Ochiel (l) and Joseph Njigoya (r) interview the Marsabit Zonal Forest Manager Mr. Francis Kaindi in his office during the second internal ISO Audit

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has conducted the second internal audit aimed at making sure that it complies to the requirements of ISO 2008:9001 which it will adopt and implement to improve service delivery. The audit which was undertaken by the ISO Steering Committee covered all the Zones, Conservancies and the Headquarters in a two week exercise.

The auditors were tasked to check the compliance of the various functions in the documented procedures and processes which KFS had undertaken to implement. This follows countrywide sensitization of staff on the provisions of the ISO standards which are internationally recognized procedures of implementing organizational mandates. After the sensitization, there followed workshops in which officers from various divisions, departments and sections documented their processes.

The first internal audit was conducted earlier in the year where some none conformities were raised and the relevant officers asked to correct them. The second internal audit was thus the check on the progress so far and to prepare KFS staff for the final audit which will be conducted by independent external auditors. The certification of KFS as ISO 2008:9001 compliant will be on the basis of the results of the external audit.

According to the Quality Management Representative (QMR) Mr. James Wainaina, the auditors noted tremendous improvement in terms of compliance to the standards both at the headquarters and in the field. It is hoped that with continual improvement, the Service will be ready for the final audit and the eventual certification.

Story and picture by Leakey Sonkoyo